Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Réalisateur:

Alexander Mackendrick

Scénaristes:

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

Date de sortie:

27 juin 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drame | Film-Noir

Accroche:

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!

Intrigue:

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

Récompenses:

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

Avis des utilisateurs:

Oh, Those GREAT NY Scenes!

Ensemble

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
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Nick Adams	...	Hot-Dog Stand Customer (uncredited)
Jay Adler	...	Manny Davis (uncredited)
Lewis Charles	...	Al Evans (uncredited)
Buddy Clark	...	Bassist in Chico Hamilton Quintet (uncredited)
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Leo Bartha (uncredited)
John Fiedler	...	Counterman (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Extra at Toots Shor's (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Sen. Harvey Walker (uncredited)
Robert Fuller	...	Extra (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Patron at 21 Club (uncredited)
Chico Hamilton	...	Himself - Chico Hamilton Quintet (uncredited)
James Hill	...	Man outside theatre (uncredited)
Paul Horn	...	Himself - Chico Hamilton Quintet (uncredited)
Fred Katz	...	Himself - Chico Hamilton Quintet (uncredited)
Joseph Leon	...	Joe Robard (uncredited)
Clifford Odets	...	Man outside theatre (uncredited)
Jane Ross	...	(uncredited)
Autumn Russell	...	Linda James (uncredited)
Carson Smith	...	Himself (uncredited)
Queenie Smith	...	Mildred Tam (uncredited)
Lurene Tuttle	...	Loretta Bartha (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Coffee shop counter man (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Radio program director (uncredited)
David White	...	Otis Elwell (uncredited)

Réalisé par
Alexander Mackendrick

Scénaristes
Clifford Odets		(screenplay) and
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)
Ernest Lehman		(novella)
Alexander Mackendrick		uncredited

Produit par
James Hill	....	producer
Tony Curtis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Harold Hecht	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Burt Lancaster	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Musique originale
Elmer Bernstein		(music scored by)

Image
James Wong Howe

Direction artistique
Edward Carrere

Décorateur de plateau
Edward G. Boyle		(as Edward Boyle)

Création des costumes
Mary Grant

Maquillage
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (as Robert Schiffer)

Directeur de production
Richard McWhorter	....	production manager

Assistant réalisateur
Richard Maybery	....	assistant director

Technicien du son
Robert G. Carlisle	....	sound effects editor (as Robert Carlisle)
Jack Solomon	....	sound recordist

Dpartement Editorial
Alan Crosland Jr.	....	editorial supervisor

Département Musique
Elmer Bernstein	....	conductor
Lloyd Young	....	music editor
John Pisano	....	musician: guitar dubbing, Martin Milner (uncredited)

Divers
Harold Hecht	....	presenter (as Hecht, Hill and Lancaster)
James Hill	....	presenter (as Hecht, Hill and Lancaster)
Burt Lancaster	....	presenter (as Hecht, Hill and Lancaster)
Thom Conroy	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Mike Hyatt	....	film restoration (uncredited)
Ruth McCrough Miller	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Companies de production

• Curtleigh Productions
• Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions (uncredited)
• Norma Productions

Distributeurs

• United Artists (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (2000) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm print - re-issue)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (????) (UK) (theatrical)

Autres Companies

• Solters & Digney  publicity (uncredited)
• Sunset Digital Studios  DVD transfer
• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Durée:

96 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Noir et Blanc

Rapport de forme:

1,66 : 1

Son:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Classification:

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

Lieux de tournage:

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

Société:

Curtleigh Productions

Anecdotes:

One of the musical refrains that is repeated throughout the film was used nearly note for note in Boogie Nights (1997).

Goofs:

Continuité: In first scene in Sydney's office, secretary picks up a stack of magazines and newspapers, that change position and height of stack from shot to shot.

Guillemet:

Steve: That's fish four days old. I won't buy it!

Connexions De Film:

Référencé sur A Dying Breed: The Making of 'The Leopard' (2004) (V)

Oh, Those GREAT NY Scenes!

Another poster "stole" the one line summary I wanted to use: "Match me, Sidney." Damn. It's one of the best lines in the movie. Oh, well.

"Sweet Smell of Success" is a great, wildly entertaining movie. It reminds me of "Dangerous Liasons" in both it's subject ("bad" people making life worse for more decent folk) and how swiftly and imaginatively directed it is. It's juicy from beginning to end. Burt Lancaster is once again terrific as J.J. Hunsecker, Walter Winchell-esque writer of a "society" column which is more of a tool of destruction for those who cross his path.

But it's Tony Curtis who holds the movie together. Always scheming and plotting and never letting a decent human emotion take precedence over his drive to succeed at any cost. He's Marvelous and was never again to achieve what he did here.

But there's a third star to this production and it's New York City itself. The on location photography is stunning. What is amazing is that at the time the movie was made (1957) on location filming was just becoming "in vogue". For a film like this, it HAD to filmed on location or else it's power would be substantially diluted. I work in Manhattan near where a lot of this film was made (J.J. lives in the Brill Building which is on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets, right around the corner from me). To see what the neighborhood looked like over 40 years ago is amazing. Surprisingly, it's the astonishing on site photography that prevents the film from really feeling dated. Also, the themes in the film are timeless as well.

"Sweet Smell of Success" is a classic from top to bottom.