Sweet Smell of Success Page #39

A pause. Sidney moves closer to her.

SIDNEY:

But what are you going to do?

There are some tears of pity in Susan's eyes. Once more she

moves away from Sidney. Sidney senses that her compassion

for Hunsecker might easily lead her once again to slip back

into the trap. He insists:

SIDNEY:

(with emphasis)

You don't owe your brother a cup of

water!

Another pause. Sidney again repeats:

SIDNEY:

What are you going to do?

She moves away from Sidney, CAMERA following her. After a

moment, she answers:

SUSAN:

Go to Steve.

SIDNEY:

Sidney is moved, having done his solitary act of chivalry.

To hide his feelings, he is harsh:

SIDNEY:

(sharply)

For Pete's sake, straighten out the

seams of your stockings - comb your

hair - don't be so helpless all the

time!

CAMERA PULLS BACK to include Susan. From the other room, we

hear the telephone ring. Sidney turns and goes quickly out.

After a moment, Susan looks back at the door through which

Sidney has disappeared.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Hunsecker is framed in foreground, speaking into the

telephone. Sidney is in background, outside the door of

Susan's bedroom. Hunsecker is fully aware of Sidney's

presence, as he says:

HUNSECKER:

(to phone)

No, he's admitted that, Harry. My

kid sister's a witness.

SIDNEY:

A CLOSE SHOT. He watches Hunsecker with a curious detachment.

Producing a cigarette, he lights it and then looks up

towards Hunsecker.

HUNSECKER (O.S.)

(over scene)

No, he admits he planted the stuff

on the Dallas boy...

RESUME HUNSECKER AND SIDNEY

Hunsecker framed in foreground, Sidney beyond. Hunsecker

has at the same time been tapping a cigarette on the desk.

Sidney walks across to Hunsecker, offers the lighted match.

HUNSECKER - REVERSE ANGLE

As he accepts the light he continues speaking to the phone:

HUNSECKER:

Yeah...jealousy.

RESUME HUNSECKER AND SIDNEY

Sidney turns on his heel, walking out of the apartment.

HUNSECKER:

(continuing)

...He's been trying to make my

sister behind my back.

CAFE ON BROADWAY

Kello is in a phone booth.

KELLO:

(to phone)

Oh, that's serious, J.J. Real

reprehensible...

Kello leans out of the booth into the cafe signaling through

the window to the street outside where the squad car pulls

ahead to a position ready for him outside the door.

KELLO:

(to phone)

Don't worry, I'll get there. I'm

on Broadway now.

Kello hangs up. Hurries out. We see him get into the squad

car which rapidly accelerates.

INT. HUNSECKER'S LIVING ROOM

Hunsecker has hung up. He stares at the telephone for a

moment. Then he moves towards Susan's door, CAMERA TRACKING

with him. He comes to the threshold, looks at Susan who is

standing in much the same position in which Sidney left her.

SUSAN:

Unaware that her brother is watching her, she picks up the

fur coat on the bed. (She is about to start packing her

belongings.) She turns as she hears Hunsecker speak.

HUNSECKER:

(over scene)

That's a pretty coat.

REVERSE ANGLE:

SHOOTING ACROSS Susan, towards Hunsecker. Hunsecker comes

into the room.

HUNSECKER:

(continuing)

- but it's about time you had a new

one.

Susan turns squarely to face him.

RESUME SUSAN:

She braces herself to tell him:

SUSAN:

(soberly)

I'm leaving, J.J.

RESUME REVERSE ANGLE

He does not sense any danger in the seriousness of her tone

(or, if he does, refuses to recognize it.)

HUNSECKER:

(with a faint scoff)

Don't kid a kidder. I'll see you

for breakfast around eleven.

Without waiting for a response, Hunsecker goes out, closing

the door. Susan stares at it for a moment. Then she moves

to get a small suitcase which she lays on the bed.

TERRACE:

Hunsecker opens the windows onto the terrace, comes out and

looks over the parapet, (looking to see how far Sidney has

got, hoping to see Kello's squad car.)

RESUME SUSAN:

She completes her simple packing, closing the suitcase.

With a gesture that is obviously automatic, she starts to

put on the fur coat; then she halts, realizing what she is

doing. She pauses; CAMERA MOVES CLOSER. Now, deliberately

she throws the coat back on the bed. CAMERA PANS down with

the gesture. She looks down at the coat, the discarded

symbol of her dependence upon her brother. CAMERA PULLS

BACK again as she takes a quick look round, then goes to

take a duffle coat from the wardrobe. She throws this over

her arm, picks up the suitcase, goes to the door.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Susan comes out of the door. She moves with a sober

determination, expecting to find Hunsecker in the room.

CAMERA TRACKS with her. But then she realizes that Hunsecker

has gone out on the terrace. She takes a step or two

towards him, then pauses.

HUNSECKER:

From Susan's viewpoint, SHOOTING through the big glass

windows. Hunsecker is at the parapet. He is impatiently

looking down into Broadway.

SUSAN:

A CLOSE UP. She now realizes that there is no point in

saying goodbye to him: she has already told him that she is

leaving and, if she becomes involved in further argument

with him, it can do no good. Yet there is some emotion on

her face as she takes a last look at her brother; she turns

away.

HUNSECKER:

Framing him in foreground at the parapet. Susan can be seen

through the windows before she disappears to the door.

Hunsecker reacts as he catches sight of a vehicle on Broadway

below...

EXT. BROADWAY

The squad car comes down Broadway at speed.

EXT. DUFFY'S SQUARE

Sidney is walking across the square. The squad car appears

in foreground; it pauses hardly at all as Kello slips out of

it, and starts to move after Sidney. Then the car

accelerates round Duffy Square to cut Sidney off on the

other side.

SIDNEY:

Sidney comes up towards CAMERA. Seeing something ahead, he

halts...

SQUAD CAR:

From Sidney's viewpoint. The car breaks to a stop. It's

door opens and a detective gets out slowly. It is Phil.

RESUME SIDNEY:

Sidney is framed in foreground, the squad car beyond.

Sidney knows what this means. He starts to speak before he

turns to look over his shoulder.

SIDNEY:

Hello, Harry...

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