Although Sidney Falco and I pretty much have the same livelihood (we get our clients in the media), we have very opposite ways of doing so. The primary difference in the way we work is 40 year’s worth of proven tactics and strategies. Falco doesn’t have a plan. He wings it day to day, lying to his clients and begging his only press contact (J.J. Hunsecker) to mention them in his popular column. I couldn’t make a buck working that way. I’m not the salesman type. Today, press agents (or public relation specialists) work as a team and have more resources and contacts to work with to ensure our client(s) get the media coverage they are paying for. Watching Falco made my heart race. He is a classic tragic character in the tradition of Dustin Hoffman’s Willy Loman and Jack Lemmon’s Shelly "The Machine" Levine in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Now, on to the film.

There are two things that immediately come to mind about Sweet Smell of Success – the rich dialogue and beautiful photography.

Clifford Odets’ screenplay was so fast and witty that I found myself rewinding (VHS version) many scenes just to catch the cleaver, quick-tongued lines. Phrases like:

• "I love this dirty town"
• "Where’s your coat, Sidney? Saving tips?"
• "I’d hate to take a bite out of you. You’re a cookie filled with arsenic."
• "Watch me run a 50-yard dash with my legs cut off."
• "So what will you do if I’m nervous, open your needy, sympathetic arms?"
• "I call him the boy with the ice cream face."

I couldn’t get enough of these original lines. As a so-called writer myself, the movie inspired me and had me laughing spontaneously throughout. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a film primarily for its dialogue alone.

I was equally impressed, however, with James Wong Howe’s camera work. I was amazed by how the lighting inside the crowded, smoked-filled nightclubs looked so contemporary. The photography was so well choreographed that it reminded me of a dance between the lighting and the action. Pure art! I literally felt like I was inside one of those crowded bars or walking the streets of Manhattan at 3:00 a.m. I’m not sure the phrase "the town that never sleeps" already existed, but Howe’s photography alone was enough to convince me.

I loved the opening shots and credits. I thought the director brilliantly set up the story before a single word was spoken. It sort of reminded me of the opening sequence in Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. By the time Tony Curtis’ Sidney Falco appears, I felt like I knew who ran the city.

There were many great things about the performances. Curtis was truly legendary. I’ve seen him in several films, but this was by far my favorite performance by him. Although I found his character despicable and immoral, I couldn’t help but root for him as he struggled to survive in The Big Apple. His lines were great, but I have to say I think his body language spoke volumes. His insecure mannerisms and continuous look of desperation made me feel like he was caught in an out-of-control carnival ride, of his own doing of course.

Burt Lancaster’s portrayal of powerful columnist JJ Hunsecker was brilliant. Much like his column, he orchestrated the entire storyline, while all of the other characters were his pawns. One of my favorite scenes in the entire film was when Martin Milner’s character puts it him in his place when he said, "You know, a lot of people think you’re nothing but a national disgrace." The look on Lancaster’s face is classic. His eyes slowly open up with each word until he has a sheer look of terror on his face. After all, can 60 million people be wrong?

I liked a line Hunsecker said early in the film about how suicide is entertainment, and in the end, when his sister attempts suicide for his evil doings, he gets the taste of his own medicine and doesn’t like it. I’m not so sure how much Falco or Hunsecker actually changed throughout the film, but in the end, at least they got what was coming to them.

On a scale of 1-5, I give "SSOS" a solid 4 stars.