The Man with the Golden Arm
Frank Sinatra's heroin-addicted jazz musician is trapped not only by the drug, but also by a loveless marriage, a criminal record and the vicious cycle of poverty in inner city Chicago.
Brazenly released without the all-important Motion Picture Production Code seal of approval, Otto Preminger's tale of addiction and disgrace is a notable departure from the usual 'dope fiend' films. Preminger summarised and expanded on the film's theme when he said, "I think there's a great tragedy in any human being who gets hooked on something, whether it's heroin or love or a woman or whatever."
The film features one of the great jazz film scores by Elmer Bernstein and also stars Kim Novak.
Restored by the Academy Film Archive with funding from the Film Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
