Scene Stealers: Sweet Smell of Success

Five black-and-white films that cast design in a starring role. By Phil Nugent

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• film
• design
• sweet
• smell
• success

[TerryDowne]

One point the critic missed: Lancaster was a city boy too, born and raised in Yorkville and East Harlem.

This guy talks too much, but he is right about one thing: it is a beautiful picture of a lost New York.

[guyswiggins]

Very good analysis. I hope that with Tony Curtis' passing, new viewers will come to see this film and appreciate its greatness.

[scogboy]

"may-loo"? Is this guy trying to pronounce "milieu"?

[ilovemartinmilner]

Shun the Frumious Bandersnatch who attempts to do movie reviews! BTW, Martin Milner is not a jazz guitarist. He is an actor. Steve Dallas is a jazz guitarist, Seriously dude...try to keep up.

[Badgirl221000]

Tony Curtis - prince of the Golden Age.

Toni Curtis was fantastically beautiful man...

[Grisostomo06]

I like the commentator telling us how much Curtis wanted this role because it is far and away his best role. I'm not a big Tony Curtis fan because I didn't think his acting range was very wide but he was absolutely perfect in this role. This movie is his, much more than Lancaster's. Most of the film concerns Sidney Falco(Curtis) and his shenanigans. Like Hunsecker(Lancaster) says, Falco is a prisoner of his "fears, greed and ambition" and Curtis shows us that. A very entertaining film.

[northbeachfilms]

This is classic Film Noir, not "Sort of Film Noir".

[covecya]

THis film is beautiful.

[Ravewolf24]

I too feel like this film is a great time capsule for a New York that is now in the past.