This played like a picture that was made 10 years prior (notwithstanding Novak's costumes), and The Lost Weekend covered this ground much more emotionally. Everything feels very old Hollywood in a way that makes it feel dated compared to its contemporaries. Sinatra struggles to convey drama or emotion--his performance is all surface. And shoutout to Sparrow, one of the more irritating supporting actors I've ever seen.

Bit of a slow-moving picture, one that might've ended sooner, though I do class 'The Man with the Golden Arm' as something rather quite good.

Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak keep events moving along with strong showings, Sinatra especially. Eleanor Parker is, though, the person onscreen that I appreciated most whilst watching, there's just something about her performance that puts her ahead of her co-stars; I'd even say she overacts in parts, yet it absolutely still worked for me.

The story does go round the houses a little, but even with that being the case it didn't actually affect my personal enjoyment all that much - it just totally could've been trimmed and we probably wouldn't have missed anything. Elsewhere, the score is excellent - especially the theme for when Frankie desires his habbits.

I'd have to be in the right mood to revisit this. Nonetheless, it do be a very good film from 1955 - ahead of its time, that's for sure.

A poker player addicted to morphine.

Frank Sinatra helms a cast of some of the nastiest self-serving bums, bastards and burnouts you'll ever come across. As the recently detoxed card dealer Frankie, Sinatra walks from rehab straight back into the belly of the beast, flaunting his sparkling new outlook on life before a blockful of characters who know better than to trust any style of clean living to last long.

At its core, this is a damning glimpse into the coal-black heart of addiction and withdrawal that doesn't limit itself strictly to drug use. While the most striking scenes are undoubtedly zoned in on Frankie's habit, particularly the brutal cold turkey scenes near the finale, in the supporting cast there's an equally poignant message about the similarities you'll find in the overuse of any intoxicating experience, whether it be heroin, gambling or love itself.

An impressively fresh, open-minded picture that's less concerned with painting the drugs themselves in a poor light than it is the weak-willed men and women who overuse them. My only major complaint is that it could've used a bit of fat-trimming, as its run time is a bit on the long side.

Movie highlighting drug addiction and starting over after a stint in jail. I liked the movie but it seemed a little dated to me. Frank Sinatra was great in his role but I just can’t believe him as an intravenous drug user.