Sweet Smell of Success (1957) : Classic Movie Hub (CMH)

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Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Director(s)	Alexander Mackendrick
Producer(s)	James Hill, Tony Curtis (executive uncredited), Harold Hecht (executive uncredited), Burt Lancaster (executive uncredited)
Top Genres	Drama, Film Adaptation, Film Noir
Top Topics	Book-Based, Brother Sister, Reporters

Featured Cast:

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Burt Lancaster
(as J.J. Hunsecker)

Martin Milner
(as Steve Dallas)

Sweet Smell of Success Overview:

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) was a Drama - Film Noir Film directed by Alexander Mackendrick and produced by Tony Curtis, Harold Hecht, Burt Lancaster and James Hill.

Sweet Smell of Success was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993.

The Sweet Smell of Success: The Cat's in the Bag and the Bag's in the River

By FlickChick on Nov 19, 2023 From A Person in the Dark

My local library is kind enough to indulge my desire to share my passion for classic film by allowing me to show a classic film once a month. And once in a while, a few film fans wander in and share the enjoyment. November's Film: The Sweet Smell of Success1957's "The Sweet Smell of Success" is a gl... Read full article

Day 2 of Noirvember: Top Five Reasons Why I Love Sweet Smell of Success

By shadowsandsatin on Nov 2, 2019 From Shadows and Satin

For my money, one of noir?s most riveting films is the 1957 noir Sweet Smell of Success. Like all of my favorite noirs, I?ve seen this one numerous times, but every viewing is just as good as the last, and I simply can?t get enough of it. This first-rate feature stars Burt Lancaster as powerful goss... Read full article

Unsavory Duos: J.J. Hunsecker and Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

By shadowsandsatin on Jun 22, 2017 From Shadows and Satin

Brimming with repellent characters, Sweet Smell of Success, released in 1957 by United Artists, centers primarily on two: powerful Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) and self-serving press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis). The film?s rather straightforward plot, in a nutshell, concer... Read full article

My top 7 favorite quotes from Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

By Carol Martinheira on Apr 27, 2017 From The Old Hollywood Garden

My top 7 favorite quotes from Sweet Smell of Success (1957) On April 27, 2017 By CarolIn Uncategorized J. J.?Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) is a newspaper columnist and the most powerful man in New York City. Whatever he says, goes. And right now, he wants to break up his ... Read full article

1001 Classic Movies: Sweet Smell of Success

By Amanda Garrett on Sep 19, 2016 From Old Hollywood Films

Sweet Smell of Success (1957), starring Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster, is one of the 1001 classic movies you should see. Each Monday, I'm going to recommend a classic movie you should see (for the reasons behind the 1001 series and reviews of earlier films covered go here). This year's best pict... Read full article

See all Sweet Smell of Success articles

Quotes from

J.J. Hunsecker: Mr. Falco, let it be said at once, is a man of 40 faces, not one - none too pretty, and all deceptive. You see that grin? That's the, eh, that's the Charming Street Urchin face. It's part of his helpless act: he throws himself upon your mercy. He's got a half-dozen faces for the ladies. But the one I like, the really cute one, is the quick, dependable chap. Nothing he won't do for you in a pinch - so he says. Mr. Falco, whom I did not invite to sit at this table tonight, is a hungry press agent, and fully up to all the tricks of his very slimy trade.
[Pulls out an unlit cigarette and faces Falco]
J.J. Hunsecker: Match me, Sidney.
Sidney Falco: Not right this minute, J.J.

J.J. Hunsecker: Look, Manny, you rode in here on the Senator's shirt tails, so shut your mouth!
Sen. Harvey Walker: Now, come, J.J., that's a little too harsh. Anyone seems fair game for you tonight.
J.J. Hunsecker: This man is not for you, Harvey, and you shouldn't be seen with him in public. Because that's another part of a press agent's life - he digs up scandal among prominent men and shovels it thin among columnists who give him space.
Sen. Harvey Walker: There is some allusion here that escapes me...
J.J. Hunsecker: We're friends, Harvey - we go as far back as when you were a fresh kid Congressman, don't we?
Sen. Harvey Walker: Why does everything you say sound like a threat?
J.J. Hunsecker: Maybe it's a mannerism - because I don't threaten friends, Harvey. But why furnish your enemies with ammunition? You're a family man. Someday, with God willing, you may wanna be President. Now here you are, Harvey, out in the open where any hep person knows that this one...
[points at Manny Davis]
J.J. Hunsecker: [points at Linda James] ... is toting THAT one...
J.J. Hunsecker: [points at Senator] around for you.

Sidney Falco: Maybe I left my sense of humor in my other suit.

Facts about

The movie's line "I'd hate to take a bite outta you. You're a cookie full of arsenic" was voted as the #99 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

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

David White's movie debut

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Sweet Smell of Success (1957)