The Man with the Golden Arm 1955

Bosley Crowther, New York Times: In short, for all the delicacy of the subject and for all the pathological shivers in a couple of scenes, there is nothing very surprising or exciting about The Man With the Golden Arm. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader: Frank Sinatra, as the drug-addicted poker dealer, plays a reasonably naturalistic character, but he's surrounded by a collection of bizarre archetypes. Read more

Time Out: There are some great scenes, though, notably Sinatra's audition for a make-or-break drumming job, and the later scene where he suffers cold turkey in Novak's apartment. Read more

Delmore Schwartz, The New Republic: The film is a pretty good picture show, as we used to say, but anyone who has read Nelson Algren's wonderfully poetic novel is likely to make invidious comparisons and be otherwise distracted. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: A gripping, fascinating film, expertly produced and directed and performed with marked conviction by Frank Sinatra as the drug slave. Read more