Some of the scenes of cold turkey are still very effective, and Sinatra's performance is flawless.
Comment
10/23/07
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
82
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:17
Fresh:14
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: This powerful drama, which broached the subject of drug addiction in a stark and realistic manner, may be mild by today's standards, but was a groundbreaking and edgy film in its day. The legendary... [More]
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Darren McGavin
Director: Otto Preminger
Reviews for The Man with the Golden Arm
1 - 17 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Top CriticMore Damon Runyan than Irvine Welsh, but as entertaining as it is important.
10/23/07
Top CriticThere are some great scenes, though, notably Sinatra's audition for a make-or-break drumming job, and the later scene where he suffers cold turkey in Novak's apartment.
06/24/06
Top CriticNo review available.
01/29/05
Frank Sinatra, as the drug-addicted poker dealer, plays a reasonably naturalistic character, but he's surrounded by a collection of bizarre archetypes.
10/23/07
Proves that drug stories aren't exclusively the territory of hip, nihilistic '90s film-school wunderkinder.
09/17/01
A brave and well-constructed piece of old-time movie-making, and the thing more than holds up today.
11/13/05
No review available.
07/14/05
Frank Sinatra turns in a credible performance as a reformed heroin addict straight out of the joint -- and finds his options aren't so sweet upon his return to the world.
05/12/01
No review available.
07/26/02
No review available.
01/01/01
Director Otto Preminger emphasizes the lurid whenever he can ... so that the movie plays like a blurry, bleary night-on-its-way-to-morning.
06/19/08
In short, for all the delicacy of the subject and for all the pathological shivers in a couple of scenes, there is nothing very surprising or exciting about The Man With the Golden Arm.
05/20/03
Top CriticIt's a film that had a monkey on its back.
12/28/07
A terrific exposition of the perils of drug addiction
09/18/04
Sinatra, by contrast, is superb, especially in a harrowing withdrawal scene. It's his movie...all the way.
10/23/07
Top CriticA gripping, fascinating film, expertly produced and directed and performed with marked conviction by Frank Sinatra as the drug slave.
10/23/07
Top Critic1 - 17 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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