The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis,) is a sleazy press agent disgraced because he has ceased to deliver or, more likely, because he never did, who seeking to ingratiate himself for gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) agrees to smear the sister’s musician boyfriend, for which he first resorts to blackmail; and when that doesn’t work, he pimps out a former girlfriend to a competitor writer so that no one will suspect foul play.

Falco is perfectly described as an “arsenic-filled cookie,” but the character who does so is a cruel, vicious writer of syndicated of gossip columns with a very unhealthy relationship with his sister who additionally reminded me of Larry 'Lonesome' Rhodes from that same year’s A Face in the Crowd in that he’s already come to believe his own b.s. He ‘impersonally’ sets out to destroy those who dare criticize him.

A Noir of sorts which dives into the seedy world of newsprint is second only to Ace in the Hole in its jaded, pessimistic view of the publishing industry.

There is a certain degree of stylization in the characters in order to make them as despicable as possible, which is fine; and the only step which seems false today might be that a jazz musician’s reputation would be ruined because an article is written about him about being a pot-smoker; later, he’s busted for marijuana possession, but by the time the evidence is planted on him the plan has already changed. One would think that the mid-century, American music industry would be well used to dealing with rumors about drug use; certainly much harder stuff than pot.

Maybe times were different then in ways I cannot see.

With Sam Levene, Barbara Nichols, Joe Frisco, Edith Atwater, David White and Emile Meyer.

Shadowy New York photography courtesy of James Wong Howe.