Nelson Algren Movies

The Hebrew prophet Elijah (played by Lou Gilbert) comes from Lake Michigan--rather than Gilead of Biblical legend--into the city of Chicago in the appearance of an elderly tramp. He proceeds to wander about, coming into contact with various characters and their assorted problems. Among those who meet him are a sculptor, the sculptor's pregnant ex-girlfriend, a violinist/beggar and the like. Even the Chicago author Nelson Algren appears onscreen as himself, pondering the difficult choices an artist must face. After his many adventures throughout the city of Chicago, Elijah vanishes back into the lake. Though interpretations of this work vary, it is most likely a retelling of the Biblical story in modern times. Regardless of symbolism or metaphor, Goldstein successfully captured the attention of critics at the time of its release. This was the first film for screenwriters/directors Benjamin Manaster and Philip Kaufman. Kaufman would go on to direct and/or write such critically acclaimed features such as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Right Stuff (1983) and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988). ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

When Otto Preminger was willing to release his drug-addiction drama Man With the Golden Arm without the sanction of a Production Code seal, it proved to be yet another nail in the coffin of that censorial dinosaur. Based on the novel by Nelson Algren, the film stars Frank Sinatra as Frankie Machine, expert card dealer (hence the title). Recently released from prison, Frankie is determined to set his life in order -- and that means divesting himself of his drug habit. He dreams of becoming a jazz drummer, but his greedy wife Eleanor Parker wants him to continue his lucrative gambling activities. Since Parker is confined to a wheelchair as a result of a car accident caused by Frankie, he's in no position to refuse. Only the audience knows that Parker is not crippled, but is faking her invalid status to keep Frankie under her thumb. Gambling boss Robert Strauss wants Frankie to deal at a high-stakes poker game; terrified that he's lost his touch, Frankie asks dope pusher Darren McGavin to supply him with narcotics. When McGavin discovers that Parker is not an invalid, she kills him, and Frankie (who is elsewhere at the time) is accused of the murder. He is willing to go to the cops, but he doesn't want to show up with drugs in his system. So with the help of sympathetic B-girl Kim Novak, Sinatra locks himself up and goes "cold turkey"-a still-harrowing sequence, despite the glut of "doper" films that followed in the wake of this picture. After Parker herself is killed in a suicidal fall, the path is cleared for Frankie to pursue a clean new life with Novak. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi