{"id":9084,"date":"2015-04-07T06:01:28","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T10:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moviefanfare.com\/?p=9084"},"modified":"2015-04-06T16:10:20","modified_gmt":"2015-04-06T20:10:20","slug":"first-time-watch-the-man-with-the-golden-arm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviefanfare.com\/?p=9084","title":{"rendered":"First Time Watch: The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"manEditor\u2019s Note: This article was originally published in April\u00a0of 2010.<\/em><\/p>\n

All I can say is, \u201cWow.\u201d Unlike my previous installment of this series where I took a look at Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s Suspicion<\/a>, I have found that many critics have leaned towards actually downplaying Otto Preminger’s <\/a>classic with the passage of time and it\u2019s completely undeserved. Maybe it\u2019s the subject matter that makes some folks uneasy. After all, The Man with the Golden Arm<\/a>\u00a0is a far cry from the ephemeral Reefer Madness<\/a> (which attained a popular cult status for its outdated silliness) that many people seem to love, albeit for different reasons. Now, I\u2019m not trying to say that Reefer Madness is anywhere near the same kind of film as Golden Arm in quality or tone, nor am I trying to make it seem like critics universally pan the movie, because that\u2019s not the case. I just find it odd that when it comes to these old titles that deal with drug addiction, it\u2019s seems that some individuals are almost more forgiving when it comes to the fun marijuana-menacing Reefer Madness than the stark Golden Arm. Anyway, I\u2019ve always been a fan of films that deal with the darker side of humanity, and it occurred to me that I\u2019ve never viewed the groundbreaking 1955 tale starring Frank Sinatra <\/a>that tackles heroin addiction, so I recently sat down to do so.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s most interesting is that almost across the board whenever modern day reviewers discuss Golden Arm they refer to it as dated, which has to be one of the silliest arguments ever. Couldn\u2019t one argue that any movie made in the 1950s is dated? It\u2019s a somewhat needless and pointless view. I would hope that anyone watching a film made more than half a century ago would take the era into consideration. Believe me, I understand what folks are trying to say about the supposed oversimplification of the material, especially when taking the hardcore drug movies of today into consideration, but I actually feel that Preminger\u2019s bold project holds up amazingly well, and the Oscar-nominated performance from Ol\u2019 Blue Eyes is incredible.<\/p>\n

The film opens (after Saul Bass\u2019 trendsetting titles) with Sinatra returning to his hometown after a stint in drug rehab where he proceeds to tell those close to him that he has kicked his heroin habit, or \u201cmonkey.\u201d As I\u2019ve alluded to previously, simply broaching this issue on film was unheard of at the time, making Golden Arm the first release of its kind to mess around with serious narcotics addiction. In fact, the MPAA refused to certify the movie upon its release, after learning that it wasn\u2019t quite in tune with the infamous Hollywood Production Code. Kudos to Preminger for ignoring such nonsense and even daring to lens such an adaptation of Nelson Algren\u2019s novel, which many considered not filmable in the first place for exactly those reasons. (After all, why would Hollywood authorities want anyone to actually make an interesting movie? But, I digress with my sarcasm). Consequently, the movie marked the beginning of major changes in the ridiculous code to allow for more freedom in artistic expression. It\u2019s these kinds of audacious maneuvers that make the art form of filmmaking worthwhile to me, and I can\u2019t possible heap enough praise on this entertaining and worthwhile film for pondering this taboo topic, but that\u2019s merely the start.<\/p>\n

\"man<\/p>\n

OK, so after Sinatra gets back into town he becomes determined to land a job as a drummer in a jazz band. However, outside influences soon conspire to prevent this from happening. This is where matters really begin to get absorbing. Considering all the drug education of the modern era available to even the layperson, it becomes really engaging to see the angle that the movie takes on addiction. Any former addict or drug counselor will say that in order to beat a drug addiction outside the confines of a rehab center a person needs to completely change their life and routine, especially when one is wallowing in the underbelly of society as Sinatra is. Sinatra\u2019s character doesn\u2019t heed this advice and that\u2019s the beginning of his downfall. Watching this plot device for the first time in 2010, it\u2019s amazing to see how smart the movie is, taking into account that it was made in 1955 and people\u2019s heroin habits most likely weren\u2019t discussed openly. Furthermore, the film also brilliantly explores the issue of co-dependency. One of the problems that complicates Sinatra\u2019s plight is that he must deal with his wife (Eleanor Parker<\/a>) who\u2019s \u201cconfined\u201d to a wheelchair due to Sinatra\u2019s actions while he was high. Parker\u2019s true motivation in the film illustrates that sometimes people can get so wrapped up in each other\u2019s sickness that it actually winds up contributing to the problems of both parties and brings them down further. This becomes a key in the resolution of the story.<\/p>\n

\"manThe performances are pretty fantastic all the way around. I thought that Parker was a bit over-the-top, but again, that\u2019s indicative of the era so it\u2019s not a big problem. I read one review that dared to call Kim Novak\u2019s<\/a> turn as Sinatra\u2019s mistress who helps him out, flat. I couldn\u2019t disagree more. Maybe some could be confused by Novak, as she\u2019s more of a straight woman, being the only character that isn\u2019t completely immersed in a seamy lifestyle. However, I found her to be properly restrained and effective. Additionally, Darren McGavin <\/a>is superb as the slimy drug dealer who not only gets Sinatra hooked again, but lures him back into his old job as the talented poker dealer in the illegal racket run by Robert Strauss<\/a>, ensuring that Sinatra will spiral out of control. Folks used to watching McGavin every year as the father in A Christmas Story<\/a> are in for a treat. Arnold Stang<\/a> is also solid as Sinatra\u2019s nerdy, dog-loving hustler pal, who himself follows Frank around like a puppy. I should also add that Elmer Bernstein\u2019s Oscar-nominated jazz score is downright infectious.<\/p>\n

Perhaps my only problem with the film is that the ending may be a little too convenient. However, upon further inspection, it works on at least one level. It\u2019s certain that addicts can\u2019t conquer their condition all by themselves, so once Sinatra finds what (or more specifically, who) he needs, viewers can have confidence that he\u2019ll continue to travel down a positive path. This only serves as more proof that The Man with the Golden Arm was well ahead of its time. I\u2019ll give it four stars out of five.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week’s airing of HBO’s Frank Sinatra: All or Nothing at All makes it a good time to check out one of Frank’s most powerful screen performances. In this classic post, author Brian Sieck reviews Sinatra’s 1955 drama The Man with the Golden Arm.. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9700,"featured_media":46097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1358,1360,1721,5588],"coauthors":[5364],"class_list":["post-9084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-notes","tag-1950s-movies","tag-drama-movies","tag-frank-sinatra","tag-movie-reviews"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Man With The Golden Arm (1955)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Man with the Golden Arm, the groundbreaking 1955 film starring Frank Sinatra, tackles heroin addiction. 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