Avidly, Avidly: The Sweet Smell of Success Thread

An excuse to start one.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/12/us/21-club-nyc-closing/index.html

Haven't watched The Simpsons for years, but I stopped on this for a second the other day:

Homer: "You're selling milk, J.J., and I got a sour stomach."
Marge: "Homer, that sounds like The Sweet Smell of Success."
Homer: "It didn't feel like success."

Kind of lame, but I appreciated the reference.

Teach me, teach me.

Love this movie, not least for casting Burt Lancaster as a glasses-wearing newspaper columnist and not as someone who fights forest fires by smothering the flames with live bears, or something. I own the Criterion Blu-Ray; should pull it out again one of these days.

There was a long making-of piece a few years ago (Vanity Fair?) that was excellent, but couldn't find it online--I remember a particularly scandalous Burt Lancaster quote that I won't post here. Did find this, though, an L.A. Times piece from 20 years ago:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-25-ca-4470-story.html

Found the Vanity Fair piece...by googling the Burt Lancaster quote!

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2010/04/movie-marked-danger-200004

The bit about Odets writing in the back of a van on set is great.

This seems like a good thread for Flack, the Anna Paquin series on Prime. After two episodes, I said it was "so bad" on another thread; maybe "not good" is good enough. It got a little better.

It's an eighth-generation echo of Sweet Smell Success. (I always considered Wall Street a descendent, too, a much better one: Gekko = Hunsecker, Fox = Falco.) Paquin (Robyn) works at a PR firm, and every episode she has to clean up some calamitous scandal for one of her firm's celebrity clients. In Mackendrick's film, Tony Curtis spends his life trying to get space for his clients in J.J.'s column; in Flack, Paquin's job is to keep her clients out of the papers. Flack has its own version of the Suzy/Dallas characters from the original in Melody and her IT crush Craig--the too-wholesome contrasts to the decadence around them.

The show is desperate to impress you with how casually it treats what's supposed to be the most shocking material. Robyn's co-worker, Eve, is the worst offender; her relentlessly brazen cynicism is cartoonish. The creators seem to be aware of this, with her boyfriend calling her out on this in the season finale. The episode with the 17-year-old pop star who's about to lose her record contract suspends several levels of disbelief. (Often, Paquin and her firm have to manufacture one scandal to distract from another one.) The fifth episode--loosely based on Pete Townshend?--was maybe the best, with Robyn developing a conscience at the end. The first season is mercifully brief, only six 40-minute episodes. Will I watch the second, set for March? Sadly, probably.

I like to keep right up to date on the fast-moving world of television--set for March 2020, that is.

Playing on TCM right now. I've seen it enough but started watching and stuck around for half an hour. I should have started a VP speculation poll a few months back just so I could have titled it "Pick me a good one, Joe."

Finally was able to start something I've been thinking of since I moved to St. Marys (small town of 6,000) three years ago: a film club/society/whatever, with monthly screenings. COVID put everything on hold, then I needed a room and some equipment. Got all that sorted out, so this past Thursday was the first night with Sweet Smell of Success.

One person showed up! They're giving me three chances to see if there's enough interest (which I think means around 25 people). I'm going to try The Conversation next.

Always thought Trump had a lot of J.J. Hunsecker in him--the vindictiveness and phony patriotics especially--so this is perfect: "I would tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering – I know more about him than anybody – other than, perhaps, his wife."

That "perhaps"...Everybody knows Ron DeSantis. Except Mrs. Ron DeSantis.

If you know Seinfeld, you'll remember the "jerk store" episode where George, angry that he missed the perfect comeback when a co-worker made fun of him, ends up travelling halfway around the country so he can get a second chance to deliver his (dumb) line.

When did I first see Sweet Smell of Success? 30, 35 years ago...I've been waiting patiently ever since for the perfect opportunity to use one of my favourite lines from the film: "Son, I don't fancy shooting mosquitoes with elephant guns, so suppose you just shuffle along and call it a day." It was with great sadness today that I realized I let that perfect opportunity slip by yesterday. It may never present itself again.

(I also always wanted to start a school year by throwing myself on the floor the first morning and screaming "Damn you--damn you all to hell!" But that never happened either.)

i’ve been holed up at home sick with the covid & finally watched this for the first time

at first i was kinda bemused by the synopsis, like uh, broadway columnist? really? big whoop. but man it really cinches you in tight once the chips start falling into place

it’s like this chaotic chess match played in a jungle by apex predators. i really dug it while being entirely skeeved by the sliminess.

speaking of skeeve: the obvious but unspoken incest vibe between JJ & Susan is creepy AF. Talk about mental eyewash station eugh

and oh man the locations are chef’s kiss.

All right! One of the only movies I quote more often than Zodiac.

J.J. definitely has some issues re his sister--his sexuality is a complete mystery.

the way she reacts to him physically seemed the biggest tell to me, the way she flinched at his touch but became small with him, super unsettling

I think they probably got as close to making that clear as they could in 1957.

I love this movie. Was introduced to it by way of Diner, the character who goes around quoting it all through the movie. I watched Diner a bunch as a teenager — love that movie too — so the first time I actually saw Sweet Smell of Success it was a funny experience to hear those lines in their original context. Lancaster's great, also the best Tony Curtis performance.

No surprise, it was Kael who got me onto it--don't think I'd seen it when Diner came out. It wasn't exactly easy to see for a time; my first viewing was a local station at some ungodly hour, 3:00 a.m. or close.

this is a great movie

Yeah Curtis is so good! Love seeing him in a meaty role like this!

In the running for my single favourite movie line ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgkxwS1qwKq

Tried to edit my own clip there...anyway:

"I know Manny Davis."
"Everyone knows Manny Davis...except Mrs. Manny Davis."

Love this movie. Bought the Criterion Blu-Ray as soon as it was announced. Lancaster was one of the scariest actors ever.

the scary goon cop reminds me of Tor Johnson

Emile Meyer--actually plays a priest in Paths of Glory.

“Cmere Sidney! I want to chastise you!”