Come Blow Your Horn

Director: Bud Yorkin Bud Yorkin

Overview

This comedy is based on Neil Simon's successful stage play. Alan (Frank Sinatra) is the oldest of two brothers from a Jewish family. When his younger brother decides it's time to leave home, Alan welcomes Buddy (Tony Bill) to his swinging, uptown bachelor pad. Buddy gets a new suit and a lesson on how to be a playboy from his older brother. Buddy soon gets with the program and steals several of Alan's girl friends. His affair with a married woman (Phyllis McGuire) results in a clobbering from her irate husband (Dan Blocker). Alan and Buddy's parents show up to extricate the youngest son from the wicked web of sin. The screenplay comes from Norman Lear, who directed along with Bud Yorkin. Dean Martin makes a comical cameo as a bum, and Sinatra croons the title track. Lear wouldlater make television history with such shows as "All In The Family", the American version of Britain's "Till Death Do Us Part."

Product Details

Release Date:	03/27/2012
UPC:	0887090036504
Original Release:	1963
Rating:	NR
Source:	Olive
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:52:00
Sales rank:	19,784

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Frank Sinatra	Alan Baker
Lee J. Cobb	Harry R. Baker
Molly Picon	Mrs. Sophie Baker
Barbara Rush	Connie
Jill St. John	Peggy John
Tony Bill	Buddy Baker
Dan Blocker	Mr. Eckman
Phyllis McGuire	Mrs. Eckman
Carole Wells	Eunice
Herbie Faye	Waiter
Romo Vincent	Barber
Charlotte Fletcher	Manicurist
Greta Randall	Tall Girl
Dean Martin	The Bum
Joyce Nizzari	Snow
Grady Sutton	Actor

Technical Credits

Howard W. Koch	Executive Producer
Norman Lear	Producer
Paul K. Lerpae	Special Effects
Bud Yorkin	Director,Producer

Editorial Reviews

Although Come Blow Your Horn could never have been a great movie -- the Neil Simon play that serves as its basis is simply too lightweight for that -- but it could have at least been a snappier, peppier one. Not that it's not mildly enjoyable; it has a number of solid one-liners in the traditional Simon mode, there's some swinging Nelson Riddle arrangements and some delightful oh-so-period bachelor-pad touches, and Frank Sinatra's around for the star part of a swinging bachelor who really needs to stop swinging. But the film lacks sparkle; worse, it adds a touch of smarminess to the proceedings. That smarminess is there in the original material, but it's kept underneath the surface. Screenwriter Norman Lear and director Bud Yorkin let it peep out too often. Sinatra is also a problem -- his performance is appropriately effortless, but a tad lifeless. And the role doesn't really call for a star; having one in the part throws things off balance. Still, Come Blow Your Horn is funny enough, and it does boast an excellent scene-stealing performance from Lee J. Cobb, delightful support from Molly Picon and Jill St. John, and an appealing (if a little too lightweight) contribution from Tony Bill. It all adds up to a minor but decently enjoyable comedy.