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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1950s
    Movies - 1950s Movies - M 2 Mins Read

    Man with the Golden Arm, The (1955)

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    Frustrated at losing On the Waterfront (1954), Frank Sinatra acted swiftly to pip Marlon Brando to Otto Preminger’s adaptation of the bestselling Nelson Algren novel about Frankie Machine, a reformed Chicago heroin addict and card dealer trying to stay clean and make it as a jazz drummer, having learned to play in prison.

    But the pressures of dealing with a wife in a wheelchair, a pusher and the woman he really loves, make things tough for Frankie.

    From Saul Bass’s opening credits to Elmer Bernstein’s jazzy score, this movie boasts its modernity in its unflinching approach to the story and subject matter.

    Trainspotting (1996) it isn’t but, in the clean-cut Eisenhower era, this movie shocked audiences deeply. In any event, Frank Sinatra‘s Oscar-nominated performance still impresses, as do those of Eleanor Parker as his wife, Zosch, and Kim Novak as Sinatra’s object of desire, Molly.

    manwithgoldenarm3

    In addition to visiting rehab clinics and learning to play the drums, Sinatra also agreed to rehearse and remained patient as newcomer Novak required endless retakes.

    But the forbearance proved worthwhile, as Sinatra gives one of his finest performances, tempering his superficial cockiness with a vulnerability that crushes him when he fluffs an audition while craving a fix.

    The picture was a commercial success, despite being denied a Production Code seal of approval for tackling the taboo topic of drug abuse.

    Frankie Machine
    Frank Sinatra
    Zosch Machine
    Eleanor Parker
    Molly
    Kim Novak
    Sparrow
    Arnold Stang
    Louie
    Darren McGavin
    Schwiefka
    Robert Strauss
    Williams
    George Mathews
    Drunky
    John Conte

    Director
    Otto Preminger

    Video

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    Previous ArticleMan Who Would Be King, The (1975)
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