Sweet Smell of Success | |
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Theatrical poster
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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
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Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date
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Running time
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96 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3.4 million |
Box office | $2.25 million (US) |
Sweet Smell of Success | ||||
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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 |
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Producer | Hecht, Hill & Lancaster | |||
Elmer Bernstein chronology | ||||
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Chico Hamilton Quintet chronology | ||||
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Jazz Themes Cover | ||||
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The Guardian |
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.