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Trailer

The Man with the Golden Arm

1955Movie1 h 59 minNR

CrimeDrama
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Metacritic637.2Rotten Tomatoes81%83%

A tense, moving drama movie about crime and the mind, with standout characters.

Good for friends night · drop-in friendly · thought-provoking

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

An 'untouchable' theme… an unusual motion picture!

When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.

Feels like

  • Noir Melodrama
  • Heroin Addiction
  • Redemption Struggle
  • Psychological Descent
  • Jazz Age
  • Gritty Realism
  • Existential Crisis
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Urban Decay

Cast

16 of 16

Crew

Directed by
Otto Preminger
Written by
Walter Newman, Lewis Meltzer, Nelson Algren
Produced by
Otto Preminger
Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 26, 1955 · 1 h 59 min · NR

Released
December 26, 1955
Runtime
1 h 59 min
Age rating
NR
Content
Drug Use, Strong Language
Genres
Drama, Crime
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$4 million
Available in
139 countries

Tropes

Adaptational Ugliness, Rule of Symbolism, Sympathetic Adulterer +9

  • Adaptational Ugliness
  • Rule of Symbolism
  • Sympathetic Adulterer
  • Toxic Friend Influence
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech
  • Internal Reveal
  • Double-Meaning Title
  • Establishing Character Moment
  • Family-Friendly Stripper
  • Comforting Comforter
  • What the Hell Is That Accent?
  • Drugs Are Bad

12 of 30 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Man with the Golden Arm?"

Questions about The Man with the Golden Arm

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Man with the Golden Arm?

PrimeJustWatch TV FreeBrewKanopyHooplaFandango at Home FreeFlixHousePluto TV

In the United States, The Man with the Golden Arm streams on Prime, Brew, FlixFling, FILMBOX+ Stream, and IndieFlix Shorts, and it is free with ads on JustWatch TV Free, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free, FlixHouse, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Darkroom, Public Domain Movies, Fawesome, Cineverse, DistroTV, Mometu, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, and MovieMe. It also streams in 138 other countries.

Is The Man with the Golden Arm worth watching?

73
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 73 (IMDb 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes 81%, and Metacritic 63).

Will I feel good after watching The Man with the Golden Arm?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

Was The Man with the Golden Arm a box office hit?

Budget$1 million
Box office$4 million

Yes: it cost about $1 million to make and earned $4 million worldwide, 4.3 times its budget.

What tropes does The Man with the Golden Arm use?

Adaptational UglinessRule of SymbolismSympathetic AdultererToxic Friend Influence"The Reason You Suck" SpeechInternal RevealDouble-Meaning TitleEstablishing Character MomentFamily-Friendly StripperComforting ComforterWhat the Hell Is That Accent?Drugs Are Badand 18 more

TV Tropes lists 30 tropes for it, including Adaptational Ugliness, Rule of Symbolism, and Sympathetic Adulterer.