Sweet Smell of Success Page #18

EXT. FROM THE TERRACE - NIGHT

From Hunsecker's viewpoint. The streets empty, except for

an occasional passing taxi. The street flushing truck comes

up Broadway from Duffy Square...

LAP DISSOLVE THROUGH TO:

EXT. FROM THE TERRACE - DAY

The identical camera set-up. Through the dissolve the light

changes from night to day; Broadway magically becomes a

roaring stream of traffic.

EXT. GLOBE BUILDING - DAY

In foreground a NEWS VENDOR. Sidney comes out of the exit

of a subway, reaching for his pocket as he approaches the

news vendor who offers him a paper.

NEWS VENDOR:

The Globe?

SIDNEY:

(shaking his head)

Gimme The Record.

Sidney buys and opens the paper. CAMERA MOVES closer to

shoot over his shoulder. We see the gossip column which

bears a photograph of Otis Elwell at the top. Smirking with

satisfaction, Sidney turns away from the CAMERA and throws

the paper into a trash basket before he disappears into the

impressive entrance of a large office building. The sign

above the doorway reads: THE NEW YORK GLOBE.

QUICK DISSOLVE TO:

INT. GLOBE BUILDING

Mary, Hunsecker's secretary, occupies a cubicle which is

separated form the rest of the newsroom by a partition.

From the big room beyond, comes the hum and chatter of a big

newspaper. The walls of the urgent murmur of the staff of a

big newspaper. The walls of Mary's cubicle are covered with

photographs; filing cabinets are piled high with unopened

mail; two wire service teletype machines click desultorily.

Mary is plain but attractive, past 30, a level-headed woman

with a sense of integrity. She is on the phone just now,

bored with the insistent voice on the other end. Beside her

an earnest young LAWYER waits with several papers in hand.

MARY:

(to phone)

I have no power to retract, Mr.

Cummings... I'm only Mr. Hunsecker's

secretary. No. Nor can I agree

that can retraction is necessary.

Thank you for calling.

Sidney has come through the newsroom in background. He

pauses tactfully, seeing Mary occupied with the lawyer.

LAWYER:

(huffily)

I fail to see what's amusing about

these papers.

MARY:

I'll get the boss to sign them.

LAWYER:

(giving her the papers)

They're important.

MARY:

You've said that six times - that's

why I'm smiling.

As the disgruntled lawyer leaves, Sidney comes in, wearing

his most winning smile. With a glance after the lawyer,

making sure that he is not observed, Sidney greets Mary,

assuming a brogue:

SIDNEY:

Hello, Mary, me darlin' and phwat

are ye up to today?

Sidney's hand caresses her shoulder with a gesture which

indicates a certain intimacy between them.

MARY:

That's a question I usually like to

ask YOU. Your secretary phoned.

SIDNEY:

What about?

MARY:

(shrugging)

Something about a Frank D'Angelo

trying to reach you...

Sidney reaches for the phone. As he does so, Mary hesitates

and glances at a copy of The Record which lies on the desk

open at Otis Elwell's column. She picks it up.

MARY:

(continuing)

Is that the man who manages Susie's

boyfriend?

Sidney murmurs casually, "Yeah. Why?" as he dials. Mary

holds up the paper, indicating the item.

MARY:

Have you seen this? In Otis

Elwell's column.

(reads)

"The dreamy marijuana smoke of a

lad who heads a highbrow jazz

quintet is giving an inelegant odor

to that elegant East Side Club

where he works. That's no way for

a card-holding Party Member to act.

Moscow won't like, you naughty boy!"

Sidney accepts the paper from Mary, examines the item while

he talks to Sally on the phone.

SIDNEY:

(into phone)

Sally? I got the message. If

D'Angelo calls again, tell him I'll

be at the office around noon.

He hangs up, continuing to read.

MARY:

Could this be that boy?

SIDNEY:

(casually)

Dallas? Could be. He doesn't look

like a reefer smoker...

He discards the paper with a show of disinterest. Mary

picks it up again.

MARY:

(looking at The

Record again)

If this is true, J.J.'s going to

hit the ceiling...

Sidney moves around behind Mary. His eyes are fixed on a

spike which sits on Mary's desk. On it is impaled a proof

of Hunsecker's column. Meanwhile, he remarks:

SIDNEY:

Can it be news to you that J.J.'s

ceiling needs a plaster job every

six weeks?

INSERT:

From Sidney's viewpoint, Hunsecker's column. The shot is

just too distant for us to be able to read the print.

SIDNEY AND MARY:

Sidney is looking at the column. Mary is concentrated on

papers before her. Without looking up, she is clearly aware

of Sidney's efforts to read the proof.

MARY:

(quietly)

Sidney, you know that J.J. doesn't

like people to look at the column

proof in advance...

Sidney, caught "in flagrante", laughs.

SIDNEY:

Mary, I'm not "people" - there's

Falco blood, sweat and tears in

that column.

He turns away, changing the subject (apparently).

SIDNEY:

How about dinner tonight?

Mary turns to study him.

MARY:

Bribing me again?

SIDNEY:

(uncomfortable under

her scrutiny)

And why should I bribe the woman

who holds most of my heart?

Mary is thoughtful. Without malice, in a detached sort of

way, she examines Sidney.

MARY:

You're a real rascal, Sidney. I'd

certainly dislike you if I didn't

like you. You're an amusing boy,

but there isn't a drop of respect

in you for anything alive - you're

too immersed in the theology of

making a fast buck. Not that I

don't sometimes feel that you yearn

for something better...

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