History Film / SweetSmellOfSuccess

* BlackmailBackfire: Sidney tries to muscle one of J.J.'s rival columnists, Leo Bartha, by implying that he knows about an incident wherein Leo tried to sleep with a cigarette girl named Rita. Leo confesses to his wife right then and there, makes up with her, and launches into a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech aimed at both Falco and Hunsecker - a surprising MomentOfAwesome in such a black noir film.

* BlackmailBackfire: Sidney tries to muscle one of J.J.'s rival columnists, Leo Bartha, by implying that he knows about an incident wherein Leo tried to sleep with a cigarette girl named Rita. Leo confesses to his wife right then and there, makes up with her, and launches into a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech aimed at both Falco and Hunsecker.

''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a very dark 1957 FilmNoir, directed by Alexander Mackendrick and starring Creator/BurtLancaster and Creator/TonyCurtis. It's based on a story by Ernest Lehman, who also wrote the first draft of the screenplay, sharing credit with playwright Clifford Odets, who worked on the final rewrites. Mackendrick also did some uncredited writing work.

''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a very dark 1957 FilmNoir directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Creator/BurtLancaster and Creator/TonyCurtis. It's based on a story by Ernest Lehman, who also wrote the first draft of the screenplay, sharing credit with playwright Clifford Odets, who did the final rewrites. Mackendrick also did some uncredited writing work.

J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) is a ruthlessly powerful New York columnist who doesn't like his sister Susan's (Susan Harrison) new boyfriend, jazz guitarist Steve Dallas (Martin Milner). He hires ambitious press agent Sidney Falco (Curtis) to do the dirty work of breaking the two apart, by getting Steve smeared as a Communist – a career killer in an age when everyone suspected a Red under every bed.

In 2002, the film was [[ScreenToStageAdaptation adapted into a stage musical]] with music by Music/MarvinHamlisch, lyrics by Craig Carnelia, and book by John Guare. The Broadway production starred Creator/JohnLithgow as J.J. and Creator/BrianDArcyJames as Sidney.

In 2002, the film was [[ScreenToStageAdaptation adapted into a stage musical]] by Music/MarvinHamlisch, Craig Carnelia, and John Guare. The Broadway production starred Creator/JohnLithgow as Hunsecker and Creator/BrianDArcyJames as Sidney.

J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) is a ruthlessly powerful New York columnist who doesn't like his sister Susan's (Susan Harrison) new boyfriend, jazz guitarist Steve Dallas (Martin Milner). He hires ambitious press agent Sidney Falco (Curtis) to do the dirty work of breaking the two apart, by getting Steve smeared as a Communist in the age when everyone suspected a Red under every bed.

In 2002, the film was [[ScreenToStageAdaptation adapted into a stage musical]] by Music/MarvinHamlisch, Craig Carnelia, and John Guare.

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: The story plays out over the course of less than two days.

* ScaryShinyGlasses: J.J. Hunsecker wears them.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sweet_smell_of_success_curtis_lancaster.jpeg]]

* BlackmailBackfire: Sidney Falco tries to muscle one of his boss J.J. Hunsecker's rival columnists by implying that he knows about an adulterous affair the columnist had. The columnist confesses to his wife right then and there, makes up with her, and launches into a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech aimed at both Falco and Hunsecker.

* AlliterativeTitle: '''''S'''weet '''S'''mell of '''S'''ucess''.

* AlliterativeTitle

-->'''J.J.:''' 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...''(He points at Manny Davis.)''... is toting THAT one...''(He points at Linda James.)'' [[TheMistress around for you]].

-->'''Hunsecker:''' 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]''... is toting THAT one...''[points at Linda James]'' [[TheMistress around for you]].

''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a very dark 1957 FilmNoir directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Creator/BurtLancaster and Creator/TonyCurtis. It's based on a story by Ernest Lehman, who also wrote the first draft of the screenplay, sharing credit with playwright Clifford Odets, who did the final rewrites.

* SparedbytheAdaptation: [[spoiler: The novella the movie is based on ends with Sidney's beatdown at the hands of J.J. after Susie sets him up, with the strong implication that J.J. kills him in the process.]]

* AlliterativeTitle

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Susie is likely to keep her relationship with Steve and Falco has been arrested, but Hunsecker will likely face no punishment-though Susie in the final scene is strongly implied to completely cutoff her ties with Hunsecker which is shown to upset him]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: J.J attempts to ruin Susie's relationship with Dallas ultimately backfires when Falco tells Susie in the climax and J.J ujust ends up destroys his relationship with Susie who wants nothing to do with him by the films final scene.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [spoiler:Susie is likely to keep her relationship with Steve and Falco has been arrested, but Hunsecker will likely face no punishment-though Susie in the final scene is strongly implied to completely cutoff her ties with Hunsecker which is shown to upset him]]

* BittersweetEnding: Susie is likely to keep her relationship with Steve and Falco has been arrested, but Hunsecker will likely face no punishment.

* TakeThat: J.J. Hunsecker is one to Walter Winchell, a famous columnist and radio host who spread anti-Communist propaganda during the Red Scare. According to the commentary from the Criterion edition of the film, many of the people working on the film had either been blacklisted (such as Sam Levene, who played Frank D'Angelo) or were stanch liberals who hated the collaboration between HUAC and Hollywood (such as producer and star Burt Lancaster). In addition, Winchell had his own instance of being against a family's marriage (although truth may be stranger than fiction here): when his daughter tried to marry, he and his wife abducted her and put her in a psychiatric hospital.

[[caption-width-right:350:Left: Guppy. Right: Shark.]]

Falco's girlfriend Rita, after he prostitutes her out to another columnist without telling her in advance to further one of Sidney's schemes.

* BreakTheCutie: Poor, poor Susie.

''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a very dark 1957 FilmNoir directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Creator/BurtLancaster and Creator/TonyCurtis.

* RiddleForTheAges: Does JJ actually have a smothering BigBrotherInstinct, or is he only concerned about how his sister could be used to blackmail him?