Sweet Smell of Success Page #15

SIDNEY:

Sidney's face shows a burning resentment. He glances about

him to see how much of the embarrassing scene has been

observed. As he moves away, the waiter walks into shot,

addressing him.

WAITER:

A waiter approaches Sidney. He has a message.

WAITER:

Otis Elwell wants to see you, Sidney.

The waiter nods towards the other side of the circular bar.

Sidney, his humiliation and rage still burning, looks off

towards...

OTIS ELWELL:

From Sidney's viewpoint. Elwell beckons.

SIDNEY:

He comes round the circular bar. He shows no eagerness to

join Elwell, but approaches the table. Elwell makes a

gesture, inviting Sidney to sit. Sidney doesn't accept it.

ELWELL:

(pleasantly)

I see Bartha gave you cold tongue

for supper.

(as Sidney starts to leave)

Hey, wait a minute!

SIDNEY:

(hesitating)

I'm late for a date with a dame.

Then, returning, he leans over the table addressing Elwell

with quiet anger.

SIDNEY:

Otis, if you're trying to blow this

brawl into an item for your column -

forget it!

REVERSE ANGLE:

Across Sidney and Elwell. Elwell is quietly enjoying

Sidney's display of hurt dignity.

ELWELL:

(affably)

How is dear old J.J. by the way?

SIDNEY:

(his anger relapsing)

Call him up and ask - he might drop

dead with shock.

ELWELL:

(lightly)

If it were that easy, you wouldn't

find an empty phone booth for the

next two hours...

SIDNEY:

A CLOSE SHOT. While Elwell continues, he is not looking at

Sidney. Elwell's expression of dislike of Hunsecker is not

overemphatic; but Sidney senses, nevertheless, that it is

very real - and this gives him a new idea.

ELWELL:

(continuing over scene)

...Talk of a wake! - they'd club

each other to cater the affair for

free!

RESUME ELWELL AND SIDNEY

Elwell looks up at Sidney as he continues.

ELWELL:

(happily)

By the way, did I hear something

about J.J. giving you the flit gun

treatment - he shut you out of the

column.

(amused)

Why?

REVERSE ANGLE:

Sidney has rapidly resumed his manner of resentment (in

order to exploit Elwell's dislike of Hunsecker).

SIDNEY:

You don't know that lunatic yet?

Whims - egotistic whims! Like the

gag - when you got him for a

friend, you don't need an enemy!

(a pause, then:
)

That's what the fight with Bartha

was about. "Leo", I says, "Hunsecker

froze me out. So I'm eating humble

pie this month - please print me an

item."

ELWELL:

(pleased)

And, instead, he printed his heel

in your face?

SIDNEY:

(morose)

I see you're full of human

feelings...

ELWELL:

He has lost interest in Sidney.

ELWELL:

(with a shrug)

Like most of the human race,

Sidney, I'm bored. I'd go a mile

for a chuckle...

Elwell's voice fades: his attention has been caught by...

REVERSE ANGLE:

...three people are passing the table, squeezing their way

past; a man with two very fetching young women. Elwell's

eyes are riveted to the anatomy that is temptingly displayed.

SIDNEY:

(noting Elwell's preoccupation)

...and two miles for a pretty

girl...?

ELWELL:

He is unembarrassed at Sidney's all-too-accurate estimate.

ELWELL:

(lightly)

Three...even four...

Elwell turns back towards the papers on his table, a zippered

document case and some publications among which a columnist

might search for scandal; among these is a magazine of

semipornographic nature.

ELWELL:

(continuing, casually)

Then you're really washed up with

Hunsecker...?

REVERSE ANGLE:

The nature of Elwell's reading tastes is also not lost on

Sidney. With his eyes glancing at the magazine, Sidney now

accepts the original offer to sit down. He produces the

slip of paper that Bartha rejected, offering it as

illustration.

SIDNEY:

This is how much I'm washed with

J.J....

As Elwell reads, Sidney continues giving a passing scrutiny -

apparently casual - to a picture of a girl on the magazine

cover.

SIDNEY:

Look, Otis, I make no brief for my

bilious private life, but he's got

the morals of a guinea pig and the

scruples of a gangster.

Elwell shows no undue enthusiasm for the item.

ELWELL:

(dryly)

A fine, fat dirty item.

(offering it back to Sidney)

Who's it about?

But Sidney doesn't take the paper back; he explains:

SIDNEY:

A kid named Dallas, who runs a

dinky jazz quintet.

(he leans closer)

He keeps company with J.J.'s

screwball sister...

ELWELL:

This does get a reaction, a flicker of genuine interest.

Elwell reads the item for a second time.

SIDNEY AND ELWELL

Watching Elwell read, Sidney encourages:

SIDNEY:

It's a real goody if, like me, you

wanna clobber J.J.!

Now Elwell lays the item down in front of him. Clearly, he

is considering it. Sidney prompts again.

SIDNEY:

He's got his TV tomorrow. He'd

read it just before rehearsals.

Elwell nods. But he is still reluctant.

ELWELL:

(cautiously)

Mmm. Trouble is I can't think of

any good reason why I should print

anything you give me. I can't even

think of a bad reason.

SIDNEY:

Sidney drops his eyes to the magazine once more. He fingers

it in a preoccupied but significant way.

SIDNEY:

(gently)

Suppose I introduce you to a lovely

reason, Otis. One that's good and

bad...and available?

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