Sweet Smell of Success: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|'' Harvey, I often wish I were deaf and wore a hearing aid. With a simple flick of a switch, I could shut out the greedy murmur of little men.''|'''J.J. Hunsecker'''}}
{{quote|'' Harvey, I often wish I were deaf and wore a hearing aid. With a simple flick of a switch, I could shut out the greedy murmur of little men.''|'''J.J. Hunsecker'''}}


''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]'' is a very dark 1957 [[Film Noir]]. It recieved poor audience reactions when it was first screened, but it is critically acclaimed as a great film today. J.J. Hunsecker is number 35 of the AFI's list of the top 50 movie villains of all time, played acerbically and ruthlessly by Burt Lancaster.
'''''Sweet Smell of Success''''' is a very dark 1957 [[Film Noir]]. It received poor audience reactions when it was first screened, but it is critically acclaimed as a great film today. J.J. Hunsecker is number 35 of the AFI's list of the top 50 movie villains of all time, played acerbically and ruthlessly by Burt Lancaster.


J.J. Hunsecker is a ruthlessly powerful columnist who doesn't like his sister's new boyfriend Steve, a jazz guitarist. He hires Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) to do the dirty work of breaking the two apart in the age when everyone suspected a Red under every bed.
J.J. Hunsecker is a ruthlessly powerful columnist who doesn't like his sister's new boyfriend Steve, a jazz guitarist. He hires Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) to do the dirty work of breaking the two apart in the age when everyone suspected a Red under every bed.

----
{{tropelist}}
=== Tropes used by the film: ===
* [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]]
* [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]]
* [[Dirty Communists]]: One of the smears against Dallas is that he's a Party member.
* [[Dirty Communists]]: One of the smears against Dallas is that he's a Party member.
* [[The Dog Bites Back]]
* [[The Dog Bites Back]]
* [[Don't Do Anything I Wouldn't Do]]:
* [[Don't Do Anything I Wouldn't Do]]:
{{quote| '''Sidney''': Don't do anything I wouldn't do! That gives you a lot of leeway...}}
{{quote|'''Sidney''': Don't do anything I wouldn't do! That gives you a lot of leeway...}}
* [[The Dragon]]: Effectively, Falco to Hunsecker.
* [[The Dragon]]: Effectively, Falco to Hunsecker.
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: Almost.
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: Almost.
* [[Executive Meddling]]: Falco does a [[Heel Face Turn]] at the end, threatening to expose the dirty cop. He gets beaten up for it.
* [[Extreme Doormat]]: Susie.
* [[Extreme Doormat]]: Susie.
* [[Faux Affably Evil]]: Hunsecker ''always'' speaks calmly and politely, especially to Susie and Steve. Neither of them are fooled.
* [[Faux Affably Evil]]: Hunsecker ''always'' speaks calmly and politely, especially to Susie and Steve. Neither of them are fooled.
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* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: J.J. Hunsecker is a thinly-disguished version the once-powerful gossip columnist and radio broadcaster Walter Winchell.
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: J.J. Hunsecker is a thinly-disguished version the once-powerful gossip columnist and radio broadcaster Walter Winchell.
* [[Only Known by Initials]]: J.J. Even his sister calls him that.
* [[Only Known by Initials]]: J.J. Even his sister calls him that.
* [[Playing Against Type]]: Tony Curtis, who became famous with heroic roles. At the preview screening of the movie, his fans were pretty disappointed.
* [[Pretty in Mink]]: Susie's highly-symbolic fur coat.
* [[Pretty in Mink]]: Susie's highly-symbolic fur coat.
* [[Red Scare]]
* [[Red Scare]]
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* [[Sugary Malice]]: Hunsecker.
* [[Sugary Malice]]: Hunsecker.
* [[Terms of Endangerment]]: Hunsecker constantly calls Susie "dear". He's called on this by Steve.
* [[Terms of Endangerment]]: Hunsecker constantly calls Susie "dear". He's called on this by Steve.
* [[What Could Have Been]]: [[Orson Welles]] was to be casted as J. J. Hunsecker at one point. Robert Vaughn was cast as Steve.
* [[Witch Hunt]]
* [[Witch Hunt]]


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{AFI's 100 Years 100 Heroes and Villains}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Roger Ebert Great Movies List]]
[[Category:Roger Ebert Great Movies List]]
[[Category:National Film Registry]]
[[Category:National Film Registry]]
[[Category:Films of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1950s]]
[[Category:Sweet Smell of Success]]
[[Category:The Criterion Collection]]
[[Category:Film]]

Latest revision as of 18:10, 25 August 2021

(left)guppy, (right)shark
Harvey, I often wish I were deaf and wore a hearing aid. With a simple flick of a switch, I could shut out the greedy murmur of little men.
—J.J. Hunsecker

Sweet Smell of Success is a very dark 1957 Film Noir. It received poor audience reactions when it was first screened, but it is critically acclaimed as a great film today. J.J. Hunsecker is number 35 of the AFI's list of the top 50 movie villains of all time, played acerbically and ruthlessly by Burt Lancaster.

J.J. Hunsecker is a ruthlessly powerful columnist who doesn't like his sister's new boyfriend Steve, a jazz guitarist. He hires Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) to do the dirty work of breaking the two apart in the age when everyone suspected a Red under every bed.

Tropes used in Sweet Smell of Success include:

Sidney: Don't do anything I wouldn't do! That gives you a lot of leeway...

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