The Man With the Golden Arm

[Lincsong]

I just watched this movie for the first time in 20 years. Anyway, it stars Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Darren McGavin. Sinatra plays a drummer hooked on "horse" (heroin). Directed by Otto Preminger (who played the Commandant in Stalag 17). It's probably one of the most intense films on the 1950's. Especially when Sinatra is going "cold turkey".

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Hey there! Another 1950s Sinatra film with yet another fine Elmer Bernstein score! Ive always been an Otto Preminger fan;even In Harm's Way is worthwhile.

Haven't seen this one in a number of years but I do remember the "cold turkey" scene which must've been brutal for the time. Despite the fact that Frank snagged another Oscar nod, it isn't often mentioned as one of his greatest movies. For my money it's in his top three all-time great roles, with From Here to Eternity and The Manchurian Candidiate being the others.

 

[Lincsong]

I particularly liked Billy Wilder's Stalag 17 but that's for another thread.

The first and last time I saw this film was about 20 years ago. It was around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and I was in the dorm lounge, a little drunk, alone in the dark watching this film. Add that all together plus the powerful intensity of this film and I haven't watched it until today. Talk about "scared straight". lol

But what makes this film unique is not only the jazz score, but the subject matter. Sure there was Reefer Madness, but that was tame compared to this. Preminger wanted a controversial film and he certainly got it.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I saw that movie decades ago and was told that it was a reference to Gene Krupa. But you know what I learned in the ensuing years? Gene Krupa was drug and alcohol free and was an ardent anti-drug advocate! So don't always believe what ya hear!

Question is, did Frankie really plays those tubs? I've never seen a photo of him behind a set of drums. Does anybody have one to post?

-dixon cannon

 

[Lincsong]

That's a good question. I don't know. Some also say that Kim Novak's lines were dubbed in some of her earlier movies because she couldn't get the lines correctly and that Sinatra and Preminger had patience with her on this film.

 

[Artie]

The writer of the book Nelson Algren was from Chicago, he lived on Washtenaw ave in what is now a yuppie neighborhood but back then was almost 100% Polish. I could do the usual the book is better routine but actually this is a great movie. And Nelson Algren is really an American treasure.

 

[Widebrim]

I have this and "Suddenly" on the same DVD, and think that Sinatra was excellent in both. "Man" has a different feel to it, though, and I'm not speaking of just the plot. The acting is more gritty(?), and the film stock itself resembles video tape a bit (at least to me). McGavin is especially greasy, and doesn't he wear a homburg in the film??

 

[Mr E Train]

Billy Wilder

Stalag 17 was directed by Billy Wilder. Otto Preminger was in it, though, much like how he used director Eric von Stroheim in Sunset Boulevard. Speaking of Eric von Stroheim, I highly recommend Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion, which he was also in.

I've never seen The Man with the Golden Arm, which is a shame considering that I know the theme song by heart. I'm going to have to rectify that soon.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Question is, did Frankie really plays those tubs? I've never seen a photo of him behind a set of drums. Does anybody have one to post?

Wasn't it Shelly Manne who was the actual drummer? Lord knows he sat in on countless film and TV soundtrack recordings.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Here's Frankie behind bars for wearing that stolen suit!

-dixon cannon

 

[Lincsong]

Stalag 17 was directed by Billy Wilder. Otto Preminger was in it, though, much like how he used director Eric von Stroheim in Sunset Boulevard. Speaking of Eric von Stroheim, I highly recommend Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion, which he was also in.

I've never seen The Man with the Golden Arm, which is a shame considering that I know the theme song by heart. I'm going to have to rectify that soon.

Darn it, I'm an idiot. :eusa_doh: That's right, Billy Wilder directed Stalag 17 and Preminger played the Commandant.

 

[Harp]

The writer of the book Nelson Algren was from Chicago, he lived on Washtenaw ave in what is now a yuppie neighborhood but back then was almost 100% Polish. I could do the usual the book is better routine.... And Nelson Algren is really an American treasure.

Wicker Park.
Algren would still recognize his old hood and be repelled by its
present tone and texture; but I'm Southside Irish and admittedly biased.
Algren as literary treasure et al, suppose so. I think he wasted his gifts.
And more's the pity.

 

[Lincsong]

So that neighborhood was supposed to be Chicago huh? [huh]

 

[HosManHatter]

I love that film! Sinatra is brilliant in it.

HMH

 

[Harp]

So that neighborhood was supposed to be Chicago huh? [huh]

Certain street scenes found inside Algren's book can be easily spotted from the El as it passes through Wicker Park.

You did read the book, right?

 

[Rocketblast]

Great film - I really like Frank Sinatra on the screen. Another good film along similar (well, alcoholic rather than smack) lines: The Lost Weekend starring Ray Milland. Another film that seems kind of ahead of it's time in that it's quite honest and daring about the subject matter.