When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.
Cast
Frank Sinatra
Frankie Machine
Eleanor Parker
Zosch Machine
Kim Novak
Molly
Arnold Stang
Sparrow
Darren McGavin
Louie
Robert Strauss
Schwiefka
John Conte
Drunky
Doro Merande
Vi
George E. Stone
Sam Markette
George Mathews
Williams
Leonid Kinskey
Dominiwski
Emile Meyer
Detective Bednar
Shorty Rogers
Band Leader
Shelly Manne
Drummer
Herschel Graham
Club Safari Patron (uncredited)
Frank Mills
Street Vagrant (uncredited)
Harry 'Snub' Pollard
Street Vagrant (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Club Safari Patron (uncredited)
Jered Barclay
Unknown
Leonard Bremen
Unknown
Paul E. Burns
Unknown
Pete Candoli
Unknown
Harold 'Tommy' Hart
Unknown
Mike Lally
Unknown
Frank Marlowe
Unknown
Joe McTurk
Unknown
Gordon Mitchell
Unknown
Jack Mulhall
Unknown
Ralph Neff
Unknown
Norman Papson
Unknown
Ernest Raboff
Unknown
Frank Richards
Unknown
Suzanne Ridgway
Unknown
Charles Seel
Unknown
Martha Wentworth
Unknown
Will Wright
Unknown
Crew
Otto Preminger
Director, Producer
Walter Newman
Screenplay
Lewis Meltzer
Screenplay
Nelson Algren
Novel
Louis R. Loeffler
Editor
Sam Leavitt
Director of Photography
Horace Hough
Assistant Director
James Engle
Assistant Director
Max Slater
Producer's Assistant
Joseph C. Wright
Production Design
Albert Myers
Camera Operator
Joe King
Wardrobe Master
Adele Parmenter
Wardrobe Master
Mary Ann Nyberg
Costume Supervisor
Hazel Keats
Hairstylist
Helene Parrish
Hairstylist
Bernard Ponedel
Makeup Artist
Ben Lane
Makeup Artist
Jack Stone
Makeup Artist
Jack Solomon
Sound Engineer
James Almond
Lighting Technician
Elmer Bernstein
Original Music Composer
Leon Birnbaum
Music Editor
Darrell Silvera
Set Decoration
Kathleen Fagan
Script Supervisor
Helen Thurston
Stunts
Paul Baxley
Stunts
Martha Crawford
Stunt Double
Ben Hecht
Additional Writing
Morris Rosen
Key Grip
Jack McEdward
Production Manager
Saul Bass
Title Designer
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