Average Rating: 6.9/10
Reviews Counted: 18
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 2
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 3,742
When Otto Preminger was willing to release his drug-addiction drama Man With the Golden Arm without the sanction of a Production Code seal, it proved to be yet another nail in the coffin of that censorial dinosaur. Based on the novel by Nelson Algren, the film stars Frank Sinatra as Frankie Machine, expert card dealer (hence the title). Recently released from prison, Frankie is determined to set his life in order -- and that means divesting himself of his drug habit. He dreams of becoming a jazz
Dec 15, 1955 Wide
May 16, 2000
United Artists
All Critics (19) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (4) | DVD (7)
A gripping, fascinating film, expertly produced and directed and performed with marked conviction by Frank Sinatra as the drug slave.
Frank Sinatra, as the drug-addicted poker dealer, plays a reasonably naturalistic character, but he's surrounded by a collection of bizarre archetypes.
In short, for all the delicacy of the subject and for all the pathological shivers in a couple of scenes, there is nothing very surprising or exciting about The Man With the Golden Arm.
As one Hollywood's first movies about drug addiction, Otto Preminger's drama starring Frank Sinatra, may be more significant historically than artistically.
Director Otto Preminger emphasizes the lurid whenever he can ... so that the movie plays like a blurry, bleary night-on-its-way-to-morning.
It's a film that had a monkey on its back.
Sinatra, by contrast, is superb, especially in a harrowing withdrawal scene. It's his movie...all the way.
More Damon Runyan than Irvine Welsh, but as entertaining as it is important.
Some of the scenes of cold turkey are still very effective, and Sinatra's performance is flawless.
There are some great scenes, though, notably Sinatra's audition for a make-or-break drumming job, and the later scene where he suffers cold turkey in Novak's apartment.
A brave and well-constructed piece of old-time movie-making, and the thing more than holds up today.
A terrific exposition of the perils of drug addiction
Proves that drug stories aren't exclusively the territory of hip, nihilistic '90s film-school wunderkinder.
Decent but not great movie about a ex-junkie and how he got sucked back into his habit. I'm not a Sinatra fan, but he did OK as heroin addict Frankie Machine. The title refers to Johnny's job, which is a card dealer for illegal card games. Eleanor Powell plays Johnny's wife, who is in a wheelchair because of an
September 6, 2010Super Reviewer
This is basically an overwrought melodramatic depiction of hard drug abuse (one of the first in cinema, I believe). It's a little tame by today's standards, but it features really good performances and an excellent score by Elmer Bernstein. I give it a B-.
January 7, 2010Super Reviewer
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