Most critics respond warmly to The Man with the Golden Arm, with praise clustering around Frank Sinatra’s convincing, vulnerable portrayal of addiction. The reviews repeatedly stress the film’s importance in bringing the subject into Hollywood drama, while also finding it gripping, moving and humane. Sinatra’s depiction of Frankie’s disintegration is the clearest point of agreement, though the screenplay’s treatment of addiction and the force of the withdrawal scenes also draw praise.
The available verdicts show a fairly narrow spread, with reservations qualifying the enthusiasm rather than overturning it. Eye for Film finds the presentation somewhat stagy by modern standards, but also singles out Kim Novak’s sensitive, assured performance. The New York Times entry cannot establish a dissenting position because its review text is unavailable; among the accessible assessments, there is no substantial case against the film.