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The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Director: Otto Preminger
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Eleanor Parker, Arnold Stag
Genre: Drama
Length: 119 minutes
An ex-junkie returns from prison and takes up hanging with the same wrong crowd that he hung with before. His nagging crippled wife and former card shark boss makes his decision to stay clean, a hard one.
The Man With The Golden Arm deserves to be watched by any serious film buff. This film and The Blue Moon both by Otto Preminger were the first films to skirt the Hays Production Code and still be released for viewing and make a good profit, thanks to the notoriety of the subject matter. Today's audiences would find a story about a drug addict passe, but to 1950's audiences this film must have been electrifying! With the success of this film, the Hays Production Code censorship grip began to fade.
In what is still a graphic scene today, Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) shoots up. The scene is gritty and real.
This was a plum role for Frank Sinatra who was fresh off an Academy Award win with From Here to Eternity. Frank does his acting like his singing, no nonsense, no fluff, he gets right to it and he's excellent in this part.
Elanor Parker who's one of the best 1950's actresses, plays an eccentric, wheel chaired, neurotic woman...who's nagging drives Frankie from the home and into the arms of Kim Novak.
What's with the whistle?...It adds to the neurotic, out of touch feel of the character.
Director: Otto Preminger
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Eleanor Parker, Arnold Stag
Genre: Drama
Length: 119 minutes
An ex-junkie returns from prison and takes up hanging with the same wrong crowd that he hung with before. His nagging crippled wife and former card shark boss makes his decision to stay clean, a hard one.
The Man With The Golden Arm deserves to be watched by any serious film buff. This film and The Blue Moon both by Otto Preminger were the first films to skirt the Hays Production Code and still be released for viewing and make a good profit, thanks to the notoriety of the subject matter. Today's audiences would find a story about a drug addict passe, but to 1950's audiences this film must have been electrifying! With the success of this film, the Hays Production Code censorship grip began to fade.
In what is still a graphic scene today, Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) shoots up. The scene is gritty and real.
This was a plum role for Frank Sinatra who was fresh off an Academy Award win with From Here to Eternity. Frank does his acting like his singing, no nonsense, no fluff, he gets right to it and he's excellent in this part.
Elanor Parker who's one of the best 1950's actresses, plays an eccentric, wheel chaired, neurotic woman...who's nagging drives Frankie from the home and into the arms of Kim Novak.
What's with the whistle?...It adds to the neurotic, out of touch feel of the character.
Reportedly both Sinatra and Otto Preminger were all business, one take, kind of guys. Kim Novak however suffered from severe nervousness and needed many takes to get one scene done. To the credit of Sinatra and Preminger they were patient with Kim...and in the end Miss Novak gives a very touching performance.
With all of the film's strong points, it does have a weak point in that the movie is staged like a play. This is most evident in the street scenes done with bright flat lighting and staged movement of people. Not surprising as Otto Preminger had his start in the theater. But for this kind of film it dilutes the grittiness of it. Still a fine film to watch.
Veteran character actors Arnold Stang and Robert Strauss add color to the film, as does Darren McGavin (not pictured).
+
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With all of the film's strong points, it does have a weak point in that the movie is staged like a play. This is most evident in the street scenes done with bright flat lighting and staged movement of people. Not surprising as Otto Preminger had his start in the theater. But for this kind of film it dilutes the grittiness of it. Still a fine film to watch.
+
.