The Man with the Golden Arm
1955 · 1h 59m · Drama, Crime
Watch it tonight—this is a gritty, unflinching classic that basically invented the addiction drama. Frank Sinatra's raw performance and Otto Preminger's stark direction make this a genuinely gripping portrait of a man fighting his demons, and it holds up as one of cinema's most honest takes on struggle and temptation.
Plot
When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.
Director: Otto Preminger
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang, Darren McGavin