CHAMPION (1949) / YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950) Impossible to dun Kirk

In both CHAMPION and YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, Kirk Douglas portrays a man driven to reach the top – in the former, a world champion boxer; in the latter, a world-class trumpeter (based on jazz great Bix Beiderbecke). In both, Douglas cultivates and then dumps friends, supporters and loved ones in order to achieve his goal; in both, his character is a mix of good and bad; and in both, Douglas tears open the screen with the passion and energy of three actors. These are fine films about flawed men, exuberantly portrayed by an actor who seemed to pour real-life energy and ambition into every role.