Frank Sinatra plays a card dealer with a narcotic addiction. His dream is to forgo the cards and become a musician (drummer). Unfortunately, his addiction gets the better of him, and the film follows his further fall into disgrace. Eleanor Parker is his long-suffering, wheelchair-bound wife, while Kim Novak is his girlfriend. Lucky man to have two such women in his life; too bad his personal demons get the better of him.

Considering that this film was made during the Code, it was quite a battle to get it released, due to the subject matter. Sinatra was nominated for Best Actor, and he's pretty good in the film. It's unsettling to watch him deal with withdrawal symptoms (albeit stylized in the old Hollywood fashion). I think Sinatra is at his best in these dark dramas, not bland musicals like High Society.

Kim Novak was pretty smoking in this film; it's implied that she's a prostitute (with the proverbial heart of gold).