SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

HotToastyRag If you only see one Frank Sinatra movie in your lifetime, watch The Man with the Golden Arm. Not only was it the best performance of his acting career, but Frankie himself always felt he should have won his Oscar for this film, instead of From Here to Eternity. I wholeheartedly agree.Frankie plays "Frankie Machine", a former heroin addict and card dealer who returns to his hometown after a stint in jail. While he's been away, his wheelchair-bound wife, Eleanor Parker, has been taken care of by his drug dealer, Darren McGavin, who expects Frankie to show his gratitude now that he's returned. But Frankie wants a new life, a clean life. As he struggles to fight intense temptation, he learns how hard it is to stay sober.Kim Novak is inarguably beautiful, and I love her in Picnic, so I don't want to dis her that much. Sufficed to say, her performance was the only lackluster one in the film. Darren McGavin, best known for his bumbling, laughable performance in A Christmas Story, plays a wonderful villain: slimy, motivated, and convincing as he pretends to care. Eleanor Parker is unrecognizable in her haggard, desperate role. I watched The Sound of Music for the hundredth time and asked my mom, "Eleanor Parker was so pretty. Did she make any other movies?" My mom said, "She was in a movie you love: The Man with the Golden Arm!" My response was, "She was? What part did she play?" That says everything.Sometimes composers write themes within a film for specific characters, like in Ben-Hur or The Best Years of Our Lives. In Elmer Bernstein's fantastic score, Temptation itself is given a theme. Once you've heard the music to The Man with the Golden Arm, you'll never forget it. Combined with Otto Preminger's wonderfully rugged and classy directing style, whenever the music starts, you'll get goosebumps as the scene of temptation plays out. The story is heart-breaking and incredibly real.Nowadays, making movies about drugs isn't a novelty. Showing the use of heroin doesn't even shock audiences anymore. In 1955, during the reign of the Hays Code, a movie like this just wasn't made. In fact, it wasn't granted a seal of approval and wasn't allowed to be shown in some movie theaters during the release. Although there's no escaping the classic feel of Otto Preminger's masterpiece, it's just as gruesome and realistic as if it were made today. Drug use is shown, as well as the ungodly horrors of withdrawals. Every time I watch it, I still can't believe it was made in 1955—so groundbreaking! I've said before that this was Frank Sinatra's best performance, but in fact, it's one of the best screen performances of all time. Watch it. I'm sure you'll agree.Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some drug use and adult content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

LeonLouisRicci Still somewhat Powerful Look-See at the Life of a Drug Addict. Frank Sinatra's sincere Performance is near Flawless and considering the Limitations of the Era was about All He Could Do.Sometimes the heavy handed Jazzy Score, meant to be Linked to the Underclass, is OK but borderline Pretentious. The Cast does a Good Job, more so for the Drug Dealers and the Gamblers,and the Women are Acceptable if Not that Special.Kim Novak doesn't Stretch much and is OK, but Nothing Exceptional (Her sweater emotes as much as She does), and Eleanor Parker manages a Difficult Role as the Film's other Addict. She is Addicted to Sinatra. The Cops are not shown in a very Good Light and that is Refreshing and Refrains from 1950's Preaching and Self-Righteousness.Then We have the Overrated Otto Preminger. He chooses to Film this Downbeat Story with a Backbeat of Highly Lit Sets. A Strip Club, a Seedy Bar, and most of the City Environment is so Bright and Glaring it is Disastrously Distracting in a Story that is about the Dark Side. There is just No Excuse for this Display and Preminger is to Blame.The Director must be Given Credit for at least Attempting some Daring Film Subjects and Explorations. It's just too Bad His Talent was very Limited and His Ego usually Overrode any Awareness His Movies delivered on Topical Considerations. He is an example of an Awkward AuteurOverall, Worth a Watch for Sinatra's Performance and for its place in Helping to Erode the Code. Above Average all around, but Hampered by a Director that was too Self-Involved to Speak about anything Outside His Pride.

williwaw Framk Sintara is splendid in this film, and duly was recognized for his fine acting. Eleanor Parker always professional stands out in this film as well. Can anyone ever recall a performance Ms. Parker was not superb? The real surprise here is the starring role of Ms. Kim Novak on loan from her studio Columbia up the street from RKO where this movie was filmed. Otto Preminger directs the Star so well here and Kim Novak one of the movie industry great beauties displays an accomplished acting style. If there is any Star whose work deems reappraisal it is Kim Novak! Preminger and Novak would go on to form a life long friendship of mutual respect. Too bad they never made another movie. One touted for them was The Hustler but that went to Paul Newman and Piper Laurie.

Cheese Hoven Although dated in some ways, the man with the golden arm still packs a powerful punch. Yes, it is melodramatic and rather too stagey for modern tastes and there is a lot of scenery chewing from some of the actors, but this piece still has a level of intensity and integrity beyond what most films can achieve this days. Frank Sinatra, giving perhaps his finest performance, is magisterial throughout as Frankie Mahine, but it is in the druggy scenes where he is most convincing. Other characters are less well defined particularly Sinatra's 'comical' sidekick Sparrow, obviously thrown in to lighten the mood of what otherwise would be an overly bleak film. He is however merely an annoyance and detracts from the intensity more than anything. The script is probably rather too in love with its own metaphorical cleverness. The 'golden arm' angle refers not only to Machine's drumming ability and his love of injecting himself with heroin but his gifts as a card dealer. Incidentally it is hard to see what about Sinatra would make him so highly prized as a dealer; dealing cards is hardly a difficult activity. It suspect that he is a 'dealer' only because the writer wish to play on the card dealer/drug dealer ambiguity. Again, perhaps the theme of dependency is rather overplayed with the women in Machine's life all exhibiting some sort of co-dependent behaviour. Kim Novak has a parasitic boyfriend she cannot leave and Eleanor Parker (in a hysterical performance) is dependent on the sympathy she receives from an accident which apparently left her wheelchair bound. The ending is rather contrived too and obviously designed merely to bring the strands together but that should not deter the viewer from checking this remarkable film out.