Sweet Smell of Success Page #21

STEVE:

(watchfully, to Sidney)

I thought you might have a faint

idea of how this item originated.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Favoring Sidney. He pauses.

SIDNEY:

Why me...?

STEVE:

Why not you?

SIDNEY:

That's your idea of logic? I tell

the Judge I didn't murder the man -

the Judge says, "Why not you?"

STEVE:

Only two men in this town could be

responsible for that smear - you or

Hunsecker or both.

SIDNEY:

(explosively)

Dallas, ask your own manager - he's

standing here like a pained

wolfhound - Hunsecker and Elwell

are enemies to the knife. So how

do you get him doing J.J. a favor?

STEVE:

(quickly)

It is a favor, isn't it?

SIDNEY:

(as quickly)

According to you, yeah.

(continuing rapidly

and with heat)

Dallas, your mouth is as big as a

basket and twice as empty! I don't

like you, comma, but neither do I

go along with this column saying

you smoke marijuana and belong with

the Reds. Also, since we're

talking repulsive, J.J. won't like

this for two cents! Don't give me

that look, Dallas - J.J. believes

in fair play. And secondly, this

could splatter his sister with

rotten egg by implication - your

her boyfriend!

RESUME REVERSE ANGLE

Sidney's manner is a little too vigorous. (In adopting an

aggressive tone, he is really trying to needle Steve.)

Steve, though on the verge of losing his temper, is sharp

enough to notice the point:

STEVE:

You're talking very fast.

SIDNEY:

(expostulating)

Well, I'll tell you what - excuse

me for breathing, will ya?

(wheeling to Sally)

How do you like it? He comes to my

office and -

D'ANGELO

Sensing the danger, D'Angelo moves forward soothingly

between them.

D'ANGELO

Boys, this gets nobody nowhere -

you're over excited, Steve and -

STEVE:

(sharply)

Don't apologize for me, Frank!

D'ANGELO

...excited with good reason, I

wanted to say.

(to Sidney)

Because this endangers the future

of the whole quintet...

SIDNEY:

(lightly)

Should I cry...?

Steve, with a glare at both men, goes to the phone on

Sally's desk. He dials.

D'ANGELO

(continuing)

...People catch on quick to such an

item. Van Cleve already called

me - he's firing the quintet.

SIDNEY:

Then what are you doing here? Go

over there and fight! If Van Cleve

fires your boy, it gives a lie the

ring of truth!

In background Steve speaks quietly into the phone:

STEVE:

I want to speak to Miss Hunsecker,

please.

D'ANGELO

(replying to Sidney's question)

We're on our way there now...

SIDNEY:

(who has wheeled on Steve)

What are you calling her for...?

STEVE:

Sidney's reaction to the mention of Susan's name gives Steve

food for thought. While he waits for Susan to be summoned

to the phone, he studies Sidney.

STEVE:

(to Sidney)

I'm the boyfriend, remember? I

hope one day she'll be my wife...

(into the phone, gently)

This is Steve, Susie. Don't be

alarmed, Susie, but I want you to

look at Elwell's column in The

Record...today...No, about me...

INT. HUNSECKER'S PENTHOUSE - SUSAN'S BEDROOM - DAY

Susan is on the phone. Listening to what Steve says, she is

frightened - almost too frightened; it is as if, in some

curious sense, she had been expecting this blow. It brings

an echo of an earlier tragedy.

SUSAN:

A smear?...What...What kind of

smear...? Where are you?

INT. SIDNEY'S APARTMENT

Steve is on the phone in foreground, the others watching him.

In particular, Sally, who stands near Steve, is studying him

with obvious sympathy. She looks slowly towards Sidney.

STEVE:

(to the phone)

We're on our way to the Elysian

Room to dicker with Van Cleve -

he's fired us already. I'll call

you later, dear... 'Bye!...

He hangs up quietly, looks at Sidney and walks towards the

door.

STEVE:

Come on, Frank.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

As the door closes behind Steve, Frank follows, more slowly.

As D'Angelo reaches the door, he pauses with his hand on the

doorknob and turns back to study Sidney.

SIDNEY:

He feels uneasy under D'Angelo's scrutiny. Sally, in

background, is also watching Sidney.

SIDNEY:

(to D'Angelo)

What are you looking at...?

D'ANGELO

He does not answer for a moment. The unspoken accusation in

his look is very clear. Then:

D'ANGELO

(quietly)

The ugly world, Sidney...

(a pause)

If I told Steve what I really

think, he'd tear your head off...

RESUME SIDNEY:

He brazens it out.

SIDNEY:

(sneering)

Tell him.

RESUME D'ANGELO

D'Angelo shakes his head.

D'ANGELO

No. I'm interested in his future.

D'Angelo goes slowly out.

RESUME SIDNEY:

He hesitates before turning towards Sally (because he

realizes that this exchange with D'Angelo must have confirmed

Sally in her suspicions).

SALLY:

Her face shows that Sidney is right. Sally is deeply hurt,

disillusioned.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Sidney turns to her, challenging.

SIDNEY:

What's the matter?

SALLY:

(not looking at him)

Nothing...

Resentfully, Sidney moves about the room. Sensing the

silent accusation against him, he is aggressive.

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