Sweet Smell of Success Page #12

KELLO:

(with a laugh)

I call him the boy with the ice

cream face!

HUNSECKER:

(laughing)

Say, that's good - it's nice - in

fact, it's APT, Harry!

KELLO:

(modestly)

Yeah, I got eyes. I put things

together.

HUNSECKER:

I remember ONCE when you didn't

quite "put things together". Boy!

Was the Mayor mad!

The memory of something unpleasant clouds Kello's face.

KELLO:

Citizens committees! I didn't mean

to hit the boy that hard. Yeah,

that's when a feller needed a

friend and I won't forget his

initials, J.J.

The policeman in the car sticks his head out of the window.

PHIL:

(to Hunsecker)

She died twenty minutes ago, Mr.

Hunsecker. They're still

investigating.

HUNSECKER:

(shaking his head

with total dismissal)

That's show business. Thanks, Phil.

(to Kello)

See you.

ANOTHER ANGLE - 52ND STREET - NIGHT

Kello gets into the police car.

KELLO:

(as he does so)

Hasta La Vista, J.J. Hasta Luego.

ANOTHER ANGLE - 52ND ST. - NIGHT

The car moves off eastward. Sidney and Hunsecker walk

westward. Sidney, falling into step with Hunsecker, glances

back at the departing police car.

SIDNEY:

Spahish...that must show he likes

"spigs", too.

HUNSECKER:

I like Harry, but I can't deny he

sweats a little.

CAMERA now SHOOTS down 52nd Street. Hunsecker, back to

CAMERA, studies the evening, hearing the sound of a screech

of female laughter from one of the groups in the distance.

A drunk is being thrown out of one of the strip tease joints.

HUNSECKER:

I love this dirty town.

Amused, Hunsecker turns back; he signals across the street

to the car park, indicating that the big black Lincoln

Continental should follow as he strolls with Sidney.

HUNSECKER. SIDNEY FOLLOWING.

HUNSECKER:

(after a pause)

Conjugate me a verb, Sidney. For

instance, TO PROMISE!

CAMERA TRACKS with them in a CLOSE TWO SHOT. Sidney is

alert now.

HUNSECKER:

(continuing)

You told me you'd break up that

romance - when?

SIDNEY:

(hesitantly)

You want something done, J.J., but

I doubt if you yourself know what's

involved.

HUNSECKER:

(soft and sardonic)

I'm a schoolboy - teach me, teach me.

SIDNEY:

(carefully)

Why not break it up yourself? You

could do it in two minutes flat.

Hunsecker pauses, halts.

HUNSECKER:

(harshly)

At this late date you need

explanations...? Susie's all I

got - now that she's growing up, I

want my relationship with her to

stay at least at par! I don't

intend to antagonize her if I don't

have to.

(starting to walk again)

Now, be warned, son - I'll have to

blitz you...

Sidney follows quickly.

SIDNEY:

Frankly, J.J., I don't think you

got the cards to blitz me.

HUNSECKER:

I don't?

SIDNEY:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I

don't think so...

HUNSECKER:

(turning to eye him)

I'll listen one more minute.

Sidney steps in front of Hunsecker, blocking his way for a

moment.

SIDNEY:

(very rapidly)

About a year ago, you asked me to

do a favor. It was a thing - well,

I never did a thing that dirty in

all my life.

Hunsecker, totally disinterested in Sidney's problems of

conscience, signals to his car again, walks past Sidney, who

continues rapidly:

SIDNEY:

Awright, that brings us up to five

weeks ago. "Sidney, I got a nasty

little problem here." Did I say no?

I'm frank to admit - it don't jell

as fast as we like... But all of a

sudden I CAN'T GET YOU ON THE PHONE

NO MORE! WHY?... And why, as of

this date, am I frozen out of the

column...

HUNSECKER:

(scornfully)

Are you finished?

SIDNEY:

(quickly)

No, lemme finish. I DON'T LIKE

THIS JOB! That boy is dumb only on

matinee days - otherwise he's got a

head. And Susan, like you said,

she's growing up. Two heads.

What I mean, we got a slippery,

dangerous problem here!

HUNSECKER:

(incisively)

Not "we", Sidney, you!

SIDNEY:

(gamely)

Correct me if I'm wrong - WE!

Because when I'm out on this very

slippery limb for you, you have to

know what's involved.

HUNSECKER:

(sardonically)

Ha! My right hand hasn't seen my

left hand for thirty years!

Sidney quickly moves into J.J.'s path, desperate to hold his

attention.

SIDNEY:

I'll do it, J.J. - don't get me

wrong - in for a penny, in for a

pound. I'll see it through, but

stop beating me around the head.

Let me make a living!

HUNSECKER:

(his mouth tight and mean)

What you promised - do it! Don't

finagle around. It's later than

you think.

Hunsecker walks past Sidney, now making for the car at which

the attendant still waits.

SIDNEY:

(as Hunsecker passes him)

Excuse it, but it's later than you

think. That boy proposed tonight.

HUNSECKER:

Hunsecker is HIT: he stops in his stride; he pauses and he

turns slowly to look at Sidney. Lowering, he hesitates,

mind clicking...

HUNSECKER:

Susie told you that...?

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