Sweet Smell of Success Page #4

Chico goes swiftly back into the club. Paul remains with

Susan. There is a momentary silence; Paul is embarrassed

because Susan is. Susan makes an effort at conversation,

she nods towards the club.

SUSAN:

Full house...?

PAUL:

Packin' 'em in.

INT. CLUB

Steve has been trapped by a young woman in spectacles, a

much-too-earnest devotee of progressive jazz.

DEVOTEE:

I'm terribly interested in jazz --

serious jazz. You studied with

Milhaud, didn't you? This is such

an interesting fusion of the

traditional, classical form with

the new progressive style, I just

wanted to ask you how you came to

form the group...-

CHICO:

He comes through the curtains of the doorway, pausing as he

sees that Steve is involved with the Intellectual Young Woman.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Steve glancing at Chico over the shoulder of the Intellectual

Young Woman. Seeing that Chico has something to say to him,

he wriggles out of the young woman's clutches by passing the

buck to the unfortunate to Fred Katz, who is descending from

the bandstand behind him.

STEVE:

Well, we just sort of got together.

(turning to introduce Fred)

Maybe if you ask Mr. Katz...He

writes the stuff, you know.

FRED:

(blankly)

Huh?

RESUME CHICO:

Steve joins Chico and they go through the curtains into the

corridor outside.

CORRIDOR:

Chico, smiling, explains:

CHICO:

Don't waste your time there, man.

You've got something better waiting

outside...

(as Steve looks at him)

Susie's out there.

STEVE:

His reaction betrays some emotion. (Over scene the

intermission pianist has begun to play a Blues number.)

Steve moves a quick step towards the door to the courtyard,

then hesitates - almost as if he was afraid to go out. He

meets Chico's eye again.

STEVE:

What did she say...?

CHICO:

He is amused, but sympathetic.

CHICO:

You proposed to her, not me.

(slapping him on the back)

Go get your answer...

COURTYARD:

Susan, waiting at the foot of the iron steps, turns as Steve

comes out on the fire escape above. Steve comes quickly

down the steps towards her, slowing down when he gets a few

paces away from her.

SUSAN:

She looks up at Steve.

STEVE:

A CLOSE SHOT. In his expression we read his mute inquiry...

RESUME SUSAN:

Quite deliberately, with her eyes moistened by love and

affection...she nods.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Great relief and happiness can be seen in the boy's face.

After a moment, he moves to her and she to him. They

embrace swiftly, hold each other close and then kiss with

passion. Presently, when the kiss is over, Susan speaks

softly.

SUSAN:

(in a whisper)

Steve...I'll...I'll try to make a

good wife.

Steve is still too choked with relief to speak. For answer,

he clasps her more tightly to him. The beam of light which

falls on the iron stairs behind them, narrows and then is

extinguished...

CORRIDOR:

Paul has closed the door. Turning, he shares a look with

the grinning Chico and Fred Katz who has managed to escape

from the young woman. Before there is time for either of

them to make a remark, Sidney comes through the curtains

from the Club.

SIDNEY:

Hi, Fellows. Where's the Chief?

Sidney's manner is very friendly. But it is immediately

apparent from the reaction of the other three boys that none

of them likes Sidney. Fred is deliberately uncomprehending.

FRED:

Who?

SIDNEY:

(who gets the point)

Dallas. Is he around?

Chico's back is to the closed door which opens onto the

courtyard. Chico nods in the opposite direction towards the

stairs.

CHICO:

(unhelpfully)

Yeah, he's around somewhere.

Upstairs, maybe.

SIDNEY:

(coldly, as he goes)

Thanks.

COURTYARD:

Steve and Susan are still embracing. Steve is exultantly

proud and happy.

STEVE:

(incoherent)

This is big, you know. Very big!

Let's go out later, drink some

firewater. With the boys. Fred

can call Millie and -

SUSAN:

Steve, I'd rather you didn't say

anything for a day or two...until I

tell my brother...

STEVE:

His sobering reaction shows this is something important.

STEVE:

(gently)

You haven't told him yet...

SUSAN:

SUSAN:

I'm telling him in the morning

after breakfast.

STEVE AND SUSAN:

Turning her head, she makes a little gesture, an unconscious

movement, putting her fingers to her brow as if feeling a

headache.

STEVE:

He isn't going to like it.

Susan says nothing. She looks to Steve, smiling, but the

smile is not too confident.

STEVE:

You sure you don't want me to be

with you...?

Susan stoutly shakes her head. Defensively she reassures

Steve:

SUSAN:

Steve, my brother isn't as bad as

he's painted. He isn't perfect,

but -

STEVE:

But he isn't going to like this,

Susie. And he makes you nervous,

not me. No, I take that back - he

makes me nervous, too. But I

wouldn't give him a second thought

if not for you.

The topic evidently makes Susan uneasy. In an effort to

dismiss something that she does not want to think about,

Susan puts her arms around Steve's neck again.

SUSAN:

Let's forget him and -

But Steve is not so ready to change the subject.

STEVE:

His stooge, Falco, is around - I

saw him walk in.

(soberly)

He's been spying on me for weeks,

Susie.

SUSAN:

(quickly, perhaps too quickly)

Darling, I don't care - really I

don't. Sidney'd had a secret crush

on me for years, but nothing we do

is his business -

STEVE:

(gently insisting)

But he could be reporting back to

your brother, couldn't he?

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