Sweet Smell of Success Page #27

STEVE:

(stronger)

Wait a minute, I haven't handed

over punishing privileges to you

YET! Put the whip down and I might

respect what you're saying...

Switching his leonine tail, Hunsecker looks broodingly at

Susie. Frank says one beseeching word, "Steve...", but no

one hears him.

HUNSECKER:

Susie, did you know about this

accusation...?

SUSAN:

SUSAN:

(mutely)

No...

HUNSECKER:

HUNSECKER:

(abruptly)

Before you leave, son, I'll answer

your question---Susan Hunsecker is

the injured party here!

(balefully)

Or will I be hearing next that I

don't even have my sister's welfare

at heart...

STEVE AND SUSAN:

Steve hesitates defensively but can't resist a small smile;

he moves nearer to Susan.

STEVE:

Mr. Hunsecker, you've got more

twists than a barrel of pretzels.

HUNSECKER:

(unturning)

You hear that, Susie...

(to Steve)

Continue please...

STEVE:

(shaking his head)

I'm afraid I can't cope with them.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Susan in foreground, Steve, Hunsecker and Sidney beyond.

STEVE (CONT'D)

(simply)

You're too shrewd for me so I'll

just be honest. Susie and I love

each other, if I'm not mistaken,

and we want to get married.

Hunsecker pauses; Sidney throws in a stage whisper:

SIDNEY:

Give him credit---the boy's gall is

gorgeous!

STEVE:

Why don't we hear what Susie has to

say?

HUNSECKER:

(sardonically)

That's stout of you, Dallas, but

Susie may not care to air her

dismal views in public...

Steve walks to Susie, trying to lift her with his hopes and

air of gentle urging and support.

STEVE:

Susie...?

SUSAN:

She stares at the floor.

RESUME REVERSE ANGLE

Hunsecker doesn't like the drift of things; his mouth

tightens and he speaks to Susan with veiled warning:

HUNSECKER:

Susie, as always, is free to say

anything she thinks. Go on, dear,

say exactly what's on your mind,

dear.

STEVE:

Those "dears" sound like daggers.

May I suggest that you stop DARING

her to speak?

HUNSECKER:

May I lift my eyebrows? What is

this? What are you trying to do?

STEVE:

(strongly)

I'm trying to get Susie to stand up

to you. But your manner is so

threatening that she's afraid to

speak!

HUNSECKER:

Son, you raise your voice again and

you'll be outa here on your golden

pratt!

SUSAN:

Suddenly Susan lets loose, with restrained nervous energy;

she is near to tears.

SUSAN:

Steve, if only for my sake, I want

this stopped! And the same goes

for you, too, J.J.!

HUNSECKER:

He interjects.

HUNSECKER:

(contritely)

Susie, I'm sorry if---

RESUME SUSAN:

SUSAN:

(bitterly)

Sometimes I think ALL men are

fools!...

Restraining tears, she runs up the steps to the stage.

STEVE, HUNSECKER AND SIDNEY

Steve looks after her. Sidney watches intently. Hunsecker's

smile is frostily taunting:

HUNSECKER:

You see, Dallas, a plague on both

our houses...

(then)

We may have to call this game on

account of darkness...

Steve turns a blank-eyed stare at him. Tension gone, a slow

mumbling fatigue has set in. Hunsecker plays it light:

HUNSECKER:

If looks could kill, I'm dead...

STEVE:

(slowly)

No, I don't care about you --

you're fantastic. My whole

interest, if it's not too late, is

in Susie...and how to undo what

you've done to her...

HUNSECKER:

(smiling)

And what have I done to her,

besides not buy her a new fur coat

lately? Sidney, you were right --

the boy's a dilly.

STEVE:

(stung)

Why? Because I don't like the way

you toy with human lives? - Your

contempt and malice? Because I

won't be the accomplice of your

sick ego - and the way it's crippled

Susie...? You think of yourself -

you and your column - you see

yourself as a national glory...but

to me, and thousands of others like

me, you and your slimy scandal,

your phony patriotics - to me, Mr.

Hunsecker, you are a national

disgrace!

HUNSECKER:

(blandly)

Son, I don't fancy shooting

mosquitoes with elephant guns. So

suppose you just shuffle along and

call it a day...

He turns and stares away, but Steve stops him with---

STEVE:

But my day with Susie isn't over

yet and--

HUNSECKER:

(cold)

Ten'll get you fifty you're playing

hookey from a padded cell!

STAGE:

Hunsecker comes up the steps from the auditorium, Sidney

following closely behind. In background, beyond, Steve and

D'Angelo are walking up the aisle to the exit. CAMERA

TRACKS CLOSE on Sidney and Hunsecker. Hunsecker's face is

rigid. Sidney, close at his elbow, whispers:

SIDNEY:

(softly)

You did it, J.J., you did it good...

Sidney is full of confidence. But Hunsecker barely hears

him (Hunsecker has been hurt very deeply by the boy's

attack; in particular, by the appalling fear that what Steve

has said is the kind of thing which Susan may also secretly

believe.)

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Susan is still standing in the wings. Mary is with her,

obviously sympathetic. The girl is drying her eyes with

Kleenex, and Mary glances at her employer with a look of

reproach. Hunsecker walks round the table, obviously trying

to approach Susan; seeing this, Susan turns away and moves

further from him. Hunsecker stops.

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