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The Man with the Golden Arm (1955): Film vs Book
Film · 1955 · Directed by Otto Preminger · Starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak
About the film
A card dealer returns from prison and tries to beat his addiction in a rough Chicago neighbourhood.
How close is it to the book?
Loosely based on the bookThe film softens the novel's grim city and gives its hero a more hopeful path.
Read or watch first?
The book is raw and unflinching.
What the book gives you
The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren
A vivid, energetic portrait of life in Chicago's streets.
Who will like it: Readers who like gritty city stories with strong characters.