Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

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.

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 Jack Kruschen) 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.Kruschen 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 Kruschen's factory that makes glass fruit) takes off both Jewish and Catholic holidays (as well as Halloween!) so perhaps Kruschen 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 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.

This comment was intended to be with PAL JOEY. Not sure how it got here.whpratt1 obviously has a lot of time on his hands, to quote an old song he probably never heard of (why does he seem to enjoy displaying this fault?). Anyone that considers Pal Joey as a classic film musical has a LOT to learn.The film is not true to the source material and most of the roles are mis-cast. It's curious that, at the time Broadway musicals such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The King and I were faithfully and successfully represented (for the most part) on film, the makers of the film version of Pal Joey managed to ruin a perfectly good story and a eliminate most of the show's wonderful score. The casting and performance of Rita Hayworth in the leading female role has probably contributed a great deal to subsequent mis-casting of the role in subsequent stage productions: Patti LuPone and Lena Horne. How whpratt1 can consider this a classic film musical is beyond me.