Home
TV Shows
Movies
Watchlist
AI Recommendations

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Beware these “Gentlemen” of the press!

Drama

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

Release Date
July 4, 1957
Runtime
1h 37m
Rating
7.6/10 (579 votes)

Director: Alexander Mackendrick

Cast: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Jeff Donnell, Sam Levene, Joe Frisco, Barbara Nichols

Production: Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, United Artists, Norma Productions, Curtleigh Productions
media tycoonnew york citynewspapersibling relationshipjazz singer or musicianfilm noirblack and whitegossip columnist
IMDb
Budget
$3M
Revenue
$3M
Full Cast (69 people)

Recommended Movies

Similar Movies

Reviews

Nutshell

A better title might be The Sad Stench of Desperation. Was Burt Lancaster ever better than in this riveting late-fifties noir from director Alexander Mackendrick? That's a tough question. But it's a no-brainer that Tony Curtis' performance here is top-level craft at its best (as in The Boston Stangler). The supporting cast also turns in some beautiful work, notably Susan Harrison and Martin M...

May 25, 2020

Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success

Beware these “Gentlemen” of the press!

Beware these “Gentlemen” of the press!

7.6
97 min

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

Share:

Sign in to track your movie progress

Production Info
StatusReleased
Original LanguageEnglish
Revenue$2,500,000
Release Date7/4/1957
Director & Writers

Directed by

Written by

,

Produced by

Spoken Languages

Production Countries

Rate & Review

Sign in to rate and review

Cast

Burt Lancaster

as J.J. Hunsecker

Tony Curtis

as Sidney Falco

Susan Harrison

as Susan Hunsecker

Martin Milner

as Steve Dallas

Jeff Donnell

as Sally

Sam Levene

as Frank D' Angelo

JF

Joe Frisco

as Herbie Temple

Barbara Nichols

as Rita

More from Alexander Mackendrick

Images

Sweet Smell of Success poster
Poster
Sweet Smell of Success backdrop
Backdrop

Videos

Rosie Perez Discusses "Sweet Smell of Success" (Clip) | TCM Classic Film Festival x 92NY

Featurette

J.J. Hunsecker's Proposition

Clip

Dinner With The Senator

Clip

Susan & Steve's Secret Romance

Clip

John Landis on THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Featurette

Similar Movies

Cassandra's Dream
Watch Now

Cassandra's Dream

6.3
Black Crown
Watch Now

Black Crown

5.4
Ashes and Diamonds
Watch Now

Ashes and Diamonds

7.4
Synecdoche, New York
Watch Now

Synecdoche, New York

7.5
August Rush
Watch Now

August Rush

7.4
Hannah and Her Sisters
Watch Now

Hannah and Her Sisters

7.5
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Watch Now

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

7.3
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Watch Now

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

7.6

More Like This

Love Streams
Watch Now

Love Streams

7.2
The Tender Bar
Watch Now

The Tender Bar

6.6
The Skeleton Twins
Watch Now

The Skeleton Twins

6.7
Life
Watch Now

Life

6.0
The Color Purple
Watch Now

The Color Purple

7.7
The King of Marvin Gardens
Watch Now

The King of Marvin Gardens

5.9
Louder Than Bombs
Watch Now

Louder Than Bombs

6.5
Where the Truth Lies
Watch Now

Where the Truth Lies

6.1
Manhattan Night
Watch Now

Manhattan Night

5.9
Chinese Coffee
Watch Now

Chinese Coffee

6.7
Into the Forest
Watch Now

Into the Forest

5.8
Liberty Heights
Watch Now

Liberty Heights

6.7

Similar but Different

AI-curated picks that share the same spirit as Sweet Smell of Success but with an unexpected twist — different era, country, tone, or perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sweet Smell of Success about?

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relati…

How long is Sweet Smell of Success?

1h 37m

When was Sweet Smell of Success released?

July 4, 1957

Who directed Sweet Smell of Success?

Alexander Mackendrick

Who stars in Sweet Smell of Success?

Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison

What genre is Sweet Smell of Success?

Drama

Is Sweet Smell of Success available to stream?

Yes, on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV