A junkie must face his true self to kick his drug addiction.A junkie must face his true self to kick his drug addiction.A junkie must face his true self to kick his drug addiction.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 2 wins & 8 nominations total
Jered Barclay
- Junkie in Lock-Up
- (uncredited)
Leonard Bremen
- Cabbie in Lock-Up
- (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns
- Suspenders in Lock-Up
- (uncredited)
Pete Candoli
- Jazz Musician
- (uncredited)
Herschel Graham
- Club Safari Patron
- (uncredited)
Harold 'Tommy' Hart
- Officer Kvorka
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFrank Sinatra jumped at a chance to star in the film before reading the entire script.
- GoofsIn a scene about twenty minutes in, as the camera exits the bar following Frankie, the jukebox can be seen to slide out of the way of the camera at the bottom of the screen.
- Quotes
Sparrow: You all right... you know?
Frankie Machine: The monkey's gone.
- ConnectionsEdited into Bass on Titles (1982)
Featured review
Only the subject matter of this film is dated.
We have moved far beyond this tentative foray into a forbidden area-drug addiction-for the 1950s. As such, the film may seem dated. The Man with the Golden Arm served its function is peeling back a layer of the underside of society, an eye-opener to a Southern country boy in 1955 when I first viewed this film in the theater. After some serious consideration about being too young, I was allowed to go. It was powerful and affecting then and still maintains some sharp, painful moments of the soul stripped naked. As a movie depicting the loneliness at the core of being, it succeeds.
Filled with angst, Frank Sinatra, in his best role, creates a vulnerability that makes him sympathetic to the viewer. He conveys his helplessness and ineffectualness in a beautifully restrained performance. As a voice of common sense in the dead-end urban jungle, Kim Novak as Molly is quite good. She is compassionate and yet stands on solid ground. The interaction between Sinatra and Novak is really good. Darren McGavin plays a slimy character and does it very well. Eleanor Parker is superbly irritating and painfully insecure in her role of the pathetic Zosch, the crippled wife of Sinatra. Arnold Stang is another unlikely survivor of the street. Regarded as pitiful and despicable, his character Sparrow provides tart comedic moments.
The music is almost the star of this film-brooding, frenetic, moody, poignant. Elmer Bernstein's score perfectly accentuates the tensions of Frankie Machine's spiritual weakness and physical need for heroin. Molly's theme is bittersweet and captures aurally what the film depicts visually. I know of no other soundtrack that effectively complements the tension and defeat within a man as effectively as does this one.
Filled with angst, Frank Sinatra, in his best role, creates a vulnerability that makes him sympathetic to the viewer. He conveys his helplessness and ineffectualness in a beautifully restrained performance. As a voice of common sense in the dead-end urban jungle, Kim Novak as Molly is quite good. She is compassionate and yet stands on solid ground. The interaction between Sinatra and Novak is really good. Darren McGavin plays a slimy character and does it very well. Eleanor Parker is superbly irritating and painfully insecure in her role of the pathetic Zosch, the crippled wife of Sinatra. Arnold Stang is another unlikely survivor of the street. Regarded as pitiful and despicable, his character Sparrow provides tart comedic moments.
The music is almost the star of this film-brooding, frenetic, moody, poignant. Elmer Bernstein's score perfectly accentuates the tensions of Frankie Machine's spiritual weakness and physical need for heroin. Molly's theme is bittersweet and captures aurally what the film depicts visually. I know of no other soundtrack that effectively complements the tension and defeat within a man as effectively as does this one.
helpful•768
- dhoffman
- Feb 28, 2001
- How long is The Man with the Golden Arm?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Covek sa zlatnom rukom
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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By what name was The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) officially released in India in English?
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