Sweet smell of success by clifford odets ernest lehman working script for the sweet smell of success fade in. New york film locations from the movie sweet smell of success starring tony curtis. Anyway, its nice to see that theres a film about the fertilizing industry in the 50s and one that doesnt rely on toilet humour. 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. Sweet smell of success boasts a topnotch cast, sharp direction, atmospheric cinematography, and an appropriately jazzy score, making it one. Jj hunsecker is a gossip columnist so powerful that his reporting can make or break a career. Written by clifford odets, ernest lehman and alexander mackendrick based on the novelette by lehman. To convey tiffanys image of moneyed good taste in a fragrance, the bottle, designed by pierre dinand, is an art deco creation that mr. The smell of success is a 2009 american comedy film directed by michael polish and starring billy bob thornton, tea leoni, kyle maclachlan, and ed helms. A fizzingly clever bigcity satire and deeply strange late noir classic from 1957, directed by. The smell of success seems quite an an odd title for the film but a couple of minutes into the movie, i realized that the makers were being quite literal. Does a degree in chemical engineering guarantee that its holder will enjoy the sweet smell of success. 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. Forty years later winchell is mostly forgotten he died in 1972, but the film lives onsharpedged, merciless. In a market that saw a 47 percent decline in vc funding and lending last year, figuring out where to save and how to bootstrap can mean the difference between the. The film manages to be serious and pulpy, and it never loses its selfawareness over the fact that its characters are disgusting fiends who need to be punished. 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. Billy bob thornton, tea leoni, and what is likely the world record for poop jokes 17 august 2011 pajiba see all related articles. That was my wifes assessment of my response to sweet smell of success, the classic 1957 film starring burt lancaster and tony curtis.
May 20, 2009 us trailer for alexander mackendricks sweet smell of success. For a movie that shares a childs exuberance for all things manure, the smell of success is actually not bad. 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. 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. 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. The power of these inspirational videos lies not in the videos themselves, but in their ability to remind you of what you already know.
Therefore, its only fitting that sweet smell of success relishes in the deliciously appropriate downfall of its characters, which is satisfying to say the least. 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. Not only was tony curtiss breakthrough performance as the selfloathing. A row of newspaper delivery trucks is lined up against the long loading bay, waiting for the edition. But it is kind of a onetrick pony with a variety of the same manure joke. 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, hed sell out his own girl to stand up there with j.
The film was produced by initiate productions, and premiered at the 2009 sundance film festival under its original title manure. Whats most surprising is the fact that sweet smell of success was totally ignored during the 1957 oscar race. Roger ebert describes sweet smell of success as sharpedged and merciless, and both terms accurately summarize the picture. Hunsecker lancaster, a corrupt newspaper columnist with the readership and power to make or break anyone he. Home blog 23 inspirational videos that will completely blow you away. Curtis was sensational in mackendricks film, forever shattering the image universal so pedantically polished over. Both are utterly corrupt and would do whatever it takes to achieve their own perverse ends.
Slatki miris uspjeha je americki crnobijeli igrani film snimljen 1957. 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. The smell of success 2009 the smell of success 2009. I really wanted to like this movie more, as the cast is great. While these qualities might be flaws to a lesser film, they succeed completely and generate a compelling film. 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.
Howe and director alexander mackendrick knew right away that to tell this story properly, they really needed to film on. The main characters in sweet smell of success are two of the most unpleasant, unprincipled and unsympathetic people imaginable. Sweet smell of success 1957 letterboxd your life in film. The highest artistic achievement of hechthilllancaster, an innovative production company that emerged in hollywood at the end of the classic studio system, sweet smell of success 1957 portended the collapse of breenoffice censorship and was the first us entertainment film to depict mccarthystyle exploitation of the press. 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. Apr 14, 2010 in a market that saw a 47 percent decline in vc funding and lending last year, figuring out where to save and how to bootstrap can mean the difference between the sweet smell of success and the. Can a film so expertly capture the odious and bitter that it becomes deliciously, disgustingly beautiful. Do you lack direction or have a mindset that has prevented you from achieving success.
Sep 27, 2015 does a degree in chemical engineering guarantee that its holder will enjoy the sweet smell of success. 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. Its what all movies aspire to but few reach at this level. Sweet smell of success is a very dark 1957 film noir directed by alexander mackendrick, starring burt lancaster and tony curtis j. 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. Sweet smell of success is one of those classic films that feel so startlingly contemporary that you cant help but check and recheck the release date just to make sure that the blackandwhite was a necessity rather than a stylistic choice. After deliberately punishing myself by recently sitting through the lamentable 1956 soap opera written on the wind, i felt i owed myself a treat, so i sat back and watched the brilliant sweet smell of success 1957 for the umpteenth time. Filled with beautiful black and white cinematography of new york city at night during the 1950s, particularly the neon blaze of times square, sweet smell of success was groundbreaking in its depiction of completely ruthless characters who will do anything for a buck. The smell of success is a 2009 american comedy film directed by michael polish and starring billy bob thornton, tea leoni, kyle maclachlan, and ed helms the film was produced by initiate productions, and premiered at the 2009 sundance film festival under its original title manure. Sweet smell of success film by mackendrick 1957 britannica. I did pay attention to the film, sitting in rapt awe of the dark tale of j. 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. 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.
The result is without a doubt mackendricks most accomplished film and a testiment to his careful rehearsal and elaborate storyboard preparation for the film. 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. Us trailer for alexander mackendricks sweet smell of success. Sweet smell of success, alexander mackendricks most. Loring describes as suave, tailored and slightly masculine.
342 807 593 1525 1422 920 363 687 982 15 1014 1332 171 946 978 1385 548 1621 779 560 555 953 1326 1678 983 889 374 1213 770 1276 168 81 1173 752 1362 1346 636 600 1107