The Movie
Adapted by Ernest Lehman from his novella and rewritten by playwright Clifford Odets, Sweet Smell of Success is one of those delicious joys from the Golden Age of Hollywood, edgy in its way but also giddily over-the-top in its verbal stylings. The movie follows a struggling, morally dubious press agent (Tony Curtis) at a crossroads. He wants to be the protégé of the nations' most respected--and rightly feared--gossip columnist (Burt Lancaster), but at what cost?
Their business is show business and it's anything but pretty, driven by wild ambition and even wilder ego. Cross one of them and they could ruin your career, or even put you in the hospital. In this world, people damn you with a sentence spat through clenched teeth, or is it a smile? But when the columnist's own sister is involved with an up-and-coming musician, he abuses his considerable power to end the relationship by all means necessary, an increasingly messy affair from which they won't all be able to walk away.
The Picture
Restored and mastered at 4K resolution from the original 35mm camera negative, Sweet Smell of Success has never looked sweeter. We can now stare in fascination at the fine texture of Burt Lancaster's suit or his tie or his craggy complexion. James Wong Howe's gorgeous black-and-white location photography of New York City, mostly at night, is a dark delight. Faint white vertical scratches remain but have been reduced, and the 5:3 image (with slender black bars left and right) can show a very slight streaking/strobing in motion.
The Sound
The original mono audio has been preserved here in uncompressed linear PCM 1.0, maintaining the generally fine balance of dialogue, music and effects from the classic mix. The quality is respectable, digitally cleaned as it has been for this release, to the point that our ears can detect, for example, the difference between voices recorded on-set recording and those looped/added after the fact.
The Extras
This excellent disc combines new Criterion exclusives and seldom-seen vintage materials. Author James Naremore has recorded an expert audio commentary for the occasion, while author/historian Neal Gabler sits down to take a modern look at Walter Winchell, the inspiration for Burt Lancaster's character. And successful contemporary director James Mangold, a student of Success director Alexander Mackendrick at CalArts, shares personal reflections and lessons learned.
From the vaults come a 1986 Scottish Television documentary about Mackendrick, as well as an outstanding 22-minute film from 1973 about legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe. The included softcover companion book is also worth a read, dedicated to the work of Lehman, Mackendrick and others.
Final Thoughts
Rife with quotable lines more than half a century later, Sweet Smell of Success is finally given its due in Criterion's elegant new edition, certainly worth adding to a devotee's film library.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
