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The Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success
Sweetsmell.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Produced by James Hill
Written by Ernest Lehman (novelette)
Clifford Odets
Ernest Lehman
Starring Burt Lancaster
Tony Curtis
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography James Wong Howe
Edited by Alan Crosland Jr.
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • June 27, 1957 (1957-06-27)
Running time
96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3.4 million
Box office $2.25 million (US)
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success (score).jpg
Soundtrack album by Elmer Bernstein/Chico Hamilton Quintet
Released 1958
Recorded June 12, 1957 & July 12, 1957
Genre Film score
Label Decca
DL 8610 & DL 8614
Producer Hecht, Hill & Lancaster
Elmer Bernstein chronology
Fear Strikes Out
(1957)
Sweet Smell of Success
(1957)
The Tin Star
(1957)
Chico Hamilton Quintet chronology
Chico Hamilton Quintet
(1956)
Sweet Smell of Success
(1957)
South Pacific in Hi-Fi
(1958)
Jazz Themes Cover
Sweet Smell of Success (soundtrack).jpg
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars
The Guardian 4/5 stars

Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman and Mackendrick from the novelette by Lehman. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes.

The film tells the story of powerful newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker (portrayed by Lancaster and based on Walter Winchell) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems unworthy of her.

Despite a poorly received preview screening, Sweet Smell of Success has greatly improved in stature over the years. It is now highly acclaimed by film critics, particularly for its cinematography and screenplay. In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical was created by Marvin Hamlisch, Craig Carnelia and John Guare in 2002.

Manhattan press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) has been unable to gain mentions for his clients in J.J. Hunsecker's (Burt Lancaster) influential, nationally syndicated newspaper column of late because of Falco's failure to make good on a promise to break up the romance between Hunsecker's younger sister Susan (Susan Harrison) and musician Steve Dallas (Martin Milner), an up-and-coming jazz guitarist.


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Wikipedia

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