I have to agree with most of what the previous commenter says; this is a largely disappointing movie. Neil Simon's wit here is not yet up to "Odd Couple" or "Sunshine Boys" speed, and some of the acting is lame. Jill St. John is a tad too cutesily dumb, and Tony Bill's Buddy is somewhat grating, especially after his unconvincing conversion from youthful innocent to roue. However, Sinatra is always worth watching and listening to, especially in the masterful Nelson Riddle's arrangements (here an original song, actually). However, the movie is almost worth watching solely for Lee J. Cobb's performance as papa Baker; his sidesplitting performance as the terminally frustrated Mr. Baker is a study in comic skill, particularly in the scenes where he invades the brothers' apartment. I had never see Cobb do comedy before; now my estimation of him as an actor has increased immeasurably. Catch this one just for Cobb.
27 Reviews
My review of Come Blow Your Horn is in tribute to the late Neil Simon
tavm27 August 2018
With the recent announcement that Neil Simon has died at 91, I decided to watch this-the first movie adapted from his first play. He didn't adapt it himself as he would most of his subsequent plays to film, no, Norman Lear would do that in this instance. Lear also produced with Bud Yorkin who directed. Tony Bill is the 21-year-old son of Lee J. Cobb and Molly Picon, parents who he loves but wants to now live with his older bachelor brother Frank Sinatra who's involved in three women-Jill St. John, Phyllis McGuire, and Barbara Rush. Dan Blocker, who played Hoss on the No. 1 TV show at the time "Bonanza" also appears as does a familiar singer in cameo who's a frequent co-star of Sinatra's. Besides Simon's original lines and Lear's additions, there's also a title song by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn-Sinatra's usual songwriters. Frank warbles it while teaching his younger brother to dress and taking him out to town in New York City. I don't know how true this was to Neil Simon's original play but I'm guessing enough of it was to seem not too different from his subsequent work. I highly laughed most of the time so on that note, I highly recommend Come Blow Your Horn. P.S. This review is indeed dedicated in memory of Mr. Simon.
Oddly cast but quite enjoyable
planktonrules20 February 2013
This film is the first one based on a Neil Simon play and the screenplay is by Norman Lear. According the IMDb, Frank Sinatra's character is actually based on Simon's older brother--a playboy who apparently was quite the lady's man. While Sinatra is good in the film, he was badly miscast as he is easily old enough to be his brother's father! In fact, he and the father (Lee J. Cobb) are about the same age--and so I had a seriously hard time believing Sinatra was Tony Bill's brother.
The film begins with a young man showing up at his brother's bachelor pad. Apparently he's moving in and it's quite the surprise. However, he IS welcomed by his brother--but not the over-protective parents who want this young man to return home. The younger brother (Tony Bill) seems quite naive and he's in for a shock when he sees that his brother is quite the player--and is currently stringing three ladies along at the same time! But, when he can't possibly make all his commitments to the ladies at the same time, the naive brother is convinced to help! What's to happen to the sweet younger brother and will his older brother ever grow up and become responsible and settle down? The acting was fine in the film and the writing very good. In fact, apart from Sinatra's age, I have no serious complaints about the film. It is a bit of a trifle of a film but enjoyable throughout--and is well worth your time.
The film begins with a young man showing up at his brother's bachelor pad. Apparently he's moving in and it's quite the surprise. However, he IS welcomed by his brother--but not the over-protective parents who want this young man to return home. The younger brother (Tony Bill) seems quite naive and he's in for a shock when he sees that his brother is quite the player--and is currently stringing three ladies along at the same time! But, when he can't possibly make all his commitments to the ladies at the same time, the naive brother is convinced to help! What's to happen to the sweet younger brother and will his older brother ever grow up and become responsible and settle down? The acting was fine in the film and the writing very good. In fact, apart from Sinatra's age, I have no serious complaints about the film. It is a bit of a trifle of a film but enjoyable throughout--and is well worth your time.
The Fabulous Baker Boys
stryker-531 July 2000
Round up the usual suspects. This being a Frank Sinatra comedy, there has to be a Cahn-Van Heusen song, arranged by Nelson Riddle. Dean Martin pops up in an under-rehearsed cameo and Jill St. John is Frankie's Bimbo. "It's a business like any other business," says Frank. Was he talking of manufacturing wax fruit, or cranking out cynical sex comedies?
The Baker brothers are out for fun. Alan is a thirty-nine year old playboy who, to his parents' chagrin, remains unmarried (Sinatra was in fact bewigged and fifty-one). His kid brother Buddy (Tony Bill) escapes from the stifling jewish domesticity of Yonkers and joins Alan in his Manhattan bachelor apartment. Drinks, dames and snappy clothes ensue. Because this is 1963, Frank thinks it's the height of cool to shave with an electric razor, use roll-on deodorant and furnish his kitchen in orange plastic. Impressively for 1963, he has a car phone and a remote control device to work his stereo, but were the snapbrim hat and the plaid raincoat REALLY the last word in style in the era of the Rolling Stones?
Essentially a bourgeois jewish comedy of the Neil Simon type, "Come Blow Your Horn" is a bit of froth which does not repay close analysis. There is a cute little phallic joke (the cannon in the movie playing on TV) and Frank's character almost goes somewhere with his 'oldest swinger in town' realisation, but ultimately this is a lazy, shallow little project.
Lee J. Cobb is the long-suffering jewish father, Molly Picon the depressingly stereotypical jewish mom. Hoss from TV's "Bonanza", Dan Blocker, appears briefly as the irate cuckold Eckman. Jill St. John is in simpering Marilyn Monroe mode as Peggy The Babe, not yet showing the intelligent irony on display in "Tony Rome". Tony Bill is good as Buddy, the kid brother corrupted by the philandering Alan, and Barbara Rush impresses as Connie, the good girl.
However, the film's central premise is flawed. The script does not explain (because it can't) how feckless, jobless Alan can afford swish tailoring, ski vacations in Vermont and an apartment the size of Shea Stadium. There is a lame suggestion, right at the end, that some unseen broad can be sweet-talked into donating the bachelor pad to Buddy, but it fails to convince. Rather like the film, really.
The Baker brothers are out for fun. Alan is a thirty-nine year old playboy who, to his parents' chagrin, remains unmarried (Sinatra was in fact bewigged and fifty-one). His kid brother Buddy (Tony Bill) escapes from the stifling jewish domesticity of Yonkers and joins Alan in his Manhattan bachelor apartment. Drinks, dames and snappy clothes ensue. Because this is 1963, Frank thinks it's the height of cool to shave with an electric razor, use roll-on deodorant and furnish his kitchen in orange plastic. Impressively for 1963, he has a car phone and a remote control device to work his stereo, but were the snapbrim hat and the plaid raincoat REALLY the last word in style in the era of the Rolling Stones?
Essentially a bourgeois jewish comedy of the Neil Simon type, "Come Blow Your Horn" is a bit of froth which does not repay close analysis. There is a cute little phallic joke (the cannon in the movie playing on TV) and Frank's character almost goes somewhere with his 'oldest swinger in town' realisation, but ultimately this is a lazy, shallow little project.
Lee J. Cobb is the long-suffering jewish father, Molly Picon the depressingly stereotypical jewish mom. Hoss from TV's "Bonanza", Dan Blocker, appears briefly as the irate cuckold Eckman. Jill St. John is in simpering Marilyn Monroe mode as Peggy The Babe, not yet showing the intelligent irony on display in "Tony Rome". Tony Bill is good as Buddy, the kid brother corrupted by the philandering Alan, and Barbara Rush impresses as Connie, the good girl.
However, the film's central premise is flawed. The script does not explain (because it can't) how feckless, jobless Alan can afford swish tailoring, ski vacations in Vermont and an apartment the size of Shea Stadium. There is a lame suggestion, right at the end, that some unseen broad can be sweet-talked into donating the bachelor pad to Buddy, but it fails to convince. Rather like the film, really.
Not bad
tforbes-219 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Come Blow Your Horn" is an interesting artifact from the early 1960s. While some aspects of the film strain for credibility, there also have been worse films produced.
OK, Frank Sinatra was 47, and was only four years younger than Lee J. Cobb, who played his father. But he is fun to watch, and we get to see how time is catching up with this swinging single. And we can accept him playing the older of two sons in a Jewish family.
One major plus for the movie is having Molly Picon and Mr. Cobb playing the parents; their own backgrounds add credibility to their roles. As for their surname being Baker, it was and is not unheard of Jewish families to change such names to something more "American." That happened not just in the entertainment industry, but across the board. And given that the older Mr. Baker was a businessman, it would stand to reason.
I tuned into this because I am a fan of Jill St. John; she is not served terribly well in this production. Phyllis McGuire, Barbara Rush and Dan Blocker fare better here.
It's entertaining fare, and a cool curio from an era 50 years ago, but hardly Oscar material. You could do worse.
OK, Frank Sinatra was 47, and was only four years younger than Lee J. Cobb, who played his father. But he is fun to watch, and we get to see how time is catching up with this swinging single. And we can accept him playing the older of two sons in a Jewish family.
One major plus for the movie is having Molly Picon and Mr. Cobb playing the parents; their own backgrounds add credibility to their roles. As for their surname being Baker, it was and is not unheard of Jewish families to change such names to something more "American." That happened not just in the entertainment industry, but across the board. And given that the older Mr. Baker was a businessman, it would stand to reason.
I tuned into this because I am a fan of Jill St. John; she is not served terribly well in this production. Phyllis McGuire, Barbara Rush and Dan Blocker fare better here.
It's entertaining fare, and a cool curio from an era 50 years ago, but hardly Oscar material. You could do worse.
A nice Saturday night movie
bfm_10177 April 2007
I really like this movie, but I like Frank too. Sinatra had some really good movies, and some not so hot, but fun to watch like this one. Anyone who doesn't get this movie is a square. It's fantasy, it's light comedy, it's fun, and it's free. Hard to swallow Dan Blocker as someone other than Hoss, and I love the women in this one. When I was 10 and watched this, I used to think this was real life, and I couldn't wait to be just like Frank. Of course, I'm a little smarter now, but I still wish my young adulthood had had this kind of time, even once. So, the movie substitutes nicely, just like the Elvis movies do. Instead of the "swinging bachelor" life, I am married 30 years with grown kids, and quite happy. I think also having an older brother and younger brothers gives me a neat perspective on this film. Not reality, not meant to be. I also love anything New York, like the waiter who delivers the peas and potatoes because "they come with the meal." Now THAT'S New York customer service at it's best. Just a great evening watching a fun movie. Sinatra in many of his movies, kept his rat pack persona on display. Sinatra was one of a kind. Then again, so was Dean Martin, Sammy, and some of the other "cool cats". Sinatra did quite well. Not bad for a kid from Hoboken.
Cute, but not fantastic
HotToastyRag1 July 2021
"Are you married?"
"No."
"Then you're a bum!"
That's the famous exchange between Lee J. Cobb and Frank Sinatra in Come Blow Your Horn, a domestic comedy about moving out of the house. I'd always heard great things about this movie, but when I finally saw it, it was a bit of a letdown. I think it got talked up too much. Lee J. Cobb was a stereotypical overbearing father who shouted all of his lines. Molly Picon was extremely irritating as the long suffering mother, and her pacing was way too slow. Tony Bill's character arc wasn't sympathetic: At first he feels oppressed at home so he moves in with his playboy brother whom he idolizes. Then he turns into a playboy himself, with every flaw magnified so the audience can see it was a mistake. Jill St. John was her usual nauseating airhead persona, which left Frank Sinatra on his own to save the movie. Since his character was extremely similar to several others he'd played in the past, there wasn't much he could do with it.
Then again, if you like seeing him in semi-cad playboy roles, you might like this one. The title song is very cute, and some of the jokes are very funny. But I liked A Hole in the Head much better.
That's the famous exchange between Lee J. Cobb and Frank Sinatra in Come Blow Your Horn, a domestic comedy about moving out of the house. I'd always heard great things about this movie, but when I finally saw it, it was a bit of a letdown. I think it got talked up too much. Lee J. Cobb was a stereotypical overbearing father who shouted all of his lines. Molly Picon was extremely irritating as the long suffering mother, and her pacing was way too slow. Tony Bill's character arc wasn't sympathetic: At first he feels oppressed at home so he moves in with his playboy brother whom he idolizes. Then he turns into a playboy himself, with every flaw magnified so the audience can see it was a mistake. Jill St. John was her usual nauseating airhead persona, which left Frank Sinatra on his own to save the movie. Since his character was extremely similar to several others he'd played in the past, there wasn't much he could do with it.
Then again, if you like seeing him in semi-cad playboy roles, you might like this one. The title song is very cute, and some of the jokes are very funny. But I liked A Hole in the Head much better.
A Prototype For Neil Simon
theowinthrop13 February 2005
If you look carefully at "Come Blow Your Horn" you will see it is a two set play that was expanded for this funny movie version. The two sets are the home of Mr. and Mrs. Baker and Buddy in Yonkers, and the apartment used by the older Baker boy Alan as his swinging singles pad. Most of the film is concentrated in those sets, except for scenes involving Alan taking Buddy under his wing to properly groom him, scenes with Barbara Rush outside the apartment (one briefly showing her apartment), and scenes involving Alan and the Eckmans (Dan Blocker and stiletto heeled Phyllis Maguire). Of the scenes outside the apartment, the two best are Alan's meeting with Mr. Eckman, and it's sequel at a restaurant, involving a raw steak and a bum (who turns out to look very familiar).
Simon is one of the leading American dramatists of the 20th-21st Century, certainly the most successful comic dramatist. Seeing "Come Blow Your Horn" you see certain themes appearing for the first time. The twisted relationship of the two brothers, who do love each other but find they get on each other's nerves (as Buddy slowly overtakes the older Alan as a hipster). It is similar to the relationship of the brothers in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" (especially in he second play, where a real argument between the brothers breaks out). The question of relatives with sleazy or questionable activities like Alan's sexual escapades, comparable to the mobster brother in "Lost In Yonkers" or the embezzler, long-lost father in "Max Dugan Returns". The father losing the respect of his sons (found in the ranting Mr. Baker) is similar to the position of the father in "Broadway Bound", who has discovered his sons have reduced him to a comic stereotype in a sketch they sold a radio comedy show. The very fact that the Baker brothers become roommates who get on each other's nerves in an apartment is a constant thread in Simon's plays: "Barefoot In The Park (newliweds); "The Odd Couple" (and it's variation and sequel), "The Sunshine Boys" (in the rehearsal scene and in the conclusion where both Al and Willie seem headed for the old actor's home), even "Plaza Suite" (how three couples act together over the course of one year in a hotel suite). Simon is a master of building humorous tension out of trivialities. In "The Sunshine Boys" just setting up furniture to do a scene both vaudevillians can do in their sleep is frustrating as both see the furniture differently. In "Come Blow Your Horn", when Alan tells off buddy that his swinging lifestyle is going too far, he also mentions that he should keep his hands off Alan's fig newtons!
Despite the claustrophobia of the sets limitations "Come Blow Your Horn" is a funny movie, benefiting from the performances of Sinatra, Jill St. John, Lee J. Cobb (usually a master of straight drama, here quite funny), and the glorious Molly Picon. One wishes more of Dan Blocker could have been used, but what was used was quite effective. There is an odd moment in the latter part of the film, connected to a party that Buddy throws, and a hypnotized guest blaming Alan for failing to support an education bill. Alan does an imitation of President Kennedy to reassure the woman. No doubt Sinatra felt it was a good imitation.
It was meant to be funny, but now seems macabre.
Simon is one of the leading American dramatists of the 20th-21st Century, certainly the most successful comic dramatist. Seeing "Come Blow Your Horn" you see certain themes appearing for the first time. The twisted relationship of the two brothers, who do love each other but find they get on each other's nerves (as Buddy slowly overtakes the older Alan as a hipster). It is similar to the relationship of the brothers in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" (especially in he second play, where a real argument between the brothers breaks out). The question of relatives with sleazy or questionable activities like Alan's sexual escapades, comparable to the mobster brother in "Lost In Yonkers" or the embezzler, long-lost father in "Max Dugan Returns". The father losing the respect of his sons (found in the ranting Mr. Baker) is similar to the position of the father in "Broadway Bound", who has discovered his sons have reduced him to a comic stereotype in a sketch they sold a radio comedy show. The very fact that the Baker brothers become roommates who get on each other's nerves in an apartment is a constant thread in Simon's plays: "Barefoot In The Park (newliweds); "The Odd Couple" (and it's variation and sequel), "The Sunshine Boys" (in the rehearsal scene and in the conclusion where both Al and Willie seem headed for the old actor's home), even "Plaza Suite" (how three couples act together over the course of one year in a hotel suite). Simon is a master of building humorous tension out of trivialities. In "The Sunshine Boys" just setting up furniture to do a scene both vaudevillians can do in their sleep is frustrating as both see the furniture differently. In "Come Blow Your Horn", when Alan tells off buddy that his swinging lifestyle is going too far, he also mentions that he should keep his hands off Alan's fig newtons!
Despite the claustrophobia of the sets limitations "Come Blow Your Horn" is a funny movie, benefiting from the performances of Sinatra, Jill St. John, Lee J. Cobb (usually a master of straight drama, here quite funny), and the glorious Molly Picon. One wishes more of Dan Blocker could have been used, but what was used was quite effective. There is an odd moment in the latter part of the film, connected to a party that Buddy throws, and a hypnotized guest blaming Alan for failing to support an education bill. Alan does an imitation of President Kennedy to reassure the woman. No doubt Sinatra felt it was a good imitation.
It was meant to be funny, but now seems macabre.
Very few laughs...
moonspinner5511 May 2002
The names Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear always look good on the credits for a comedy--until you realize Lear's success was relegated strictly to the tube and Yorkin has no sense of humor. Add to the mix a script based on the play by the highly uneven Neil Simon, and you have a slick but scattershot affair. Frank Sinatra sleepwalks through role as swinging New York bachelor (now there's a stretch) who takes his gawky younger brother under his wing, much to the chagrin of their mother and father (the torturous Molly Picon and Lee J. Cobb, both giving the term 'Old World' a bad rap). Just about every one-liner falls flat, Tony Bill is hopeless in his debut as the kid brother, and Sinatra's one song (the title cut) is mediocre. Dean Martin has a cameo that's not bad, and Dan Blocker is wonderfully big and colorful as a disgruntled businessman, but the rest of this "Horn" blows. *1/2 from ****
Classic Film Comedy
whpratt111 March 2006
If you like Frank Sinatra and remember some of these old time actors, and some very talented ones, this would be a good film for you to watch and enjoy. The story evolves around a New York Jewish Family who all try to create some nice Jewish accents, except Frank Sinatra, who does not even make the attempt. Lee J. Cobb,(Harry Baker), is the father to Alan Baker,(Sinatra) and calls his son a BUM and a do nothing Playboy,(which he really is in this film) Molly Picon, (Sophie), is the mother to the Baker family and gets upset with having to answer the many telephone calls she has to answer in her son's apartment. Barbara Rush( Connie) is very attractive and has a great romantic interest in Alan Baker along with many other hot chicks. Even Dan Blocker,(Eckman)"Gunsmoke" TV Series, finds time to give Alan Baker a right upper hook to the jaw. Nice 1963 film with even Frank Sinatra singing a few musical tunes I did not recognize.
Sinatra Is Too Old
elision1012 November 2015
There are some funny scenes, like the Mom alone in her sons' apartment. But this is one of those films that even those of us men who aren't wild feminists are embarrassed to watch. That whole ring-a- ding-ding Sinatra cool where his dames are little more than sexual toys is not hip or appealing -- it's just creepy.
But the thing that I hate most about this movie -- and some of the movies from that era -- is how we're supposed to be completely oblivious to the actors' real ages. Sinatra was more than old enough to be his kid brother's father -- hell, in another few years, he could have been his grandfather. We're supposed to ignore that because he's Frankie -- just like we're supposed to ignore age gaps in Fred Astaire movies of the Fifties, or Bogart and Hepburn in Sabrina.
I love the feel of Fifties/Sixties New York movies, like Breakfast at Tiffany's, where you can see the unrealized potential of the women, some of whom seem more confident in their place than their current counterparts. But this movie isn't one of them.
But the thing that I hate most about this movie -- and some of the movies from that era -- is how we're supposed to be completely oblivious to the actors' real ages. Sinatra was more than old enough to be his kid brother's father -- hell, in another few years, he could have been his grandfather. We're supposed to ignore that because he's Frankie -- just like we're supposed to ignore age gaps in Fred Astaire movies of the Fifties, or Bogart and Hepburn in Sabrina.
I love the feel of Fifties/Sixties New York movies, like Breakfast at Tiffany's, where you can see the unrealized potential of the women, some of whom seem more confident in their place than their current counterparts. But this movie isn't one of them.
"I Tell You Chum, It's Time To Come Blow Your Horn"
bkoganbing12 February 2005
This Neil Simon comedy, debuted on Broadway two years earlier, minus the song and a few characters and starred Hal March, Warren Berlinger, Lou Jacobi, and Pert Kelton. It had a respectable run for about a year and Frank Sinatra must have recognized a property tailor made for him when he saw it.
The eternal problem with filming plays is how to get them out of the theatrical confines and use the scope the movie camera offers. Primarily this is done with a Sinatra song with the movie title where he lectures kid brother Tony Bill that life ain't a dress rehearsal. Sammy Cahn, who put more words in Frank Sinatra's mouth than any other lyricist, put some of his best work into play here. It's a great Sinatra song and maybe it's inclusion qualifies Come Blow Your Horn to be a musical.
Lee J. Cobb and Molly Picon are the quintessential Jewish parents and they are grand. Cobb was a very underrated actor and an unhappy man because of his experience with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Sinatra purportedly befriended him and helped him over a few rough patches.
Molly Picon brought about 50 years of experience to her part as Frankie's mom. She was fresh from a Broadway triumph in Milk and Honey. She started out as a child in the Yiddish Theatre and was only now breaking out into a wider audience. She has a very funny scene alone in Sinatra's bachelor pad, trying to answer several phones looking for a pencil to take a message with disastrous consequences.
The women here are an eyeful, Phyllis McGuire, Barbara Rush, and Jill St. John and Sinatra's involved with all of them. I won't tell you which one he ends up with, but I think you'd figure it out. I think most of Frankie's fans would settle for any one of them.
Life imitates art and the real life Sinatra unlike his character Alan Baker didn't really settle down until fourth wife Barbara Marx married him.
There's a lot of similarities with the earlier Sinatra comedy, The Tender Trap. It's ground gone over before, but it's good topsoil.
A Quintessential Sinatra film, a must for fans of the Chairman of the Board.
The eternal problem with filming plays is how to get them out of the theatrical confines and use the scope the movie camera offers. Primarily this is done with a Sinatra song with the movie title where he lectures kid brother Tony Bill that life ain't a dress rehearsal. Sammy Cahn, who put more words in Frank Sinatra's mouth than any other lyricist, put some of his best work into play here. It's a great Sinatra song and maybe it's inclusion qualifies Come Blow Your Horn to be a musical.
Lee J. Cobb and Molly Picon are the quintessential Jewish parents and they are grand. Cobb was a very underrated actor and an unhappy man because of his experience with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Sinatra purportedly befriended him and helped him over a few rough patches.
Molly Picon brought about 50 years of experience to her part as Frankie's mom. She was fresh from a Broadway triumph in Milk and Honey. She started out as a child in the Yiddish Theatre and was only now breaking out into a wider audience. She has a very funny scene alone in Sinatra's bachelor pad, trying to answer several phones looking for a pencil to take a message with disastrous consequences.
The women here are an eyeful, Phyllis McGuire, Barbara Rush, and Jill St. John and Sinatra's involved with all of them. I won't tell you which one he ends up with, but I think you'd figure it out. I think most of Frankie's fans would settle for any one of them.
Life imitates art and the real life Sinatra unlike his character Alan Baker didn't really settle down until fourth wife Barbara Marx married him.
There's a lot of similarities with the earlier Sinatra comedy, The Tender Trap. It's ground gone over before, but it's good topsoil.
A Quintessential Sinatra film, a must for fans of the Chairman of the Board.
My Tongue Should Fall Out!
rmax3048232 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Lee J. Cobb is a gem as the disappointed Jewish father of two sons -- Sinatra and Bill -- who desert him and his wax fruit business to live the lives of shallow New Yorkers on the hedonistic treadmill. He's full of indignation and irony. When we first meet him, he's coming home from work. "Is that you, Harry?", cries his wife, Molly Picon, from the kitchen. "No, it's a BURGLAR coming in. At five in the afternoon. For dinner." He's a delight whenever he's on screen, grumbling about "da brudders" who are "bums" because they won't get married and give him grandchildren. Molly Picon is good as the mother, but in her one big scene she's recherché and a little silly -- not the actress' fault but the screenwriter's.
Sinatra isn't too painful as the older son with a luxurious apartment that now would look in the neighborhood of $10,000 a month. He rarely shows up for work because he's too busy ploying the local ladies. How can he afford the place? He leases it from a woman who adores him. But that doesn't explain how he affords alpaca cardigans, a personal hair stylist, tuxedos, dinners are Sardi's and drinks at Toots Shore's. I once managed a dinner at The Russian Tea Room but it cost me three months worth of pizza pies.
I have nothing against Tony Bill, the younger brudder, who begins to ape Sinatra's self-indulgent ways, but he almost ruins the picture. He looks the part of the twenty-one year old naif, but his voice is high and squeaky, and his notion of "nervousness" reaches for the stars. Bud Yorkin, the director, should have reined him in and introduced him to the concept of "underplaying." It all turns out right in the end, of course. Sinatra has several girls on the hook -- including the airhead Jill St. John and the bourgeois virgin Barbara Rush. Guess which one he marries.
All in all, it reminded me a lot of "The Tender Trap," in which Sinatra again was pursued by a horde of marriage-hungry females and David Wayne was the visiting hick. The greatest hangover scene ever committed to celluloid.
On the other hand, if it had been done as a drama it would have resembled "Hud," with a stern and principled father, a dissolute older son, and a younger one who wants to imitate his big brother.
Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. "MY TONGUE SHOULD FALL OUT!" And Molly Picon's first visit to Sinatra's suite, when she looks around this palatial spread and remarks about the dirt. It reminded me of an incident during the shooting of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," a classic of the silver screen, in which I was an extra. I was standing next to quiet man (Hi, Luigi!) and his wife, a nice Jewish lady who disapproved of the set -- a slum street strewn with litter. She left the sidewalk and began picking up discarded shoes and other trash until a PA told her politely how much effort and expense had been put into importing all this garbage and seeing that it was properly strewn.
Sinatra isn't too painful as the older son with a luxurious apartment that now would look in the neighborhood of $10,000 a month. He rarely shows up for work because he's too busy ploying the local ladies. How can he afford the place? He leases it from a woman who adores him. But that doesn't explain how he affords alpaca cardigans, a personal hair stylist, tuxedos, dinners are Sardi's and drinks at Toots Shore's. I once managed a dinner at The Russian Tea Room but it cost me three months worth of pizza pies.
I have nothing against Tony Bill, the younger brudder, who begins to ape Sinatra's self-indulgent ways, but he almost ruins the picture. He looks the part of the twenty-one year old naif, but his voice is high and squeaky, and his notion of "nervousness" reaches for the stars. Bud Yorkin, the director, should have reined him in and introduced him to the concept of "underplaying." It all turns out right in the end, of course. Sinatra has several girls on the hook -- including the airhead Jill St. John and the bourgeois virgin Barbara Rush. Guess which one he marries.
All in all, it reminded me a lot of "The Tender Trap," in which Sinatra again was pursued by a horde of marriage-hungry females and David Wayne was the visiting hick. The greatest hangover scene ever committed to celluloid.
On the other hand, if it had been done as a drama it would have resembled "Hud," with a stern and principled father, a dissolute older son, and a younger one who wants to imitate his big brother.
Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. "MY TONGUE SHOULD FALL OUT!" And Molly Picon's first visit to Sinatra's suite, when she looks around this palatial spread and remarks about the dirt. It reminded me of an incident during the shooting of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," a classic of the silver screen, in which I was an extra. I was standing next to quiet man (Hi, Luigi!) and his wife, a nice Jewish lady who disapproved of the set -- a slum street strewn with litter. She left the sidewalk and began picking up discarded shoes and other trash until a PA told her politely how much effort and expense had been put into importing all this garbage and seeing that it was properly strewn.
The horn blows...
JasparLamarCrabb14 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
An awful movie version of the Neil Simon stage hit. Frank Sinatra is woefully miscast as a Jewish mama's boy who invites younger (MUCH YOUNGER) brother Tony Bill to live with him and join in on his swinging lifestyle. The great Lee J. Cobb and Molly Picon are ideal as their overbearing parents, but the genealogy just doesn't mesh. The entire cast is at sea with what is really an unfunny script and even foxy leading ladies Jill St. John and Barbara Rush are upstaged by the the film's art direction (Sinatra's apartment is a quintessential '60s bachelor pad!) It's difficult to know what in this film could have appealed to Sinatra, he's way too old and completely unconvincing in a role perhaps better suited for Jerry Lewis (yes, Jerry Lewis) or even Tony Curtis. Directed, with extreme dullness, by Bud Yorkin.
A chore to watch
Ripshin8 May 2006
Looks like a stage play......feels like a stage play.....acted as if the audience is sitting fifty yards away.....they just couldn't shake the roots of this production. Certainly, an insignificant Simon property, raised beyond oblivion by its casting. I'm not sure why they just didn't change the age of Sinatra's character to his actual 48 - he doesn't look remotely 39 - actually, he looks about 55. Tony Bill's role would play better on stage, where his over-emoting wouldn't be quite so grating.
Yes, the parents are perfectly cast, if you can tolerate the stereotypical Jewish mother and father, screeching incessantly. What children WOULDN'T run away from that?
The bachelor pad is certainly hip Early 60s - and unbelievable (regardless of the explanation of its affordability).
The song interlude is a bit jarring, although if they had to do it, it certainly works best where it is.
Overall, not a film I'll watch again.
Yes, the parents are perfectly cast, if you can tolerate the stereotypical Jewish mother and father, screeching incessantly. What children WOULDN'T run away from that?
The bachelor pad is certainly hip Early 60s - and unbelievable (regardless of the explanation of its affordability).
The song interlude is a bit jarring, although if they had to do it, it certainly works best where it is.
Overall, not a film I'll watch again.
Norman Lear-Neil Simon comedy with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bill
jacobs-greenwood16 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Bud Yorkin, who co-produced this slightly above average light comedy with Norman Lear, who wrote the screenplay adapting a play by Neil Simon, who earned his first motion picture screen credit, it stars 47 year old Frank Sinatra playing a 39 year old older brother to a 21 year old character, played by Tony Bill, and the son of Lee J. Cobb's (though Cobb himself was only 51 at the time) and Molly Picon's (65 at the time) characters, who'd been married for 43 years.
If you can get past all these improbable numbers (and aren't offended by its shallow female, and other stereotypical characterizations), it's actually (still) a pretty entertaining film today. Barbara Rush, Jill St. John, TV Bonanza's Dan Blocker, and Phyllis McGuire round out the primary cast; Dean Martin, Mary Grace Canfield who plays a woman hypnotized into thinking that Sinatra is JFK (an "inside" joke), and Grady Sutton (who can be glimpsed while Sinatra sings the film's title song) are among those who also appear uncredited.
Sinatra plays Alan Baker, a playboy whose refuses to "grow up" and get married, per his father Harry's (Cobb) wishes. Harry blames his wife Sophie (Picon) for being too soft on Alan as a child, hence their "boy's" situation. Both are pleased that Alan's (much) younger brother Buddy (Bill), who still lives at home with them, is more responsible. Of course Buddy's had enough of being treated like a child, and leaves their suburban home to live with Alan in his extravagant bachelor pad in New York (how he affords it is a loose end until the film's end), though only about an hour's drive away, on his 21st birthday. Both sons work in their father's decorative artificial fruit business, Alan as a salesman and Buddy in design (?).
Once Buddy lives with Alan, and with his older brother's encouragement (at least initially), he undergoes a transformation into a younger version of Alan. Buddy learns by example, having seen Alan successfully juggle an attractive air-headed wannabe actress who lives in his building, Peggy John (St. John), a beautiful singer named Connie (Rush) who's conveniently on tour a lot of the time, and even a would-be, though married, client of their father's company Mrs. Eckman (McGuire), a buyer for Neiman Marcus, whose husband's discovery of Alan's swinging sales technique finally gets him in trouble with Mr. Eckman (Blocker), and fired by Harry. Naturally, Buddy's "corruption" is upsetting to their parents as well.
Not only are the characterizations humorous, for example Cobb's Harry is evidently a self-made immigrant who loudly calls his son a 'bum' (though Martin, in a cameo, is the film's only real bum) and Picon plays a long-suffering "Jewish" mother, but the tried and true (silent film) technique of never knowing who's on the other side of Alan's apartment door when the doorbell (or the phone) rings is effectively utilized with comic results. Rush plays a woman whose biological clock is ticking such that she's hoping Alan will settle down with her after only six months of dating. John plays a bubble- headed neighbor who helps Buddy begin his "fling". The film's final third is not as good as the first two thirds, and it does end rather predictably - with Alan seeing the error of his ways through Buddy and deciding to marry Connie. However, that doesn't keep it from being a good ride while it lasts.
The film's Color Art Direction-Set Decoration was nominated for an Academy Award.
If you can get past all these improbable numbers (and aren't offended by its shallow female, and other stereotypical characterizations), it's actually (still) a pretty entertaining film today. Barbara Rush, Jill St. John, TV Bonanza's Dan Blocker, and Phyllis McGuire round out the primary cast; Dean Martin, Mary Grace Canfield who plays a woman hypnotized into thinking that Sinatra is JFK (an "inside" joke), and Grady Sutton (who can be glimpsed while Sinatra sings the film's title song) are among those who also appear uncredited.
Sinatra plays Alan Baker, a playboy whose refuses to "grow up" and get married, per his father Harry's (Cobb) wishes. Harry blames his wife Sophie (Picon) for being too soft on Alan as a child, hence their "boy's" situation. Both are pleased that Alan's (much) younger brother Buddy (Bill), who still lives at home with them, is more responsible. Of course Buddy's had enough of being treated like a child, and leaves their suburban home to live with Alan in his extravagant bachelor pad in New York (how he affords it is a loose end until the film's end), though only about an hour's drive away, on his 21st birthday. Both sons work in their father's decorative artificial fruit business, Alan as a salesman and Buddy in design (?).
Once Buddy lives with Alan, and with his older brother's encouragement (at least initially), he undergoes a transformation into a younger version of Alan. Buddy learns by example, having seen Alan successfully juggle an attractive air-headed wannabe actress who lives in his building, Peggy John (St. John), a beautiful singer named Connie (Rush) who's conveniently on tour a lot of the time, and even a would-be, though married, client of their father's company Mrs. Eckman (McGuire), a buyer for Neiman Marcus, whose husband's discovery of Alan's swinging sales technique finally gets him in trouble with Mr. Eckman (Blocker), and fired by Harry. Naturally, Buddy's "corruption" is upsetting to their parents as well.
Not only are the characterizations humorous, for example Cobb's Harry is evidently a self-made immigrant who loudly calls his son a 'bum' (though Martin, in a cameo, is the film's only real bum) and Picon plays a long-suffering "Jewish" mother, but the tried and true (silent film) technique of never knowing who's on the other side of Alan's apartment door when the doorbell (or the phone) rings is effectively utilized with comic results. Rush plays a woman whose biological clock is ticking such that she's hoping Alan will settle down with her after only six months of dating. John plays a bubble- headed neighbor who helps Buddy begin his "fling". The film's final third is not as good as the first two thirds, and it does end rather predictably - with Alan seeing the error of his ways through Buddy and deciding to marry Connie. However, that doesn't keep it from being a good ride while it lasts.
The film's Color Art Direction-Set Decoration was nominated for an Academy Award.
Oy Vey
justrock27 July 2007
I thought this movie was a dud. I'm not a big fan of early 60's movies like this, they portray an era that was so brief I'm not sure anyone actually lived through it. The clothes, the language, the sets (orange plastic as one other commenter noted)looked stale even when they were new. You can almost smell the stale cigarettes. Add to that the awkwardness of 48 year old Sinatra still trying to pass himself off as a playboy and my eyes start rolling back in my head. The last name of this family is Baker, yet both parents labor under some sort of Yiddish/Eastern European accent that is supposed to be hilarious, while the Sinatra character is a slick, tight panted Italian type playboy. More like a zoo than a family. I won't watch this again.
Come Blow Your Horn blew it
stevenpwyner25 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The movie truly stinks. Not much better than an Elvis cookie cutter film of the same period. One wonders what Frank was thinking coming off Manchurien Candidate, Some Came Running, Joker is Wild, Man with the Golden Gun etc. It would only appeal to a loyal FS fan such as myself. The movie appears to be a remake of Frank's earlier "Tender Trap" of the late fifties. The concept really did not need to be revisited in 1963. Regarding the previous reviewer's comments about Frank's hat and coat in the era of the Stones, the Stones hadn't happened yet, in America. Kennedy was still alive. The British invasion was still months away when the film was released. So Frank's outfit was still in vogue for a swinging single of the early 60's. Further, Frank was not 51. He was born in 1915. Try 48. He still lacked credibility as the swinging 39 year old with a 21 year old brother. Perhaps a better lead for the movie would have been Robert Wagner or even Steve McQueen. Later
Classic Sinatra Comedy
VaqueraDeNez26 May 2006
This movie is classic Frankie.
Frank plays a swinging bachelor with a steady stream of dollies coming to him--and one, true steady girl. His father greatly resents his lackluster job performance for him but, moreso, is upset with him for not being married, being "a bum" as he frequently puts it.
Then Frankie's square little brother decides that Frank is living the life. He runs away from home to have his big brother show him the ropes, much to his parents' dismay.
Thus ensues a great comedy. We get to watch Frank teach what he knows best--how to swing, and see his little brother comically pick it up. And pick it up maybe too well for Frank's comfort...
Wonderfully funny situations pop up all over the movie, beautifully intertwined with a solid plot and certain points being driven home. The cast couldn't be better (despite some comments about Frank's age--Frank always looked at least ten years younger than he was).
Frank is completely on the ball with this part and does it like the pro that he is; it was just written for him to play. There's plenty of girls for him to have a field day with, and it's so funny and such a pleasure to just watch Frank play this sort of thing. The rest of the cast couldn't be better, and it all just clicks right into place.
Hilarious situations and dialogue, a wonderful cast, a fantastic, unexpected cameo, a great capture of the excellent times when the movie was filmed, and overall wonderful Sinatra all add up to a movie you've got to watch if you love the Swingin' 60's, the Rat Pack, Frank, or just great comedies.
Frank plays a swinging bachelor with a steady stream of dollies coming to him--and one, true steady girl. His father greatly resents his lackluster job performance for him but, moreso, is upset with him for not being married, being "a bum" as he frequently puts it.
Then Frankie's square little brother decides that Frank is living the life. He runs away from home to have his big brother show him the ropes, much to his parents' dismay.
Thus ensues a great comedy. We get to watch Frank teach what he knows best--how to swing, and see his little brother comically pick it up. And pick it up maybe too well for Frank's comfort...
Wonderfully funny situations pop up all over the movie, beautifully intertwined with a solid plot and certain points being driven home. The cast couldn't be better (despite some comments about Frank's age--Frank always looked at least ten years younger than he was).
Frank is completely on the ball with this part and does it like the pro that he is; it was just written for him to play. There's plenty of girls for him to have a field day with, and it's so funny and such a pleasure to just watch Frank play this sort of thing. The rest of the cast couldn't be better, and it all just clicks right into place.
Hilarious situations and dialogue, a wonderful cast, a fantastic, unexpected cameo, a great capture of the excellent times when the movie was filmed, and overall wonderful Sinatra all add up to a movie you've got to watch if you love the Swingin' 60's, the Rat Pack, Frank, or just great comedies.
Ring - a - ding - ding? Oh purrlease...............
ianlouisiana1 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Come blow your horn" marks the start of Mr Sinatra's descent into self-parody .He was at least ten years too old for the part of a perennial bachelor grooming his younger brother into a carbon-copy of himself.Even in 1955 for "The Tender Trap" he looked vaguely disturbing as he pursued the much younger Debbie Reynolds.You almost expected him to break into "Have some Madeira m'dear" and twirl the ends of his metaphorical moustache.By 1963 his style of ageing hipster,tight trousered Italian shod charm was wearing a bit thin.All the women in his movie world were large-breasted bouffant-haired long-legged airheads,the men cool wise-cracking "in with the in-crowd" kind of guys,but not quite as cool and wise-cracking as Mr Sinatra himself of course. Neil Simon's plays have a peculiarly American popularity in much the same way that the late Terence Rattigan's had an appeal for a mainly British audiences.The arcane social practices of his middle class characters are often as mysterious to us as Mr Rattigan's must be to a U.S. audience. "Come blow your horn" features Miss Molly Picon and Mr Lee J.Cobb as a bickering angst ridden Jewish couple(is there any other kind on Broadway ?)with Mr Sinatra and Mr Tony Bill as their two sons.A harsh critic might rail at the casting of Mr Sinatra as a middle-aged single Jew,but hey,this is Broadway,right? Mr Bill is fine in a small furry animal kind of way,perhaps a marmoset or lemur,unused to appearing in daylight.Mr Sinatra is Las Vegas smart,like a third-rate lounge act,existing in a state of permanent priapism,no wonder his mother worries about him.An assortment of "broads" move to and fro within their orbit,the less fortunate ones catching their eye.Mr Dan Blocker,lately "Hoss" in "Bonanza",steals the movie by being the only recognisably human character.He is far better than the film deserves as a cuckolded husband. When I saw this film at the "Carlton" cinema in Forest Gate,East London over 40 years ago,the world was much more easily amused.When the opening shot of Mr Sinatra's parents' house came up on the screen,the appearance of the word "Yonkers" was greeted with gales of laughter.In order to achieve the same effect today Mr Sinatra would have to blow away several " 'ho's" with a large calibre shotgun,whilst chomping on a cigar and screaming "Die Motherfxxxxxxx" before soaking their still twitching bodies in petrol and setting fire to them.They could call it "Come blow up the 'hood"
Oh Brother
writers_reign17 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In a sentence this is The Tender Trap with bagels and lox. Two of the top 'Ss' in the business, Simon and Sinatra can't be bad, throw in Lee J Cobb and what's not to like. It was the first of Neil Simon's plays to reach the screen and an adaptation of his very first play and if this shows up at times we all have to learn our trade and overall Simon makes a fairly decent fist of it. Cleffers Sammy Cahn and Jimmy van Heusen got to write the title songs for both movies and it's hard to choose between them.
There's a new boy in town....
mark.waltz11 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
And he's going to really turn the life of his (much) older brother Frank Sinatra upside down. Newcomer Tony Brill portrays an innocent unaware of what he is getting himself in for moving onto Sutton Place in Manhattan. Free of his meddling parents (Molly Picon and Lee J. Cobb) and their Yonkers home, Brill allows brother Sinatra to take him out on a glorious shopping spree to mold him into a younger version of his older brother. Before you know it, Brill has taken over and Sinatra finds himself acting like his domineering father whose constant slamming of doors causes chandeliers to fall.
This hysterically funny Neil Simon comedy isn't a great movie, but gets a higher rating simply because of its laugh quotient. There are also several moments that seemed like song cues, and one time, when Sinatra breaks into the title song (during the shopping spree), it actually happens. Brill is hysterically funny going from innocent to ring-a-ding-ding playboy, throwing a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" like party, and getting perhaps too big for his britches when Sinatra gets him to pretend to be a movie producer from Hollywood.
Cobb and Picon are so funny, but nothing is more hysterical than watching the lovable Picon playing reluctant frustrated secretary when she begins to answer Sinatra's phone calls after popping in on Brill unannounced to beg him to return home. The sight of this diminutive woman running around this obvious playboy's apartment looking for a pencil is a visual you won't forget. Picon makes her Jewish mother endearing and so lovable that you want to just pick her up and hug her.
While Picon and Sinatra don't share scenes until the end (because of the obvious difference in their appearances), I half expected Picon to tell Sinatra "We needed to share one scene in this movie" when he asked her why she was there. It is mentioned that Sinatra (who works for Cobb's factory that makes glass fruit) takes off both Jewish and Catholic holidays (as well as Halloween!) so perhaps Cobb and Picon have a mixed marriage; That is never confirmed.
Then, there are the ladies in Sinatra's life: the beautiful red-headed Jill St. John (too intelligent seeming to be playing a bubble-head), Phyllis McGuire (as the sadomasochistic business associate from Dallas) and Barbara Rush (as the wife and mother type). The film may seem a bit too much like a stage play in some scenes (minus the songs it seems to be about to break into), but is still a lot of fun.
This hysterically funny Neil Simon comedy isn't a great movie, but gets a higher rating simply because of its laugh quotient. There are also several moments that seemed like song cues, and one time, when Sinatra breaks into the title song (during the shopping spree), it actually happens. Brill is hysterically funny going from innocent to ring-a-ding-ding playboy, throwing a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" like party, and getting perhaps too big for his britches when Sinatra gets him to pretend to be a movie producer from Hollywood.
Cobb and Picon are so funny, but nothing is more hysterical than watching the lovable Picon playing reluctant frustrated secretary when she begins to answer Sinatra's phone calls after popping in on Brill unannounced to beg him to return home. The sight of this diminutive woman running around this obvious playboy's apartment looking for a pencil is a visual you won't forget. Picon makes her Jewish mother endearing and so lovable that you want to just pick her up and hug her.
While Picon and Sinatra don't share scenes until the end (because of the obvious difference in their appearances), I half expected Picon to tell Sinatra "We needed to share one scene in this movie" when he asked her why she was there. It is mentioned that Sinatra (who works for Cobb's factory that makes glass fruit) takes off both Jewish and Catholic holidays (as well as Halloween!) so perhaps Cobb and Picon have a mixed marriage; That is never confirmed.
Then, there are the ladies in Sinatra's life: the beautiful red-headed Jill St. John (too intelligent seeming to be playing a bubble-head), Phyllis McGuire (as the sadomasochistic business associate from Dallas) and Barbara Rush (as the wife and mother type). The film may seem a bit too much like a stage play in some scenes (minus the songs it seems to be about to break into), but is still a lot of fun.
I liked this movie a lot
joefast-1711219 March 2020
very funny, well done
vchimpanzee10 March 2003
This was my first Frank Sinatra movie. I have seen clips of his work, and I have enjoyed his singing for years, but this was the first time I really took a good look at his acting.
Sinatra plays Alan Baker, a crafty ladies' man who is a disappointment to his overbearing father, who is also his boss (and given Alan's work ethic, that's a good thing). His 21-year-old brother Buddy, who also works for his father and has a 'gee-whiz' quality about him, does everything he can to please his parents, but never manages to satisfy them. One day Buddy decides to move in with his brother. This does not please the father one little bit, and the mother is not happy either. Alan wants his brother to be just like him, so he has the brother 'made over' and, when he has too many girlfriends, lets Buddy pose as a Hollywood producer and take out one of the girls, who wants to be an actress. Alan still has two women to juggle, and unfortunately, one of them is married and a big client of his father's company. And her husband is Dan Blocker (who comes across, unfortunately for Alan but not for us, more as Little Joe than Hoss).
Sinatra is good, giving the impression of a much younger man than he would have been when the film was made. He doesn't seem like the Sinatra I knew at first, but later becomes more serious and more like the familiar image. He also gets to sing one song, doing a great job. The actors playing the stereotypically Jewish parents are wonderful (Religion isn't mentioned, but the image of Jewish parents is a familiar one). I haven't seen much of Molly Picon's work, but from seeing this performance and one episode of 'Gomer Pyle, USMC', I can't see anyone portraying the guilt-inducing Jewish mother any better. The actor playing the father made quite an impression as well.
This was a good movie, and though slightly off-color, nowhere near as naughty as movies being made today.
Sinatra plays Alan Baker, a crafty ladies' man who is a disappointment to his overbearing father, who is also his boss (and given Alan's work ethic, that's a good thing). His 21-year-old brother Buddy, who also works for his father and has a 'gee-whiz' quality about him, does everything he can to please his parents, but never manages to satisfy them. One day Buddy decides to move in with his brother. This does not please the father one little bit, and the mother is not happy either. Alan wants his brother to be just like him, so he has the brother 'made over' and, when he has too many girlfriends, lets Buddy pose as a Hollywood producer and take out one of the girls, who wants to be an actress. Alan still has two women to juggle, and unfortunately, one of them is married and a big client of his father's company. And her husband is Dan Blocker (who comes across, unfortunately for Alan but not for us, more as Little Joe than Hoss).
Sinatra is good, giving the impression of a much younger man than he would have been when the film was made. He doesn't seem like the Sinatra I knew at first, but later becomes more serious and more like the familiar image. He also gets to sing one song, doing a great job. The actors playing the stereotypically Jewish parents are wonderful (Religion isn't mentioned, but the image of Jewish parents is a familiar one). I haven't seen much of Molly Picon's work, but from seeing this performance and one episode of 'Gomer Pyle, USMC', I can't see anyone portraying the guilt-inducing Jewish mother any better. The actor playing the father made quite an impression as well.
This was a good movie, and though slightly off-color, nowhere near as naughty as movies being made today.
Khrushchev Should Have Such A Back Ache ****
edwagreen10 March 2006
Those words were uttered by Molly Picon in this hilarious film. "Come Blow Your Horn" deals with a swinging bachelor Frank Sinatra and his kid brother, Tony Bill, who is trying to follow in his footsteps.
Lee J. Cobb proved his adeptness at comedy in this one by his constant making reference to Sinatra as a bum for not being married. Note the surprise in his face when Sinatra ultimately says yes when Cobb again confronts him. He and Picon are the absolute best senior citizen couple in this hysterical film. The chemistry between these 2 characters, both of whom appeared on the Yiddish stage during their respective careers, is great. Absolutely amazing to me that Picon and especially Cobb were not nominated in the supporting category. Their portrayals of the typical Jewish couple dealing with their sons is hilarious. Sinatra, as the swinging bachelor, is great. The part was made for him. He is very well matched by Tony Bill, his kid brother, who is emulating his brother and getting into the latter's lifestyle very quickly. Picon is very funny in the scenes answering the telephones. No wonder she was the perfect Yenta in "Fiddler on the Roof" 8 years later. Lee J. Cobb produces a miracle here. Long regarded as an outstanding dramatic actor, he turns in an incredibly outrageous performance as the beleaguered father.
Bill later went on to direct films. Look for Phyllis McGuire in a brief appearance as a buyer for Neiman-Marcus.
Lee J. Cobb proved his adeptness at comedy in this one by his constant making reference to Sinatra as a bum for not being married. Note the surprise in his face when Sinatra ultimately says yes when Cobb again confronts him. He and Picon are the absolute best senior citizen couple in this hysterical film. The chemistry between these 2 characters, both of whom appeared on the Yiddish stage during their respective careers, is great. Absolutely amazing to me that Picon and especially Cobb were not nominated in the supporting category. Their portrayals of the typical Jewish couple dealing with their sons is hilarious. Sinatra, as the swinging bachelor, is great. The part was made for him. He is very well matched by Tony Bill, his kid brother, who is emulating his brother and getting into the latter's lifestyle very quickly. Picon is very funny in the scenes answering the telephones. No wonder she was the perfect Yenta in "Fiddler on the Roof" 8 years later. Lee J. Cobb produces a miracle here. Long regarded as an outstanding dramatic actor, he turns in an incredibly outrageous performance as the beleaguered father.
Bill later went on to direct films. Look for Phyllis McGuire in a brief appearance as a buyer for Neiman-Marcus.
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