Poster
Synopsis
The film tells the story of a heroin addict, who comes out of jail to confront the outside world. The protagonist is Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra), an expert card dealer and former morphinoman, who after serving his sentence leaves prison with the firm purpose of ordering his life, including drug abstinence and alienation from the environment. the clandestine games of cards. He plans to become a jazz drummer, but his wife Zosch (Eleanor Parker), a greedy woman, demands that he continue to work as a croupier. The wife had been disabled in an automobile accident caused by Frankie, and he does not feel able to refuse the wishes of his wife. But not everything is as it seems, in fact the wife pretends to be invalid, in order to be able to control Frankie. Frankie continues with his dream of becoming the drummer of a great jazz band and in his efforts he is reunited with an old love, Molly (Kim Novak). To perform for an audition, he asks his friend Sparrow (Arnold Stang) to get him a suit. The suit turns out to be stolen and Frankie goes to prison. His former employer, Schwiefka (Robert Strauss), organizer of clandestine poker games, takes advantage of the situation and offers to pay his bail if he works for him in a great poker game he is organizing. The man with the golden arm, as Frankie is called in the room, has no choice but to accept. After working nights and days at poker games, he begins to feel anxiety about heroin again, and he is not sure of his skills if he is not under the influence of drugs. Already out of his mind, he decides to attack and steal his former supplier, Louie (Darren McGavin), to get drugs, which he does, and flee. The dealer recovers from the attack and leaves in search of Frankie to take revenge. In his search arrives at the apartment of Frankie and by chance discovers the deceit of his wife, Zosch, and this to be discovered, in desperation pushes him down the stairs and Louie falls into the void and dies. Frankie is accused of being the perpetrator of the murder. Although he wants to face the prosecution before the police, he does not dare to do so, because they can find traces of drugs in his body. However, Molly helps him and Frankie locks up to detox. After suffering the so-called monkey ("withdrawal syndrome"), manages to overcome it and intends to end his relationship with his wife and clarify their situation in front of the police. Faced by Frankie and in the presence of police investigating the death of drug dealer Louie, Zosch is thrown into the void from a balcony. Frankie and Molly decide to face together the uncertain future.