Sweet Smell of Success Page #14

WIFE:

Leo, he wants to give you an item -

don't be sullen.

Bartha notes Sidney's writing.

BARTHA:

(to his wife)

Will you mind your own business!

WIFE:

(calmly)

Hitler!

She returns to her paper, ignoring them, Sidney finishes

scribbling the item.

SIDNEY:

Just in case you'd like to print

it, Leo. It's a blind - no names

mentioned. But for your private

information, the guy's name is

Dallas.

He pushes the item to Bartha, who reads it, briefly.

Meanwhile:

WIFE:

(concentrating on the tabloid)

There isn't a single name here that

gives off vibrations...

Bartha pushes the item back towards Sidney. Sidney glances

quickly at Bartha's stony face then, significantly, turns

towards his wife.

SIDNEY:

Anything there with a name like

"cigarette girl"?

Bartha raises his head, looks squarely at Sidney with

contempt and anger. His wife is unaware of this reaction.

Still looking at the paper, she murmurs:

WIFE:

MMmmmm..."cigarette girl"... No, no

horse with a name like that...

Sidney pushes the item back towards Bartha.

WIFE:

Mrs. Bartha's attention is attracted by Sidney's gesture.

She looks up, made aware of this strange by-play.

BARTHA AND SIDNEY

A CLOSE TWO SHOT. Sidney waits; Bartha is white-lipped, but

pushes the item back again:

BARTHA:

I don't print blind items.

RESUME WIFE:

She looks from Sidney to her husband and back.

WIFE:

What is this, chess or checkers...?

RESUME BARTHA, MRS. BARTHA AND SIDNEY

The THREE SHOT favoring Bartha and Sidney. Both Sidney and

Bartha are now aware of Mrs. Bartha's curiosity.

SIDNEY:

(pointedly)

Neither does Hunsecker.

(fractional pause)

He likes to use the real names...

A moment of chill silence. Then Bartha gets to his feet,

signals for a waiter. As Sidney rises also:

WIFE:

Where are we running? What am I

missing here?

BARTHA:

Waiter, the check.

(to wife)

This man is trying to hold a gun to

my head!

WIFE:

(abruptly)

That's the horse! Shotgun -

Shotgun in the fifth!

She quickly studies her newspaper again. As quickly, Bartha

leans across the table and snatches it out of her hands. In

doing so, he upsets the glass of champagne, which contains

only a few drops.

SIDNEY AND BARTHA

Bartha turns challengingly to Sidney.

BARTHA:

(sternly)

What do you want to tell my wife,

Sidney...?

WIFE:

She is brushing her lap with her napkin.

WIFE:

(indignantly)

He wants to tell me that you poured

champagne all over my lap.

RESUME BARTHA AND SIDNEY

Bartha ignores her, again challenges Sidney.

BARTHA:

Go on, tell her, I'm waiting!

SIDNEY:

(flustered)

What are you talking about? Are

you nuts or what?

The Waiter arrives in picture beside them, puts the check on

the table and goes. Bartha picks it up.

RESUME WIFE:

Still mopping her dress with her napkin, she waits for her

husband to speak.

BARTHA:

He glances unhappily at his wife.

BARTHA:

Lorry, I can't let this man

blackmail me...

MRS. BARTHA, BARTHA AND SIDNEY

A THREE SHOT favoring Mrs. Bartha, her husband and Sidney in

foreground.

WIFE:

Blackmail...?

Sidney decides to retreat. He turns, starts to go. But

Bartha blocks his way, holding Sidney and explaining to the

Wife.

BARTHA:

He wants me to print a dirty smear

item for keeping his mouth shut

A momentarily pause. Then:

WIFE:

About what?

RESUME BARTHA:

He is uneasy, ashamed of himself.

BARTHA:

Foolishly, Lorry, and I hope you'll

understand... this cigarette

girl...I was kidding around with

her...this girl, I mean...I was

kidding around and she took it

seriously. It was a case of bad

judgment, Lorry, bad taste...and

I'm just sorry, Lorry, that's all...

RESUME WIFE:

She says nothing.

RESUME BARTHA, SIDNEY AND MRS. BARTHA

The ANGLE favoring Bartha and Sidney, Mrs. Bartha in

foreground. Bartha now turns on Sidney.

BARTHA:

Your friend Hunsecker - you can

tell him for me - he's a disgrace

to his profession. Never mind my

bilious private life - I print a

decent, responsible column - that's

the way it stays! Your man -

there's nothing he won't print if

it satisfies his vanity or his

spite! He'll use any spice to

pepper up his daily garbage! Tell

him I said so and that, like

yourself, he's got the morals of a

guinea pig and the scruples of a

gangster!

Sidney tries to brazen it out, sneering:

SIDNEY:

What do I do now? Whistle "The

Stars and Stripes Forever?"

Mrs. Bartha slides along the seat, reaching for her fur.

MRS. BARTHA

CAMERA PULLS BACK with her as she collects her belongings,

slides out between the tables and comes forward, passing

Sidney to her husband.

WIFE:

(lightly)

What you do now, Mr. Falco, is crow

like a hen - you have just laid an

egg.

She presents her fur to her husband, and turns her back,

inviting him to put it around her shoulders.

BARTHA AND WIFE:

ANOTHER ANGLE, favoring Bartha. He has not fully understood

the significance of his wife's gesture. He studies her.

She confirms his hopes as she adds:

WIFE:

Leo, this is one of the cleanest

things I've seen you do in years...

With the fur around her shoulders, she turns and takes her

husband's arm with some pride. They walk away. CAMERA

ERASES BACK to include Sidney. He is angry at himself -

more for the failure of his efforts at blackmail than any

sense of shame at the attempt.

OTIS ELWELL:

A MEDIUM LONG SHOT. At a booth on the other side of the bar

sits a dapper gentleman with a twinkle of malice in his eyes.

He has been watching the altercation with keen interest and

satisfaction. Elwell gives some instructions to a waiter

who is serving him with drinks, pointing towards Sidney.

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