MovieChat Forums > The Man with the Golden Arm (1956) Discussion > Comment from a former heroin-addict.

Comment from a former heroin-addict.

posted 18 years ago by UlrikSander
17 replies | jump to latest

Hi

Just wanted to comment on the movie, as I'm a former heroin-addict myself. Even though I'm from Denmark, it's still the same thing, heroin-abuse and its consequences are universal.

I just watched The Man With the Golden Arm today for the first time. I was surprised how accurately Preminger portrayed addiction. Just little things like Darren McGavin's character Louie telling Frankie that he knows he feels bad about thinking of heroin, when he's just swore he'd never touch it again. That inner-feeling of defeat is dead-accurate. The look on Frankie's face in prison when the junkie reminds of heroin. Or how Frankie begs and pleads with Kim Novak's character Molly to lend him 10$... just 5$... 3$ or 2$ will do it. It tears him up inside, but the most important thing is heroin. Self-respect is second. Also when the police-man tells Sparrow that Frankie'd throw a steamroller on him for a fix. Very true! I came to think, there wasn't one friend I'd have put above heroin in my active period if I had to chose. I also noticed Sinatra's eyes getting small after injecting. Nice touch.

There are some unrealistic elements in the movie too, of course. Frank Sinatra's craving in Novak's bedroom is over-the-top. It's not a physical pain that hurts like getting hit. It's sweat and cold at the same, cramps, extreme tiredness, hunger with no appetite, constipation, and a feber-like feeling. The Sparrow character is also very cartoonish, but he doesn't really have anything to do with the addiction. Also I've never met ONE junkie who could hang around a pusher (in the bar) for that long, without falling back to heroin.

My post's kind of a mess, but you get the point. I think the movie is spot on, especially for its time.

My YMDb Top-20 Movies List: http://www.shompy.com/ulrikone/l37847_ukuk.html

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] UlrikSander 17 years ago

Thank you, SnoozeAlarm.

Question one: About the cold-turkey-scene. As aforementioned, it was over-the-top. Sinatra portrayed the craving as a physical pain combined with extreme shaking. To quote my main-post: "It's sweat and cold at the same, cramps, extreme tiredness, hunger with no appetite, constipation, and a feber-like feeling". Of course, if you've been extremely addicted (above half-a-gram-a-day), then you'd experience shaking. Other than that shaking is a phenomenon that mostly occurs in withdrawel from benzodiazepines or alcohol, not so much morphine-drugs, although possible. So I guess the shaking, however you look at it, is more-or-less realistic. It could happen. Probably wouldn't.

The extreme desperation though is realistic enough though. To quote Renton (McGregor) in Trainspotting: "a need like nothing else I've ever known will soon take hold of me" (I'm paraphrasing here). You'd give your right arm (or your best friend, if you're far enough out for that matter) for just 10$ worth of heroin. Or methadone, codeine or some other morphine-product. Or even benzodiazepines like Valium etc. Alcohol would only make you puke and feel worse in most cases, but perhaps a small amount would help.

Question two: No, he wouldn't be okay after just one night. They say the pain and craving of heroin-withdrawel peeks on the third day. After that it turns around. But you have insomnia for, like, 5-6 days. With methadone it's much worse, since it gives long-lasting high - and therefore also a long-lasting comedown. Standard morphine or codeine is much easier to get down from, since they are not nearly as potent. But depending on how addicted Sinatra's character was, it'd take anywhere from 3-9 days to get it all over with. Probably longer if he had been on methadone. For users who have been on methadone for several years (5+) it can take months.

Question three: Basically I got into it because I wanted to. Nothing like in The Man With the Golden Arm with the dope-dealer pushing me into anything. I searched it out myself. I knew where the drug-addicts hung out in a near-by city, and I just asked one one day together with a friend. I was depressed. Hated life. Hated myself. So I tried/used drugs in hope they would change me, my personality, and my mood. They did - but for the worse. And then I tried injecting heroin (a local junkie did it for me and my friend, we were, naturally, scared of needles back then) and I was hooked for real. No turning back. It became my one and all. I only felt alive when I was on it. Needed it to be me. So I chased it all the time, and so did my friend. It does give you a great feeling, but in the end, as everyone will tell you, it's not worth it. But those who want to try it, will try it, and so be it. You can't change that. People have a will of their own, and so did I. Today I wish I never met the drug, but then again it's part of who I am, and living that life-style, and taking part of that milieu taught me something about life. So... to look at it positively, I guess it's not all bad.

And on a sidenote: I'm not in any way extremely against drugs or anything. I just don't think it's possible living a good life with them the way Western societies work. So kids... don't!

Hope I answered your questions understandably, SnoozeAlarm. I'm from Denmark, so my English perhaps isn't the best.

My YMDb Top-20 Movies List: http://www.shompy.com/ulrikone/l37847_ukuk.html

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Gooner_Ali 17 years ago

"JUST SAY, NO!"

[–] rab1-3 17 years ago

Your posts are very well written, UlrikOne. As someone that makes his way in this world via the written word, it's obvious to me that you are someone of high intelligence. There is no need to apologize for your use of the English language ... sad to say, Internet posts confirm that there are millions of North Americans (i.e. English is their first and primary language) that don't have your grasp of basic sentence construction. Communication, I contend, is paramount, and you do it very, very well.

Your comments about "The Man with the Golden Arm" are also top notch. Not having been a drug addict myself, I suffered along with Sinatra in the film and could easily relate to your description of the withdrawal experience.

Thank you for your posts ... they are truthful, accurate and valuable.

= Richard Berger =

[–] zigistardusted 17 years ago

Thanks, former addict. And now, a comment from a current addict on this film.

This is an amazing film, really ahead of its time. Sinatra captures the utter hopelessness, the slave-mentality, the junkie's determination, all very well. Former junkie's point is correct, there is really no way though, Frankie would have left the pusher's apartment to go to the rehearsal if he was all junk sick, I can almost guarantee that in real life if you had just knocked out the dealer in his own place, you would not leave until you copped his stash AND his roll. Of course, in the film the pusher essentially blew his roll at the game, I would imagine....Still, the dope was around there SOMEWHERE. The audition scene was painful, personally, because I am a musician as well and I have been in the same situation a few times. The dope really does ruin it all, though I do agree with former junkie, that certain scenes Frankie was a big "over the top". The junk sickness was all wrong, of course, but that was par for the course I would assume in 1955. The sickness starts when you get hot/cold flashes, chills, hot skin, stomach pain, sweats/fever, running to the bathroom every few minutes, sore bones/limbs, runny nose, etc. Frankie at his worst in the film seemed to be able to get around okay, which of course is not realistic, unless of course you are on your way to cop. Then you find a way to get around.

Still, all that is nit-picking. I have seen most of the heroin addict films I think, and for one of the oldest this one holds up incredibly well over time. I happened to catch "Sugar" a month ago right after Heath Ledger's untimely death and that it a good example of a modern addict film that does it pretty well without glamourizing it too much (a la Pulp Fiction)..."Basketball Diaries" of course is very accurate too. But you have to understand in the junkie subculture there are different kinds of junkies, different habits, there are shooters, ones who just snort (like me, I'm deathly afraid of banging H and have seen the needle and the damage done in others), there are the real grimey street junky squatter types, then there are the functioning, mostly well-kempt secret junkies. I am working on a script treatment now that deals with an addict who is able to function and even excel for the most part (somewhat like "Permanent Midnight") but obviously there are reasons for him to give it up. I think it will raise some interesting questions to people, as it is a bit different from the typical rise-and-fall junky story cycle. William Burroughs is a good example of the functioning junkie who lived an exceptionally long, fruitful and productive, legendary life completely doped out every day.

Anyway I am off track...it happens sometimes. So yeah, this film is definitely a must-see if you are into old noiresque films dealing with taboo (at the time) subjects in a real and meaningful way. I don't know that it will really educate anyone since it is loaded with misinformation re: the dope addict's routines, MO, social skills, sickness, etc, but it is definitely an entertaining, solid story arc with plenty of memorable scenes, lines and characters, more than enough to save it from being just another '50s exploitation film (a la Reefer Madness, Cocaine Fiends, etc). Sinatra, may I just say, really had me going at certain points, where it seemed like he knew the part a little TOO well....but then at other times he sort of seemed like Charlton Heston, which is to say incredibly phoney.

As far as my own habit, well....bah. I have quit a few times and I just get disgusted with myself, bored, apathetic, and dull. The pusherman is also kind of a running buddy, an older guy, and we get along very well, of course as long as the dope is there. I can't say that he's never called me to tempt me with some of the good candy if it's around, but it isn't like the pusher in this film. Frankie's pusher is definitely the '50s stereotype of that slimy pimping dope dealer, with the whole "first taste is free" jazz. My pushers have always been these older black guys who are junkies themselves, so they more or less put me on so they can get a taste themselves. I've never even known any dope pushers who weren't addicts themselves, I think if I did I would be very wary of them because of that whole routine. They say you can never trust a junkie, but I say you can never trust a junk dealer who doesn't use himself. You know he is really just a vampire blood sucker, whereas the junkie-pusher is at least on the same playing field as you. You still want to be very careful though, because the junkie-pusher will also *beep* you over in a different way. If you give him the dough up front so he can go cop you may get beat, since he is a junkie who will almost always give in to the temptation of being alone with "all that dope." Either way you are basically *beep* though. As you can tell my mind is all over the place, and I really don't recommend that anybody else follow my lead, as it was a pretty stupid career move in retrospect. I'm still pretty young though (late 20s) and I am hoping to clean my act up at some point in the near future, "choose life" and so on...

Hope all this blathering was welcome, sorry it is so long.

Must go take my medicine!

Sayonara

[–] hawks_senator 17 years ago

This is very interesting, I've never known anyone who's on drugs (yet?) and the posts, especially yours UlrikOne, are really informative.

"Well, we put in wine because it's less noticeable. When it's in tea it has a distinct odor."

[–] bricksnmortar82 17 years ago

Hello, I'm also a former heroin/opiate addict from the States. I just recently bought this film on DVD and was astounded at what a great job they did depicting heroin addiction and some of the things junkies must deal with in life, whether clean or actively using. I'm even more impressed given the period of time the film was made, when depicting social ills was highly discouraged by the paranoid politicians in power, who were afraid of such subject matter encouraging criticism of the American status quo, thus spawning dissent and, horror of all horrors, revolution, and then certainly we'd have succumb to Soviet Communism! Hard to believe everyone involved weren't investigated for 'anti-American activities' and that the film ever saw the light of day, but I'm sure glad it did! However, there were also some things in the film I didn't care for that I feel they did totally wrong, which I'll get to after I first give it my praise...

The Good:
-The look on Frankie's face as he wrestles his demons when reminded or tempted by heroin (ie, by his old dealer or the junkies in the jailcell). Very true and something every addict attempting to stay clean knows about - the simultaneous desire to desperately both use AND not use. It's a very confusing place to be emotionally and Sinatra did a good job conveying that.
-The way in which going back to the place of his active use with all the environmental characteristics still intact led Frankie to relapse. Knowing relapse all too well, I can tell you it's dead accurate that failure to change environmental factors around you, most especially the people with whom you associate, will lead you right back to where you began.
-As mentioned before, the way Frankie's pupils were large (or at least normal size) until he shoots heroin and a second later his pupils shrink down to tiny pinpoints. Any junkie can tell you that one side effect of opiate drugs not often mentioned is that they shrink your pupils, and the filmmakers were very astute to have thrown that in (which is one thing that pisses me off about Requiem for a Dream, where the exact opposite happens). That and the euphoric look on Frankie's face as he's getting off gave me an impression of authenticity I find too often lacking in drug films.
-As more time passes since Frankie's last heroin shot, he begins yawning more and more, and rubbing his eyes. The onset of withdrawal always consists of a lot of yawning and watery eyes. At least for most.
-The desperation Frankie experiences once he's got his habit back. The frantic whining of needing to fix up so he can continue his activities was spot on. Even a rash act of desperation is very typical of active junkies like Frankie when he's getting sicker and not getting the dope he'd been expecting and ends up knocking the dealer out, while that particular one is itself rare
Now for the stuff I didn't like:
-The sliminess of the drug dealer. The role was well-acted, but personally I just had trouble believing the character. I've known and done business with lots of drug dealers in my time, but not one of them resembled this fella. Most were just regular guys in their 20s-30s from low-income backgrounds who didn't use drugs themselves, only selling because they needed the extra cash it brought in, usually to feed their kids. Their mentality was these people are gonna buy dope from someone no matter what, so it might as well be me who benefits and not some other schmuck. None were pushy and sneaky like this character, and if Frankie was an ex-customer just back from rehab, all I could see them doing is asking if he wants anything, and upon hearing a no, just leaving him alone from there on because there's plenty others out there itching to pay for services and they wouldn't have the time to ignore that and lose money just to play cruel head games with a guy trying to stay clean.
-His simple-minded friend. The guy was just annoying and I think a better character could've easily been chosen.
-The cold-turkey scene. Where do I begin? The other two addicts on here seem to get how wide they missed the mark on this one. He wouldn't have the energy for all that running around the apartment acting crazy. I've been in painful withdrawal more times than I could ever count, but never once did I tie off my arm in a panic and prick my vein with something that obviously was not a syringe full of dope. In reality, Frankie most likely would have just been laying on the bed, snot pouring from his nose, crying, sweating, yawning, coughing, shivering, punching the air and writhing around kicking his feet, taking the covers off every half hour before burying himself back in them, and repeating this over and again. All in between trips of limping over to the toilet (his legs and back aching beyond belief) to get violently sick out of either end. Alternating between lying on the bed or floor, drifting off to very light sleep for only a few minutes at a time during which he'd have horrid nightmares before the sheer discomfort of his condition wakes him back up. Now there's a cold-turkey scene I'd believe. Trainspotting has a much more accurate one.
-Frankie spends seemingly one night detoxing in the apartment and suddenly the next morning his withdrawal symptoms are gone and he feels great. If only it were that easy! In reality he'd be physically sick for about a week, with symptoms peaking at their worst on day 3, and noticeably improving at days 5-6 before subsiding in the next few days. But even after that, the real battle begins as he'd be experiencing nasty depression, boredom, anxiety, moodswings, insomnia, and obsessive drug cravings. He'd be in need of some help with these things. But instead, he finds his legal issues have magically sorted themselves out and happily skips off into the sunset with his new sweetheart, seemingly cured of a chronic illness and presumably at no risk of relapse. An especially weak 'Hollywood' ending that this film was too good to deserve.

Well there's my two cents. Damn that was a lot longer than I expected it would be!

[–] JustPassingTime 17 years ago

I think that the person who thinks Louie is not realistic missed the point about Louie and his role in the story. The reason he is enticing Frankie to such a degree is because he wants him to be addicted again, but not for the money he will get from him for the heroin (that is a minor consideration in this case). He wants to control him so he can force him to deal cards (all the gamblers know that Frankie can run a professional level poker table). Some of Louie's lines are corny by todays standards, I'll give you that, but the point is that he knows Frankie's triggers and he pulls them. Watch it again and pay close attention to what the men in the bar are saying about gambling, and how that ties into the way Louie reacts when he sees Frankie.

I do agree 100% about the "cold turkey" segment. It was over done for dramatic affect. The person from Denmark made some great comments. I agree almost 100% with everything he wrote about withdrawal. Symptoms include yawning (watch the addict in jail), cold sweats, diarrhea (constipation is really more of a problem with active use because opium draws water from the bowels into the stomach. In general, constipation may continue into the first few days of withdrawal then often gives way to diarrhea), muscle cramps, (the term "kick" is said to have originated from the involuntary muscle contractions that occur in the legs), inability to hold down food and general lack of appetite, headache and vomiting. The treatment community uses the phrase "flu-like symptoms" but opiate withdrawal is not really like anything else.

[–] bricksnmortar82 17 years ago

Upon further reflection, you are right about Louie. He had more self-interest in Frankie returning to his old ways than merely the drug money he'd make. High-stakes gambling can pay out much more. I guess I let personal experience get in the way of proper examination of the character.

And yeah, I love the description of 'flu-like symptoms'. Sure, I guess the symptoms are the same or similar when you name them on paper, but it seems to me to be the biggest case of understatement ever. I've never felt that level of suffering from any sort of flu before. Maybe when you first start messing around with opiates and begin to feel mild withdrawals for the first time you'll think maybe you're getting a flu (I know I did), and keep continuing that crap and you realize you're getting the 'flu' and getting instantly cured from it at an alarming frequency. Till eventually it's so awful that a flu seems like a walk in the park.

[–] catheter1st 16 years ago

Opiate withdrawl is serious test of one's willpower. It is no joke, and anyone who compares it to say quitting cigarettes, has never gone through it.

First off you get sick, like having the flu. You get a fever, chills, sweats, you can't sleep. The nerve bundles in your GI tract let go, and you go from constipation to endless trips to the bathroom, until your body learns how to digest food without the drugs. You want to eat, but you have no appetite, and your taste buds dont seem right. Cramps will persist in your legs, abdomen, and other extremeties. Case and point, being dope sick hurts the whole body, and no film could ever make you feel what it is like to endure this situation for 12-14 days, because that is what you are looking at. Oh and I forgot to mention, you have the feeling of dysphoria in your head where the euphoria once was. People with weak constitutions could easily entertain thoughts of suicidal ambition after 3 days of this.

I have yet to see a film that shows you the true nature of the beast. The drugged-fun is endless and the dregs last a few scenes. Even Trainspotting doesn't quite get it right, maybe in some of the explanation, but not visually communicative to the viewer.

[–] gidgetjein 16 years ago

I totally agree with most of everything you have said. Having just recently gone through rehab myself for opiate dependence, I have to say that the movie really is dead on for the most part, especially from the physiologic and finical points of view. As most things tend to be in movies, the cold turkey scene is a bit over played. Given the time period in which this film was made, I have no doubt that the director may have intentionally played up the withdraws to help detour or scare patrons from trying heroin, or drugs in general, for themselves. I have read other posts in this thread, and I have seen a few comments raising doubt about if Frankie could or would have gone to the rehearsal while he is withdrawing. I have to say that if a person’s will power was strong and he genuinely wanted a better degree of living, both of which seemed evident in Frankie’s case, he/she wouldn’t let anything stop them from tying. I have been a musician for a number of years now, and I have been to practice and preformed I don’t know how many sets sick as hell. But music is my life, and though many times I wanted to lay down and never get up, I have yet to miss an appointment or fail to contribute recording wise to my band. It may take everything you have to push on, but even the worst of withdrawals will not stop you if the determination is there. Also, like the main character in this story, most of us who have been down the path to sobriety have fallen backward a few times, but that doesn‘t mean you will fail to reach that goal one day. I personally hope that most of the people who have or will some day watch this picture take the over played withdrawal symptoms as truth, because there are no words that can exact the absolute hell one goes through once you have reached that point. I caught this movie on TCM a while back, and I could truly relate to a lot of what Preminger was trying to get through with it. To me, it really says something of the cast and crew if the film can still help a guy through a hard time in the year 2009, more then 50 years later.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] hodie 16 years ago

This is an interesting thread. I have no experience with hard drugs, but I find the subject compelling. I read Luke Davies' terrific novel "Candy" (I saw the Heath Ledger/Abbie Cornish film too), and the novel describes heroin wthdrawal in harrowing terms. It dovetails with what a lot of you have said here.

"Trainspotting" didn't make kicking the habit look anywhere near as bad as it looks from Davies' description.

I can't imagine what it must be like.

I was an actor once, damn it. NOW look at me. LOOK at me!

[–] rtw416 11 years ago

UrickSander-we are cut from the same cloth.....I agree with your sumation of the situation.

"Panic in Needle Park"-starring Al Pacino is a movie to watch for a very accurate portrayal of what junk is all about for those on the outside looking in.

[–] valis1984 11 years ago

Have you seen The French Connection 2? There is a scene where Gene Hackman's character Popeye Doyle goes through heroin withdrawl. I was just wondering how it compares and is it accurate?

"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects". Will Rogers (1879-1935)