Specialty CollectionGenre: 1950s FEATURE FILMS
Description: FRANK SINATRA, KIM NOVAK, ELEANOR PARKER, ARNOLD STANG, DARREN MCGAVIN, ROBERT STRAUSS, GEORGE MATHEWS, JOHN CONTE, DORO MERANDE, GEORGE E. STONE, EMIL MEYER, SHORTY ROGERS, SHELLY MANNE, LEONID KINSKEY, FRANK RICHARDS, RALPH NEFF, ERNEST RABOFF, MARTHA WENTWORTH, JERRY BARCLAY, LEONARD BREMEN, PAUL E. BURNS, CHARLES SEEL, WILL WRIGHT, TOMMY HART, FRANK MARLOWE, JOE MCTURK. DEPICTIONS OF DOPE ADDICTION. SHOWING THE PAIN & DESPAIR OF HEROIN ADDICTION. SINATRA PLAYS A PROFESSIONAL CARD DEALER STRUGGLING WITH THE TORMENT OF DRUGS. FRANKIE JUST CAME HOME FROM HALF A YEAR IN KENTUCKY WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY CURED OF HIS ADDICTION. HE ARRIVES IN HIS OLD CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE HE IS WELCOMED BY SPARROW, A SLIGHTLY RETARDED STREET GONIFF WHOM HE LOVES AND LOUIE, A DRUG PUSHER, WHO HAPPILY OFFERS FRANKIE A FIX, JUST FOR OLD TIMES SAKE. FRANKIE SAYS NO THANKS & GOES HOME TO HIS WIFE, AN ANGRY WOMAN CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR. FRANKIE HAS GREAT PLANS TO BECOME A JAZZ DRUMMER. BUT HIS WIFE WANTS HIM TO RETURN TO HIS OLD JOB, DEALING CARDS AT SCHWIEFKA'S ILLEGAL POKER GAME. FRANKIE DOES NOT WANT TO, BUT SHE APPEALS TO HIS GUILT BY POINTING OUT IT WAS HE WHO CRIPPLED HER WHEN HE CRASHED A CAR WHILE DRUNK. LADEN BY THIS ONUS, FRANKIE DOES WHAT HIS WIFE WANTS & MOVES INTO HIS OLD SLOT WITH SCHWIEFKA. AT THE CLUB, FRANKIE MEETS MOLLY, A PROFESSIONAL B-GIRL WHO GETS THE MEN TO BUY HER DRINKS AT INFLATED PRICES AND THEN DOES NOT COME ACROSS. FRANKIE FALLS HARD FOR MOLLY, BUT CANNOT BRING HIMSELF TO LEAVE HIS HELPLESS WIFE. STILL DESIRING A NEW CAREER AS A DRUMMER, HE ATTEMPTS TO PRACTICE AT HOME, BUT HIS WIFE KEEPS CARPING ABOUT ALL THAT NOISE, SO HE STOPS & BEGINS PRACTICING AT MOLLY'S APARTMENT. IT PAYS OFF AND HE IS REWARDED BY AN AUDITION SO HE QUITS HIS JOB AT SCHWIEFKA'S. BUT THERE IS A BIG POKER GAME COMING UP AND SCHWIEFKA PREVAILS ON HIM FOR ONE LAST DEAL. IT IS A TWO DAY POKER GAME & FRANKIE SUCCUMBS TO LOUIE'S OFFER FOR A FIX. THE GAME GOES ON AND FRANKIE PUSHES THE AUDITION OFF, BUT WHEN HE IS CAUGHT CHEATING, HE IS BEATEN UP. BY THE TIME HE GETS TO THE AUDITION, HE IS TOTALLY STRUNG OUT ON DRUGS AND IN NEED OF A SHOT SO BADLY THAT HE CANNOT PERFORM. MEANWHILE, LOUIE WALKS INTO FRANKIE'S APARTMENT & FINDS THE WIFE STANDING UP & WALKING AROUND. NOW HE KNOWS THAT SHE HAS BEEN USING HER CRIPPLED STATUS TO HOLD ON TO HIM. LOUIE MEANS TO TELL FRANKIE ABOUT THIS BUT THE WIFE, IN DESPERATION, PUSHES LOUIE DOWN THE LONG, DARK STAIRWELL AND HE DIES IN THE FALL. FRANKIE LEARNS FROM MOLLY THAT HE IS LOUIE'S SUSPECTED KILLER AND HE KNOWS THAT HE MUST TALK TO THE POLICE BUT HE WILL NOT DO IT ON DRUGS SO HE AGREES TO GO COLD TURKEY, IN MOLLY'S APARTMENT. IT'S A BRUTAL SEQUENCE AS HE SCREAMS, CRIES, POUNDS WALLS, ETC., UNTIL HE RISES, 3 DAYS LATER, WEAK BUT CLEAN. HE GOES TO THE APARTMENT TO TELL HIS WIFE THAT HE IS GOING AWAY WITH MOLLY BUT HE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HER. SHE JUMPS UP FROM THE WHEELCHAIR AND FOLLOWS HIM AFTER HE WALKS OUT THE DOOR. THEN SHE SEES COPS IN THE HALL AND LEAPS OUT THE WINDOW TO HER DEATH. FRANKIE IS AT HER SIDE WHEN SHE DIES, AS MOLLY WATCHES IN THE BACKGROUND. GRITTY STORY, SLICKNESS, SELF-PITY & HATE. DIRECTED BY OTTO PREMINGER. DRUNKY, INSPECTOR, DOCTOR, JUNKIE, TAXI DRIVER, METER READER.
