Sweet Smell of Success Page #38

SUSAN:

A CLOSE UP. It is she who first becomes aware of the

telephone. Her weeping has stopped now. Slowly, she raises

her head. CAMERA EASES BACK to include Sidney beyond her;

he notes this movement, seeing in it a revival of the girl's

will to live; he is moved.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

The telephone is framed in foreground, Susan beyond. It

continues to ring. As Hunsecker crosses to his desk to pick

up the instrument, CAMERA PULLS BACK. Hunsecker speaks:

HUNSECKER:

Yuh...Yuh...

(he listens)

Just a minute...

(turning back to Susan)

Susie, it's Mr. D'Angelo - from the

hospital...

RESUME SUSAN:

A CLOSE SHOT. She raises her head higher, still weakly. We

see in her face a mixture of terror and hope.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Hunsecker comes forward to set down the telephone in front

of her, on the footstool. Hunsecker and Sidney watch. She

reaches a hand, which is still trembling, picks up the

receiver. Her voice as she speaks to the instrument is

barely audible.

SUSAN:

Yes...yes...yes...

Presently, she hangs up. When she becomes aware that

Hunsecker and Sidney are waiting for an explanation, she

tells them:

SUSAN:

(speaking with difficulty)

Steve...is out of danger...

HUNSECKER:

Hunsecker nods. He already knows this. Then:

HUNSECKER:

(soberly)

That means a lot to you?

SUSAN:

She does not look at him, she lowers her eyes but answers

with a nod. And then, more positively:

SUSAN:

Yes.

RESUME HUNSECKER

He studies the girl. His face has hardened. He moves,

beginning to pace. (And also beginning his 'manipulations'.)

HUNSECKER:

But I have to warn you, Susie - for

your own sake - he'll still do

time...

CAMERA FOLLOWS Hunsecker. It now takes in Sidney who is

standing beside him. Sidney has begun to stare fixedly at

Hunsecker. (He is now realizing that Hunsecker, although he

has been faced with this demonstration of the girl's

willingness to kill herself, has still learned nothing, is

still continuing in the old pattern.)

HUNSECKER:

(continuing, warming

to his theme)

He's a hop-head - that's a felony

in New York. I can try, of course,

to...

SIDNEY:

A CLOSE UP. Revolted, Sidney breaks in:

SIDNEY:

You're unholy, J.J.! You'd rather

kill this girl than let her go!

GROUP SHOT:

Hunsecker wheels on Sidney, bellowing:

HUNSECKER:

(in blind rage)

GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!

Sidney, with equal heat, spins round to Susan, crying out

before he has time to check himself:

SIDNEY:

(impulsively)

Susie, YOU get out of this house! -

Get out before it's too late!

SIDNEY:

Sidney has gone too far now to pull back. Inevitably, he

continues. During the speech, CAMERA PULLS BACK to include

Susan and then Hunsecker.

SIDNEY:

(with sincerity)

Listen with care - this will cost

me everything, so you know I'm

telling you the truth!

HUNSECKER:

(trying to stop him)

You're incapable of the truth...

SIDNEY:

(who will not by stopped)

Susie, there's nothing wrong with

Dallas!

(turning toward Hunsecker)

Your brother and I arranged it all.

And if the Leslie boy is still a

squooshy item in your life, forget

it! - your brother arranged that

one, too! I don't usually give

away presents; but this is my gift

to you:
Get out of here! Leave

this man!

During the latter part of the speech, Susan rises slowly to

her feet, staring first at Sidney and then, with fearful

significance, at her brother. Hunsecker does not look at

her; he is concentrated on Sidney. Twice he has been about

to demolish Sidney, but he now stops, A THOUGHT IN HIS HEAD.

HUNSECKER:

He is perfectly controlled, smiling.

HUNSECKER:

Like most Italians, Sidney's got a

big gift for dramatics. I, however,

prefer the cool and stubborn facts.

Sidney has not appeared in my

column in weeks - check that fact

with Mary. That leads right to

another fact:
Sidney had nothing to

lose tonight! To the contrary,

dear - ONLY HIS OBVIOUS GREED TO

BEAT HIS WAY BACK INTO THE COLUMN

EXPLAINS HIS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ME!

In brief, BLACKMAIL!

Hunsecker pauses impressively.

GROUP SHOT:

Framing Hunsecker in foreground, Susan and Sidney beyond.

Susan listens to Hunsecker objectively, with a mounting

sense of his diseased reasoning.

HUNSECKER:

(continuing)

Mind you, not that one true fact

didn't come out of Sidney's mouth

tonight:
self-admittedly, he

committed a vicious crime of

jealousy against Steve Dallas!

(pausing)

Now we have to clear Dallas, don't

we?...But I'll have to sacrifice

him...

(he indicates Sidney)

...to do it.

(turning to Susan)

Am I doing right?

SUSAN:

She is looking at Hunsecker.

HUNSECKER (O.S.)

(over scene)

Yes or no, Susie...?

Slowly, Susan nods.

REVERSE ANGLE:

SHOOTING ACROSS Susan onto Hunsecker. Hunsecker turns away

from her and walks to the telephone. He picks it up and

begins to speak. While the scene continues, we hear his

voice off screen, speaking to the phone, saying: "This is

J.J. Hunsecker. I want you to get a message through to

Lieutenant Kello. Ask him to ring me back. It's urgent."

Susan backs slowly away from Hunsecker. Then she turns into

CAMERA, which TRACKS with her and includes Sidney. Susan

looks at Sidney and then, ashamed, avoids his eye. But

Sidney comes nearer to her. Susan is deeply distressed.

SUSAN:

(very quietly)

He's sick.

She looks again at Sidney. Deliberately, Sidney nods.

Susan walks toward her bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM

Susan comes into the room, finding shelter from the

revelation which has so appalled her. Inexorably Sidney

follows her. He comes across the threshold, closes the door.

SIDNEY:

(quietly)

Yes, he's sick and you're the only

idiot alive who didn't know it.

Rate this script:3.0 / 3 votes