The Man With The Golden Arm

Running time: 119 mins

Based on the late Nelson Algren's gritty novel of Chicago's underside, this picture was one of the earliest serious depictions of drug addiction from Hollywood. Frank Sinatra, as a small-time poker dealer and heroin addict who is trapped by his own drives, gives one of his very best performances. The jazz score by Elmer Bernstein stands out as the most memorable of that era and is very effective in underlining the film's action. Otto Preminger, the director, was noted for his daring themes in the very buttoned-down period of the fifties, and this film illustrates his artistic courage, a rare thing at the time. The excellent cast of supporting actors (including a very young and beautiful Kim Novak) and the seedy environment make an unforgettable impression. The drug scene in America has changed a lot since the fifties, but the torment experienced by the victims has never been better, more realistically shown than in this very powerful picture. --Ed Soohoo