Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

Leaving his parents’ home in Yonkers, young Buddy Baker (Tony Bill) arrives unannounced at the luxurious Manhattan apartment of his older brother, Alan (Frank Sinatra, at least 10 years too old for the part), a swinging girl chasing bachelor who prefers his carefree life to working in the family wax fruit business.

Pleased at his brother’s show of independence, Alan introduces him to New York nightlife.

Their father, Harry (Lee J. Cobb, superb as the disappointed Jewish father) is unhappy at Alan’s mentoring but Buddy is so successful that he soon takes over his brother’s liquor cabinet and his girlfriends.

Alan gets beaten by the husband (Dan Blocker) of another conquest (Phyllis McGuire). Scared off, Alan alienates his favourite girlfriend, Connie (Barbara Rush), shying away from all commitment.

Hit by the futility of his life, Alan urges Buddy to end his swinging lifestyle, but Buddy is having too much of a good time. After their argument jolts Alan, he proposes to Connie.

Following their marriage, Alan helps their parents reconcile, works seriously in the family business and turns his bachelor pad over to Buddy.

Come Blow Your Horn was the first of Neil Simon’s plays to be adapted into a movie. Simon was so disenchanted by this first adaptation of one of his plays that he vowed to write all his own screenplays in future.

Alan Baker
Frank Sinatra
Harry R. Baker
Lee J. Cobb
Mrs Sophie Baker
Molly Picon
Connie
Barbara Rush
Peggy John
Jill St. John
Mr Eckman
Dan Blocker
Mrs Eckman
Phyllis McGuire
Buddy Baker
Tony Bill

Director
Bud Yorkin