The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

"The Man with the Golden Arm" is a rare example of a film deliberately made in defiance of the Production Code. The film rights to Nelson Algren's novel were first acquired by John Garfield in 1949, but Joseph Breen, the head of the Production Code Authority, informed him that the story's subject-matter, dealing with drug dealing and drug addiction, would be unacceptable. Otto Preminger, who acquired the rights after Garfield's death, was determined to make the film in the teeth of Breen's opposition, believing that this was a story which should be told. (Ironically, the plot of the film as eventually made is very different from that of the novel. Preminger initially hired Algren as screenwriter, but Algren was fired after the two quarrelled and Preminger brought in a new writer, Walter Newman. Algren so hated the changes Newman made that he virtually disowned the finished movie).The central character is Frankie Machine. (That appears to be his genuine surname, not a nickname). As the film opens, Frankie has recently been released from prison. Before going inside he was a dealer in illegal poker games and a drug addict. In prison he has got rid of his drug habit and learned to play the drums, and is hoping to earn a legitimate living as a drummer in a band, but finds that going straight is not as easy as he thought. The film tells the story of how Frankie slips back into his old job as a dealer and his old drug habit and of how he struggles to get clean again.The film also deals with Frankie's complicated love-life. His wife Zosh has supposedly been crippled ever since being injured in a car crash some years ago; in fact she has recovered from her injuries and can now walk again, but she pretends to be wheelchair-bound in order to play upon Frankie's guilt feelings about the accident. (He was driving at the time). Zosh realises that Frankie does not love her and that it is only guilt which prevents him from leaving her. The real love of Frankie's life is his ex-girlfriend Molly, who is unhappily married to an alcoholic husband.When the film was released in 1955 the Production Code Authority, objecting to its drug-related theme, predictably refused to grant it a seal of approval, despite Preminger's argument that it condemned rather than condoned drug use. At one time such a refusal would have been the kiss of death for any American film, but in this case many cinema chains defied the PCA and agreed to screen it. Perhaps equally predictably, the controversy had precisely the opposite effect to the one the PCA were hoping for, and the film turned out to be a box-office success.Its success, however, was not solely due the controversy, because it contains elements which are excellent in their own right, including the acting. Kim Novak as Molly is perhaps a bit bland, although she looks stunning, but Frank Sinatra gives one of his best performances as the tormented Frankie, desperate to escape from the world of drugs and crime yet seemingly trapped in it. He won a well-deserved the Oscar nomination for "Best Actor". The other great performance comes from Eleanor Parker as the equally tormented Zosh, whose strange name and accent suggest that she is a foreign immigrant. In some ways she is a selfish and despicable character, but in others a pitiable one. She is desperately in love with Frankie, but so terrified of losing him to a younger, more attractive woman that her love has turned to obsession and her whole system of values has become distorted. Her return to health after her injury, which should be a cause for joy and celebration, becomes instead something she feels constrained to hide from the world.Another excellent feature is the jazz-based musical score, for which Elmer Bernstein also received an Oscar nomination. Preminger tells the story of using the expressionistic film noir style which was popular for crime dramas in the fifties. The film is remembered as one of the first serious treatments of a then-taboo subject, but it also deserves to be remembered as a fine human drama. 8/10

............................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL If you're under 70, there's probably no way you can remember how controversial and cutting edge MAN WITH The GOLDEN ARM was when it was released in 1955. Fortunately, my parents were very liberal in permitting me to see films and even took me to see it just after turning Eight. WOW! What a tremendous impact it had on me. It was the first "Grown-up" film that made me realize there was more to cinema than just Sci-Fi/Horror, Westerns and Kids' movies! Mainstream cinema had never touched the subjects of drug addiction and heroin withdrawal, which were considered taboo topics, even at the dinner table, let alone as the focus of a movie to be shown in public! The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) refused to give its seal of approval to GOLDEN ARM, forcing Producer/Director Otto Preminger and Distributor United Artists to release it without the MPAA's seal. This, of course, contributed greatly to both the films commercial and critical success! It also opened the door to new ways of making, distributing and classifying films.Before my recent third viewing, I had only seen it once at age 8, mentioned above, and again, in my late teens (Perhaps the 10th Anniversary Re-Release?). Despite some of the production elements and dialog that do date the film considerably, the last half of GOLDEN ARM had me in a headlock. The acting, Bernstein music, photography and editing all contribute to the mood of the movie, precisely as Otto Preminger intended! The scene where Machine(Sinatra) undergoes withdrawal pains is still unbelievably hard-hitting today.In general, Sinatra's performance is quite surprising. His Oscar nomination was very well deserved. When you consider this performance in conjunction with Sinatra's role in MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE and From Here to Eternity, you begin to appreciate just how underrated OLD BLUE EYES was as an actor! 9*STARS*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome! [email protected]

When some see "The Man With the Golden Arm" today, they may find the film a big quaint. After all, some aspects of addiction are sanitized--everyone looks so middle-class, clean and white plus you never even heard WHICH drug he's using--though it would appear to be heroin. But, if you put it in context, this was a tough as nails and cutting edge film in 1955. And, for many reasons, it's well worth seeing.The film begins with Frankie (Frank Sinatra) returning to his home turf after a stay in the hospital. Exactly why and the rest of his back story comes out in a natural way through the course of the film. Apparently, he's an addict and when into rehab. However, there are many forces that seem to be pushing him to return to the addicted lifestyle, as Frankie foolishly returns to his old haunts. Two hoods (Darren McGavin and Robert Strauss) want him to return to gambling--and getting him hooked on the drugs once again will ensure this. He also has a very needy wife who is in a wheelchair--and you eventually learn that he only married her out of guilt--guilt because his driving resulted in her being hurt in an accident. What's to happen to Frankie?! There are two main reasons the film works so well. The film is very well written and often surprises you with its violence and dark mood. Also, I really marveled at Sinatra's performance--probably the best of his career. Seeing him go through withdrawal was painful but exceptionally well done. Folks familiar with his lightweight fare such as "Guys and Dolls" or "Oceans 11" would be best to remember that he also appeared in some really gritty films like "Suddenly", "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Detective"--and he really could act. Overall, one of the best films about addition of its age--comparable in quality to the exceptional "Days of Wine and Roses" and well worth seeing. The only negative was the soundtrack--which was too often too loud and too repetitive--making it very invasive.

Date: August.26, 2012 -First Time Watch- Frankie Machine (Sinatra) returns home after six months in rehab, determined to not fall back into all ways. But his wife, Zosh (a complete psychopath if you ask me) and his card buddies continue to try to bring him back down and get hooked again. This is one of the first movies to address drug addiction and the writers did a real job presenting it. The movie itself is like a six or seven but what boosted it up to a nine for me was Sinatra's performance. He was outstanding! He played a drug addict so good and the scene when he's in Molly's apartment quitting cold turkey is just so raw. It was like what you expected a person to be going through with drawls. I'm really surprised Sinatra didn't win the Oscar for this, he was nominated but it went to Ernest Borgnine for 'Marty'. I haven't seen 'Marty' yet but I find it hard that Borgnine was able to beat Sinatra's performance in this. I read that Sinatra firmly believed that this movie was more deserving of the Oscar then his role of Maggio in 'From Here to Eternity' and honestly I can see why he said it. The movie was very solid and very worth wild watching.9/10