The Man with the Golden Arm
"The Man with the Golden Arm" is a 1955 film directed by Otto Preminger, featuring Frank Sinatra in a notable role as Frankie Machine, a jazz drummer with a troubled past. The film begins with Frankie attempting to turn over a new leaf after serving time in jail, where he vows to stay away from drugs. However, upon returning to his life in a Chicago slum, he finds himself drawn back into the world of gambling and substance abuse. The film depicts Frankie’s struggles with heroin addiction and his journey towards recovery, aided by the emotional support of a compassionate woman named Molly, played by Kim Novak.
Notably, the film is regarded as a cautionary tale regarding the dangers of drug use. Preminger faced significant challenges due to industry censorship codes that prohibited the portrayal of narcotics addiction, yet he chose to defy these regulations and present a film rich in depth and social commentary. While the film did not receive the official seal of approval from industry censors, it successfully garnered a large audience and is recognized for its significant impact on the portrayal of addiction in cinema during the 1950s. The film's blend of powerful performances and bold thematic choices has left a lasting legacy in film history.
The Man with the Golden Arm
Identification Film about drug addiction starring Frank Sinatra
Date Premiered on December 14, 1955.
Director Otto Preminger
The Man with the Golden Arm was the first major Hollywood film to tackle the subject of drug addiction, which was still a taboo subject for American films during the 1950’s. Its release defied censorship codes of the time while its success signaled moviegoers’ growing interest in serious, adult film themes.
Key Figures
Otto Preminger (1906-1986), film director
As the film opens, Frankie Machine (played by Frank Sinatra) has sworn off drugs while serving a jail sentence. He returns to his home in a Chicago slum, determined to make a living as a jazz drummer—the film’s title refers to Frankie’s skill as a talented jazz drummer and not to his shooting heroin into his arm. Unfortunately, Frankie drifts back to his occupation as a poker dealer and his addiction to gambling, which also proves to be a return to his narcotics addiction.
With the emotional support of Molly (Kim Novak), a woman with a heart of gold, Frankie kicks his heroin habit cold turkey in the film’s most harrowing scenes. The picture concludes with Frankie and Molly preparing to build their future together. The critics extolled the film, lauding Sinatra for giving a performance of raw power under Preminger’s strong direction.
Impact
Preminger was well aware that the regulations of the industry’s censorship code forbade any depiction of narcotics addiction in a movie. He decided to challenge the embargo on dealing with drugs in a film because he staunchly maintained that The Man with the Golden Arm was a film of depth and purpose. In essence, the film is really a cautionary tale about the perils inherent in experimenting with drugs. Nevertheless, the industry censors at the time upheld the code’s ban against this controversial topic and denied to The Man with the Golden Arm the film industry’s official seal of approval. Preminger decided to release the film without the industry’s seal, and The Man with the Golden Arm played to large audiences throughout the country. Thus Preminger almost singlehandedly broke the ban on the portrayal of drug addiction as a legitimate topic for motion pictures during the 1950’s.
Bibliography
Preminger, Otto. Preminger: An Autobiography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1977. A highly personalized account of the director’s life and the making of controversial films such as The Man with the Golden Arm.
Ringgold, Gene, and Clifford McCarty. The Films of Frank Sinatra. Rev. ed. New York: Carol, 1993. A well-illustrated survey of Sinatra’s films, with background material on The Man with the Golden Arm.