Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

Clifford Odets (screenplay) and
Ernest Lehman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

They know him - and they shiver - the big names of Broadway, Hollywood and Capitol Hill. They know J.J.- the world-famed columnist whose gossip is gospel to sixty million readers! They know the venom that flickers in those eyes behind the glasses - and they fawn - like Sid Falco, the kid who wanted "in" so much, he'd sell out his own girl to stand up there with J.J., sucking in the sweet smell of success! This is J.J.'s story - but not the way he would have liked it told!

Plot:

Powerful but unethical Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker coerces unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco into breaking up his sister's romance with a jazz musician.

Plot Keywords:

Press Agent | Jazz | Musician | Newspaper Columnist | Power

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	J.J. Hunsecker
Tony Curtis	...	Sidney Falco
Susan Harrison	...	Susan Hunsecker
Martin Milner	...	Steve Dallas (as Marty Milner)
Jeff Donnell	...	Sally
Sam Levene	...	Frank D' Angelo
Joe Frisco	...	Herbie Temple
Barbara Nichols	...	Rita
Emile Meyer	...	Lt. Harry Kello
Edith Atwater	...	Mary
The Chico Hamilton Quintet	...	Themselves

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | West Germany:16 (f) | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #18585)

Filming Locations:

Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Curtleigh Productions

Trivia:

In the opening shots of Manhattan, the movie The Mountain (1956) starring Robert Wagner and Spencer Tracy, is shown playing at a movie house. The Mountain came out one year before Sweet Smell of Success.

Goofs:

Continuity: Susan's coat when she's saying goodbye to Steve in the coffee shop towards the end of the movie. In one shot it's around only one of her shoulders, in the previous and next shots it's around both.

Quotes:

Jimmy Weldon: It's a dirty job, but I pay clean money for it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Rules of Film Noir (2009) (TV)

Gripping and powerful, amazing cast and dialog

This film really brings an air of nostalgia when you compare it to current productions. There are no special effects or noisy music, but nevertheless you are riveted to your chair form beginning to end thanks to a wonderful cast, dialogue, direction and very nice Jazz music. Burt Lancaster gives again an unbelievable performance and Tony Curtis is perfect in the role of the ambitious small time thug that cannot get rid of his own contradictions. I only wish the studios would stop focusing on the teen market today and get inspired by films like this one.