Sweet Smell of Success

FADE IN:

EXT. INT. GLOBE NEWSPAPER BUILDING - DUSK - N.Y.

A row of newspaper delivery trucks is lined up against the

long loading bay, waiting for the edition. In the foreground

a large clock establishes the time as 8:10 PM. A rumbling

noise warns the men to take their positions; a few seconds

later the bales of newspapers come sliding the spiral chutes

onto the moving belts from which they are manhandled onto

the trucks. Much noise and shouting.

The front truck moves out to the city street. As it does

CAMERA EMPHASIZES the big poster on its side. The design

features a large pair of spectacles with heavy rims - a

trademark of Hunsecker's. (It will later be seen as the

masthead of the gossip column.)

"GO WITH THE GLOBE"

Read

J.J. HUNSECKER

"They eyes of Broadway"

EXT. BROADWAY - DUSK - N.Y.

The truck starts on its journey along Broadway. Some shots

are of the vehicle moving through very heavy traffic (taken

from a camera car). Others are from the inside of the

truck; as it slows down, the delivery man tosses the heavy

bundle of papers onto the sidewalk. CAMERA following the

truck, holds it in foreground against the blazing electric

signs of Broadway and Times Square.

EXT. BROADWAY - NIGHT

The southeast corner of the intersection of Broadway and

46th Street, CAMERA, fairly high, shoots north towards the

impressive vista of electric signs, silhouetted against the

darkening sky. Very heavy traffic and crowded sidewalks.

CAMERA descends towards the Orange Juice stand on the

corner, passing the booth which sells souvenir hats. It

moves through the congestion of chattering passersby,

steadily approaching a smartly dressed young man, who stands

at the counter of the Orange Juice stand. Oblivious of the

hub-bub around him, SIDNEY FALCO is concerned only with his

private problems.

He turns sharply as a newspaper truck pulls up at the curb

behind him; this is what he has been waiting for...

CLOSER ANGLE - NIGHT

The news truck delivery man tosses a bundle out onto the

sidewalk besides a newsstand.

DETAIL:

The bundle of newspapers. It hits the sidewalk with a smack.

CAMERA PULLS BACK as Sidney Falco crosses the sidewalk. The

owner of the newsstand, IGGY, comes to pick up the bundle;

he is a grizzled gnome with a philosophical sense of humor;

Sidney snaps his fingers with impatience. Iggy wears

spectacles and is clearly more or less blind, he has to

grope for the cord that binds the papers.

IGGY:

Aw Lady, if I looked like you, I'd--

SIDNEY:

C'mon...C'mon...

IGGY:

(recognizing Sidney's voice)

Keep ya sweatshirt on, Sidney.

Majestically taking his time, Iggy lifts the bundle to his

stand and cuts the cord.

IGGY:

Hey, Fresh, the Globe just came

in -- Hey, Sidney, want an item for

Hunsecker's column? Two rolls get

fresh with a baker! Hey, hot, hot,

hot -- etc.

Annoyed, Sidney throws him a dime, seizes a paper and

returns briskly to the orange juice stand.

ORANGE JUICE STAND - NIGHT

Sidney's place at the crowded counter has been taken by

newcomers. Rudely, he recovers his half-consumed glass of

orange juice and sandwich. He takes them further down the

counter to a quieter corner at which he can examine the

paper. CAMERA MOVING WITH HIM, picks up further snatches of

overheard dialogue. (See dialogue attached at the end of the

scene) We move close enough to see Sidney's hands open the

paper expertly at HUNSECKER'S column - identifiable by the

picture of the spectacled eyes. Over scene there is a

babble of offstage dialogue.

CLOSE UP OF SIDNEY

His face is sullen as his eyes run rapidly down the column.

He is reacting to a not unexpected disappointment.

EXT. SIDNEY'S APARTMENT - BROADWAY - NIGHT

CAMERA SHOOTS WEST on 46th Street, as Sidney comes down the

side street from the newsstand in background. Irritably, he

jerks open the door of a shabby entrance. As the glass door

closes, Sidney is seen striding up the stairs.

FIRST FLOOR - OUTSIDE SIDNEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Beside the top of the stairs is the door to Sidney's office.

On it there is a cheaply printed cardboard sign which reads:

SIDNEY FALCO:

Publicity

From inside comes the sound of desultory typing. Sidney

comes up the stairs two at a time and turns into the door.

INT. SIDNEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

SALLY is on the phone as Sidney strides in.

SALLY:

Just a minute, Mr. Weldon. I

think...

Sidney vigorously indicates that he doesn't want to take the

call.

SALLY:

(to phone)

I'm sorry. I thought that was Mr.

Falco returning. Yes, I'll tell

him when he comes in. I know he's

been trying to reach you.

She hangs up.

SALLY:

That's the third time he's called

today.

SIDNEY:

He wants me to break a leg?

SALLY:

(literally)

No, an arm, he said.

(then)

I told him you were sure the item

would be in Mr. Hunsecker's column

in tomorrow's...

SIDNEY:

(interrupting, sharply)

It isn't. I've just seen the early

edition.

SALLY:

But...

SIDNEY:

But what?

SALLY:

That makes five days in a row that

Mr. Hunsecker's cut you out of his

column.

SIDNEY:

May I rent you out as an adding

machine.

He has begun to change his clothes.

SIDNEY:

Get me Joe Robard.

Sally goes back into the outer room.

SIDNEY:

Who else phoned?

SALLY:

The renting agent and the tailor.

SIDNEY:

Pay the rent. Let the tailor wait.

SALLY:

It won't leave much of a balance in

the bank...

(to phone)

Mr. Robard? Could you locate him?

Sidney, in a state of semi-undress, comes to take the phone

from her.

SIDNEY:

(gloomily)

Watch me run a fifty yard dash with

my legs cut off!

Very abruptly, he comes alive on the phone. A real laughing

boy.

SIDNEY:

(effusively)

Sidney, Joe. How do you like it?

I'm running out of alibis! No, I

asked Hunsecker to withhold the

item, until he could give it a

fine, fat paragraph. The column

was running over and I didn't want

you kissed off with just a line...

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