The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak

written by Walter Newman, Lewis Meltzer

directed by Otto Preminger

119 minutes

Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) returns to Chicago after kicking a drug habit. He moves back in with his wife Zosh Machine (Eleanor Parker) who is confined to a wheelchair. Lots of people are happy to see him back, including a couple crime bosses who hope that he will return to dealing cards in illegal card games.

Frankie tries to stay clean. He learned to play the drums while in rehab and hopes to get a job drumming. Circumstances conspire to make it very difficult for him to do that. He runs into Molly (Kim Novak) an ex-girlfriend. He tries to be true to his wife but feels drawn to Molly who is saddled with a no-good boyfriend who constantly hits her up for money.

Frankie stays clean, off drugs, for a day or two but it isn't long before he is back at it. He has to struggle to get clean again and in the process learns that all is not as it seems with his wife.

Thoughts

I saw this movie as part of the 2026 Noir City DC film festival at the AFI Silver Theater. I had not seen it before. It was introduced by film historian Foster Hirsch.

I don't know if this movie has been restored but I am fairly confident that what I saw was not a restored copy of it. The picture was dark to a degree that in some scenes I had trouble seeing everything that was going on. The sound was tuned up just a little too high for my tastes. There were moments in the film when the dialogue seemed to be a teensy bit out of sync with the picture. All of these things didn't make me love or hate the picture but they did affect the experience I had watching it.

I didn't really care for this movie. It has an interesting soundtrack but the sound level interfered with my ability to enjoy it. I also think that maybe there was a little bit too much music in this film for me. I can't say that I would recommend this movie unless they are a completist of one stripe or another. Well, if nothing else it feels dated and should be viewed in the context of the period in which it was made.

Notes

This movie was nominated for three Academy Awards but did not win any of them. One of the nominations was for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Frank Sinatra).

I have seen Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak in movies before but not Eleanor Parker. Other actors who were in this movie that I have seen in other movies and episodes of TV include Arnold Stang, Darren McGavin, Robert Strauss, Doro Merande, George E. Stone, and George Matthews.

The story for this movie was based on the novel of the same name written by Nelson Algren. 

This is the second movie I have seen that was directed by Otto Preminger. The first was Anatomy of a Murder (1959).