---
title: "The Man with the Golden Arm: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-man-with-the-golden-arm/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-man-with-the-golden-arm"
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Man with the Golden Arm (1955): what the critics said

Critics' score 75 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

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.

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1954. 

The review finds the film gripping and fascinating, praising its conviction and expert execution. It singles out Frank Sinatra’s performance and the screenplay’s convincing analysis of addiction.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1954/film/reviews/the-man-with-the-golden-arm-1200417788/)

## Radio Times — Adrian Turner

Rating 4/5. 

Turner calls the film a trailblazer in its portrayal of drug addiction and says it shocked audiences in its era. He singles out Frank Sinatra’s Oscar-nominated performance as still impressive.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-et9xyu/the-man-with-the-golden-arm/)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Newman finds the film powerful, entertaining and moving. He especially praises the harrowing cold-turkey scenes and the three-day poker-game sequence.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/man-golden-arm-review/)

## Time Out — RM

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review presents the film as a major Hollywood treatment of heroin addiction. It singles out Frank Sinatra’s performance as excellent.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-man-with-the-golden-arm)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 1955. 

The article appears to be a review, but its text is unavailable here, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible page.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1955/12/16/archives/narcotics-addict-man-with-golden-arm-opens-at-victoria.html)

## The Skinny — Lewis Porteous

Rating ★★★★. 29 June 2015. 

Porteous calls the film an unflinchingly humane work of enormous importance. He singles out Frank Sinatra’s compelling portrayal of Frankie’s disintegration.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-man-with-the-golden-arm)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2003. 

The review regards the film as groundbreaking, though somewhat stagy by modern standards. It praises Sinatra’s vulnerable performance and singles out Kim Novak’s sensitive, assured work.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-man-with-the-golden-arm-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-man-with-the-golden-arm.md