When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie 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 Frankie finds it hard to stay clean without succumbing to his old habits.

Besides making masterpiece after masterpiece, in the 1950s Austrian emigre auteur Otto Preminger was known for pushing the envelope of American censorship. Try this one on for size: Frank Sinatra as a drug addict! Impeccably fluid filmmaking, a legendary performance, and an unforgettable score.