Sweet smell of success film completion

But curtis had to fight hard for the role because his studio, universal, believed quite rightly, it turned out that the role would destroy the matinee idol. Forty years later winchell is mostly forgotten he died in 1972, but the film lives onsharpedged, merciless. If you want to start a main sweetsmellofsuccess page, just click the edit button above. Sep, 2001 a fizzingly clever bigcity satire and deeply strange late noir classic from 1957, directed by one time ealing comedy maestro alexander mackendrick with a superb script by clifford odets. Sweet smell of success, american film noir, released in 1957, that was praised. Nobody had seen or heard anything like the first half of sweet smell of success in 1957. Sweet smell of success is a seemingly bottomless flask of hardboiled patter. Hunsecker lancaster is a ruthlessly powerful new york columnist who doesnt like his sister susans susan harrison new boyfriend, jazz guitarist steve dallas martin milner. The sweet smell of success is a reality, he is convinced, and hunsecker is the golden ladder to where i want to get. Sweet smell of success by james naremore goodreads. Apr 01, 2011 a remarkable movie about men who are terrified of women. Hey, tcm, why is this movie being shown on both november 2 and november 3. The sweet smell of success 1957 barbara nichols as rita the cigarette girl. The real walter winchell, no longer as powerful as hed been in the 1940s but still a man to be reckoned with, went after ernest lehman with both barrels upon the release of sweet smell of success.

Sweet smell of success is a far more serious film an urban drama, with unscrupulous, deeply ambitious characters scheming to make a living in the unforgiving world of showbusiness. This movie had burt lancaster, tony curtis, martin milner in the lead roles of the film premise no data available. The film features a classic jazz score by elmer bernstein, and james wong howe s. Sweet smell of success, american film noir, released in 1957, that was praised for its intensity, intelligent dialogue, and searing look at corruption in bigcity journalism.

James wong howe had just won his oscar for his blackandwhite cinematography for the rose tattoo when the star of the film, burt lancaster, hired him to shoot his next picture, sweet smell of success. I cant recall a film in which i heard so many clever filmnoir lines as this one. Hunsecker coerces unscrupulous press agent sidney falco into breaking up his sisters romance with a jazz musician. A fizzingly clever bigcity satire and deeply strange late noir classic from 1957, directed by one time ealing comedy maestro alexander mackendrick with a superb script by clifford odets.

This authoritative opening of sweet smell of success, first released to little acclaim and bad boxoffice in 1957, announces a film noir about hardhitting journalism and the alluring world of. Along with orson welles touch of evil 1958, sweet smell of success is the last of the great film noirs. Hunsecker burt lancaster holds considerable sway over public opinion with his broadway column, but one thing that he cant control is his younger sister, susan susan harrison, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist steve dallas marty milner. He made a true believer out of mackendrick, who eventually came to the following conclusion. A meandering drama about the lure of success and the ignominious aggression of defeat. But the hitting is all below the belt and the cowardly pugilists are j. With so many scenes playing in interesting nighttime locales, james wong howes images are both naturalistic and stylishly expressive. Rent sweet smell of success 1957 starring burt lancaster and tony curtis on dvd and bluray. Sweet smell of success by clifford odets ernest lehman working script for the sweet smell of success fade in. Sidney falco tony curtis, is the hustling publicist who is consumed by. James hill took over and offered paddy chayefsky as. Criterions twodisc treatment of sweet smell of success is the kind of tasteful assembly befitting a classiceven if this particular classic was a little slow in being acknowledged as one. Glavni lik, koga tumaci burt lancaster, je uticajni i.

Sweet smell of success is an english movie directed by alexander mackendrick released in the year 1957. Sweet smell of success is a 1957 film which tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist who uses his connections to ruin his sisters relationship with a man he deems inappropriate. We new liners all fell in love with sweet smell of success as we worked on it, as it was truly a privilege to work on material this strong i notice that when we talk about it to other people, the first thing we talk about is the sizzling hot jazz music by the great marvin hamlisch, and we also talk about playwright john guares script, which our music director called the wittiest and. Sweet smell, which could have been offal, is raised to. A timeless portrait of the way that power works in this case, in the 1950s world of journalism, in cutthroat new york and one that will have you shifting uncomfortably in your seat. Almost everyone in the movie has a unique way of expressing their feelings. Featuring deliciously unsavory dialogue, in an acid, brilliantly. Sweet smell of success film by mackendrick 1957 britannica.

Hunsecker, a ruthless broadway columnist based on walter winchell who delights in destroying. We now think of alexander mackendricks sweet smell of successa major flop in its dayas one of the key american movies of the late 1950s. This series will explore how film has tackled social conflict. Join us for the newyork historical societys film series, featuring opening remarks by notable directors, writers, actors, and historians. Sweet smell of success is a 1957 american film directed by alexander mackendrick, starring. With burt lancaster, tony curtis, susan harrison, martin milner. But of all the films that got made under the hechthilllancaster banner the most emblematic of burts unique and highly evolved aesthetic is the sweet smell of success, a film that was daring, to say the least, when it first appeared in 1957, but has grown in stature in the eye of the true film devotee over the course of time.

This is significant when you consider that the movies newspaper columnist, j. Feb 05, 2014 the real walter winchell, no longer as powerful as hed been in the 1940s but still a man to be reckoned with, went after ernest lehman with both barrels upon the release of sweet smell of success. Be careful, though, the only things that go in the main namespace are tropes and should be created through the ykttw system. He squirms at his assignmentthe planting of narcotics on the guileless. Gossip as gospel in sweet smell of success popmatters.

You come out of sweet smell of success feeling like youve been dipped in slime, but no less exhilarated, partly by the inexhaustible energy of the whole thing you end up feeling at least a little sorry for sidney and by the mastery of the filmmaking. Can a film so expertly capture the odious and bitter that it becomes deliciously, disgustingly beautiful. Alexander mackendricks sweet smell of success is an acideaten picture of the rich and famous and what they do to stay that way told through the medium of the dark career of one sidney falco tony curtis, a slimy publicity man whos an expert in what another character in the film calls, the theology of. This in turn was adapted by lehman and clifford odets into the sharpedged, penetrating feature film sweet smell of success more. Sweet smell of success, alexander mackendricks most. Sweet smell of success 1957 the criterion collection. Sweet smell of success is a 1957 american film noir made by hechthilllancaster productions and released by united artists. Sweet smell of success 1957 almost from the beginning, tony curtis was seen as the ideal choice for sidney falco. In the swift, cynical sweet smell of success, directed by alexander mackendrick, burt lancaster stars as the vicious broadway gossip columnist j. The film features a classic jazz score by elmer bernstein, and james wong howes. Sweet smell of success has always been a dangerous film. Sweet smell of success is a 1957 american film directed by alexander mackendrick, starring burt lancaster, tony curtis, susan harrison, and martin milner, and written by clifford odets, ernest lehman, and mackendrick from the novelette by lehman. Slatki miris uspjeha je americki crnobijeli igrani film snimljen 1957. Alexander mackendrick was best known as a director of british comedies the man in the white suit 1951, the ladykillers, 1955 when he was chosen to replace ernest lehman as director on sweet smell of success 1957.

Sweet smell of success is a very dark 1957 film noir directed by alexander mackendrick, starring burt lancaster and tony curtis j. The sweet smell of success turner classic movies tcm. You come out of sweet smell of success feeling like youve been dipped in slime, but no less exhilarated, partly by the inexhaustible energy of the whole thing you end up feeling at least a little sorry for. The film is a toxic and exhilarating depiction of media corruption linked thematically with citizen kane, a face in the crowd, ace in. Getting the dirt on sweet smell of success breaking character. The first, roman a clef, is a discussion of ernest lehmans novella from which the screenplay was adapted. As the script neared completion, lehman became ill and had to resign from the picture.

Hunsceker burt lancaster, is a tyrannical broadway columnist for the new york globe who rules his demimonde with the presss power to create or destroy. Finishing the screenplay for sweet smell of success, odets felt, would give him a way of striking. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto. Newyork historical society sweet smell of success 1957. Featuring deliciously unsavory dialogue, in an acid, brilliantly structured script.

Curtis was sensational in mackendricks film, forever shattering the image universal so pedantically polished over. Its what all movies aspire to but few reach at this level. In the swift, cynical sweet smell of success, directed by alexander. But of all the films that got made under the hechthilllancaster banner the most. Lancaster had worked with the younger actor in trapeze 1956 and enjoyed their giveandtake on the set. Sweet smell of success boasts a topnotch cast, sharp direction, atmospheric cinematography, and an appropriately jazzy score, making it one of the best.

Hunsecker, and tony curtis as sidney falco, the unprincipled press agent hunsecker ropes into smearing the upandcoming jazz musician romancing his beloved sister. Sep 16, 2001 this authoritative opening of sweet smell of success, first released to little acclaim and bad boxoffice in 1957, announces a film noir about hardhitting journalism and the alluring world of. When the sweet smell of success was released in 1957, it was seen as a thinlyveiled attack on walter winchell, who for decades had been the most famous and reviled gossip columnist in america. It was directed by alexander mackendrick and stars burt lancaster, tony curtis, susan harrison, and martin milner. Howe and director alexander mackendrick knew right away that to tell this story properly, they really needed to film on. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. It even had the most powerful gossip columnist in america pacing nervously across the street from loews state on times square, where the.

The film is a toxic and exhilarating depiction of media corruption linked thematically with citizen kane, a face in the crowd, ace in the hole, and. This authoritative opening of sweet smell of success, first released to little acclaim and bad boxoffice in 1957, announces a film noir about hardhitting journalism and the alluring world of manhattan at night. But sweet smell of success turned out to be a terminus where several movie genres and subgenres converged and curdled, producing a uniquely delicious perfume of everlasting cynicism. Three decades later, barry levinsons diner found room for a minor character who has memorized, and repeatedly recites, every line of dialogue in sweet smell of success. And think of the years between 1927, when talkies were born, and 1957, when sidney falco flew too close to the hun and got his wings clipped, as. Jj hunsecker is a gossip columnist so powerful that his reporting can make or break a career. In sweet smell of success, one of the nastiest, most delightfully acidtongued indictments of the press ever burned onto the silver screen, a blackhearted broadway gossip columnist burt lancaster schools a desperate young press agent tony curtis in the fine art of corruption, and the result is a noirtinged tragedy of. Getting the dirt on sweet smell of success breaking. Sweet smell of success can be regarded as a noir movie, even though it bears few of the hallmarks of a classical film of the genre no major crimes are committed, there are no femmes fatales, no real foreshadowing of doom however the biting cynicism that drips from every line, and the greed and selfishness of its protagonists make it a. When sweet smell of success opened, however, it was a flop. New line continued its 26th season with the local premiere of the fiery 2002 jazzrock musical the sweet smell of success, by legendary film and stage composer marvin hamlisch his last theatre score, lyricist craig carnelia, and tonywinning playwright john guare, based on the famous short story and film. This noir film is a hardboiled tale of greed, corruption and brutality set in a seamy nocturnal world.

Rent sweet smell of success 1957 on dvd and bluray. A remarkable movie about men who are terrified of women. Sweet smell of success original trailer burt lancaster and tony curtis in their best roles as a powermad newspaper columnist and the press agent who supplies him with dirt in sweet smell of success 1957. In 1955, he completed the ladykillers starring alec guinness. Sweet smell of success boasts a topnotch cast, sharp direction, atmospheric cinematography, and an appropriately jazzy score, making it one of the best noir crime thrillers ever made. Ernesta lehmana, koja je, pak, bila inspirirana lehmanovim vlastitim iskustvima kao novinara u casopisu hollywood reporter. A definitive digital restoration of the film is accompanied by james naremores informative commentary track and gary giddinss affectionate essay, the. Sweet smell of success replaces shootouts with verbal ricochets, affirming. New york film locations from the movie sweet smell of success starring tony curtis. View the tcmdb entry for sweet smell of success 1957. Ernest lehman drew upon his experiences as a broadway press agent to write the devastating a clef short story tell me about tomorrow. Sweet smell of success 1957 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This in turn was adapted by lehman and clifford odets into the sharpedged, penetrating feature film sweet smell of success.