I have never been a big Tony Curtis fan, but here he does an astonishing job playing Sidney Falco, a flack without a scruple to his name. His hustling walk, smarmy smile, and indignant lies coalesce into one of the most perfectly played roles in movie history. And in this great film Burt Lancaster and New York City play their roles to perfection as well.
shareTom curtis did play the role of Sidyne Falco well. His performance of a sniveling, manipulative, promoter was excellent. His willingness to do anything to suceed such as using friends was iniquitous. Burt Lancaster's demeanor was very convincing as Hunsecker. I don't understand why everyone feared J.J. Hunsecker. Just because he owned a newspaper does not mean he can run people's lives. His smears can always be counteracted with the truth and an attack on Hunsecker. If Hunsecker had so many enemies they should have banded together to attack him, but everyone just had their own self interests. Every character in the film, with the exception of one or two people, were immoral which makes New York seem immoral as well.
shareIn response to why j.j. hunsecker , survived a pack of wolves baying for his blood lays in the information that "mcd 47 " left . In real life a character like Walter Winchell was just as powerful as a senate or a leading politician .making it almost unpenetrable for sleaze or corruption to stick . I'm in complete agreement , with everyone's comment's on how good Tony Curtis is in this excellent movie .I alway's thought he was great as the Boston Strangler too .
shareIndeed. Curtis has the ability to present himself like a "weasel", small and powerless, only using the dirty tricks to achieve accomplishments. Right from the getgo you get that feeling that he's not much of a good guy due to his appearance and looks. First of all he's too cheap to afford a doorsign, and he has to tape a piece of paper (that represents his office, and I don't think that's the best idea to attrack customers). Then the first encounterment he has with Dallas shows what a pest he is, constantly getting into other people's faces for no reason. Through out the entire movie he is shown doing dirty work, so therefore, when he gets manhandled by the police, I feel no sympathy for a useless piece of junk like him. It seems as though he's depended on J.J., so if you take J.J. out of the equation, Falco is basically useless and left to self destruction. Even though Mr. Arber argue how New York can be a character showing how people there are evil, there are still some innocence in it. Besides from the 2 female characters, there's also the jazz band. They seem to be harmless and free of evil.
shareArguably the greatest performances of both Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. I love this "dirty" movie!!
I also checked on the nominations and this film didn't receive any on Oscar time. Very surprised about that.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
He should have been nominated to the Oscars for this perfromance he was truly brilliant...I was very impressed!
My happiness is your hap-penis
Agree with you 100%. How he, Lancaseter and this entire movie got no oscar attention (or a large audience) back in 1957 is amazing to me.
sharethe plot is excellent...but the performances of Tony and Burt and of the ditzy blonde save this movie and make it a classic IMO
Pero tu no me das tu amor constante,
no me abrazas y repites que soy grande
Insofar as this film was a <very> thinly veiled indictment of real-life newspaper columnist Walter Winchell, one of the most powerful and influential personalities in mid-twentieth century media (also the narrator of the TV series "The Untouchables"), this probably best explains why the film was overlooked at oscar time. Just as Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" was victimized by its presumed target, William Randolph Hurst. The street scenes of night-time mid-fifties Manhattan and Elmer Bernstein's rousing score complement the gripping performances of Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. Fascinating film.
shareOne of my all-time favorite films, one of only two that achieved that dubious distinction on its first viewing. And what powerhouse performances by Curtis and Lancaster. In my opinion (who else's?), Tony Curtis does not have the recognition that his career deserves. This IS probably his best performance--one that not many have equaled--but excellent performances are far from a rarity on his resume. He is best known for his comedies, and he did excel in this genre (Some Like It Hot, Operation Petticoat, Captain Newman, MD--all hilarious with Curtis' performances a highlight), but he was quite good in a number of dramas as well--The Boston Strangler, The Defiant Ones, and Spartacus for instance. He is definitely a more serious actor than many give him credit for. Cheerio!
PS. Anyone who stumbles upon this post, if you've got time, give my review of this film a read (I hate going to all the trouble of writing one, and then it gets buried among all the others and no one ever sees it). Heck, don't even mind at all if you disagree. It's at: http://imdb.com/title/tt0051036/usercomments-44
"I'm a lover of beauty--and a beauty of a lover!"--The Court Jester
I almost quit the IMDb because of all the morons on the postings. I guess a class film like this draws class people. Some of the above reviews of this great movie are spot on.
It's certainly up there as one of my all time favourites, along with His Girl Friday and possibly the original The Mancurian Candidate.
Curtis is definately the stuff of legend. Lancaster was one of the most powerfully dramatic presences ever to grace the screen; for Curtis to go up against him and hold his own the way he did was no mean feat.
I love that scene where Lancaster, deranged by jealousy, is looming over Curtis in the bedroom and Curtis rears up like a wild cat that has been cornered.
But for Curtis to then move on from this triumph and star alongside Jack Lemon -- one of the most gifted comedic talents of all time -- and to again hold his own equally, as if the two were a comedy duo who had honed their partnership through years of stage work, was genuinely staggering.
Only a year or two before "Sweet Smell" the critics had dismissed Curtis as a pretty boy. "Sweet Smell" knocked them against the ropes; "Some Like It Hot," knocked them out. Being knocked out suited them.
'He not busy being born, is busy dying.' Bob Dylan.
I could not agree more. One more thing about Curtis' performance here, something often overlooked (in fact MY review failed to mention it)--lost amidst his smarmy dirt-dealing, sucking up, and treachery--I think Curtis gives us a tiny glimpse of the human being he used to be, a moment when he has a choice, a last chance to do the right thing, recognizes that opportunity, and all too willingly, without even a wistful look back at his discarded soul left beside his slimy trail, plunges headlong into his malevolent machinations to unseat Hunsecker. It's been so long since I've seen the film, I don't recall exactly when this occurs, but it concerned his manipulation of the two ill-fated lovers. Perhaps I was hallucinating, but I felt Curtis showed, for the briefest moment, a residue of conscience which he sacrifices. It was that brief moment that elevated the film from being "merely" an incredibly insightful depiction of two monsters . . . into the realm of tragedy. The fact that he was able to register that little glimmer of compunction in one so believably immersed in villainous sycophancy is a tribute to Curtis' command of the material here. He is nothing less than a marvel.
Or was it just me?
"Nothing in this world is more surprising than the attack without mercy!"--Little Big Man
I agree as well. This was Curtis' most interesting performance; in fact, it was stunningly good. The first time I saw "Sweet Smell"--only a couple of years ago or so--I wondered how I'd missed it for so many years.
The performances across the board were terrific, and what a treat to have Curtis & Lancaster in such a quirkly story. It was the cinematography by James Wong Howe that elevated this film to another level.
Speaking of that, one scene in particular brought me just about out of my seat. It's the scene in '21', where JJ is holding court with the senator, the publicist, and the blonde starlet. JJ's line where he lays out the truth about the senator, the publicist and the blonde starlet is accompanied by quick pans & stops of the camera from person to person at the table. First time I saw that my eyes bugged out. That entire scene (I think this follows the 'match me, Sidney' line) is worth the price of admission.
I agree with the superlatives for both Curtis and Lancaster. This movie shows what Curtis could do with a great script in his hands. Give credit to Ernest Lehman for giving Hunsecker and Falco (and even "Dallas") some of the cleverest lines in movie history.
shareWell you've sold me on this one. Just hoping Amazon has a copy. Thanks.
Looks like a spanner, acts like a spanner ... it's spanner boy
Well this is months later and I bought a copy and had a great time watching it. You are right brilliant performances by both Curtis and Lancaster. Thanks for that :)
I must concur that Tony Curtis turned in a superb performance in this film, the best of his career up to this point and Burt Lancaster was mesmerizing as JJ Hunsecker.
shareJust finished watching this movie.....Curtis was AMAZING!!!... He's been mocked over the years for his acting, but, WOW!.....Oscar, where was you?!!
shareCount me in as a new Tony Curtis fan. Saw this film for the first time last night and was awed. He was a revelation to me, having mostly seen his comedies before. I always knew Burt Lancaster could act, but had never seen him (Burt Lancaster) play such a sinister character. The two of them together - characters and actors - were just brilliant! The musical score was a perfect fit for New York City which I believe deserves credit as a major character in the movie. It happens to be my home and, except in some superficial ways, it doesn't seem to have changed much since the movie. It's "essence" is still the same. Time Square may have got disneyfied, but most New Yorkers I think would agree with JJ that they love this dirty city too.
shareI agree with everything written. Curtis' performance was excellent and should have got an oscar nomination. He had made several movies before and done a good job but this one got the producers' attention and showed they had a great actor in Tony Curtis. I remember when I saw this movie I noticed Curtis is in every scene except the parting shot. A great performance and a great movie.
shareI thought the best scene in the movie was when they were at 21 and he was refusing to conspire with the cop. You can tell that at first he really thinks he believes what he's saying and then he lets go with that line about not doing it even if J.J. were to give... him a... column... Right then he realizes he's cajoled himself into something. What a bastard, made me shudder a little.
Take it away, Leon!
I think he was perfect, which is really all that matters. I must say as well, that having seen him interviewed several times, he had a slimey arrogance that reminded me of his Falco characterization. For that reason, I try to avoid most extended star interviews because if they come across as particularly arrogant (i.e. Lucille Ball, Debbie Reynolds and Curtis), I can't always completely put that out of my mind when I later see them in a movie.
sharei saw the movie yesterday for the first time and i was totally blown away by curtis' performance. i never thoght of him as a talented actor but his work in this movie is really impressive, he brought his character to live in a very mature and believable way. and don't get me started about the whole movie's quality, it was superb. it remonded me of network.
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