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Journalism on display in the movies

01.01.70

This marvelous black and white film is about the ugly and subversively powerful side of 1950’s era journalists and publicists. Based on a novella by Ernest Lehman it centers on two men lacking morals – Broadway newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) and manipulative press agent Sydney Falco (Tony Curtis), a lackey who will do anything to get ahead and obtain clients. He grovels to be close to Hunsecker, a writer who can make or break a star in his columns.

“Sweet Smell of Success” is a fabulous film, dark for its era, and a window into a time long gone – New York City as backdrop where Falco bounces form cab to sidewalk to apartments or smoky nightclubs all in pursuit of glory. The film is a testament to the power of old media, an era when words were viral, not the Internet. It’s beautifully shot by James Wong Howe and director Alexander Mackendrick keeps things quickly paced. Falco moves club to club, office to office and Howe’s camera deftly follows him. Falco is smart, talks fast, and always looking for an angle, no matter who gets hurt in the process. Lancaster as Hunsecker is cold, brutal and tough and uses his position to ruin a jazz musician’s career in order to protect his sister. He enlists Falco in the matter, all too eager to get cozy with Hunsecker who might write about his clients hiring him for publicity.

Source: StarNewsOnline.com (blog)