Moviedrome Introduction
Film Details
Release Date: 1956
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Stars:
J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster)
Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis)
Plot Summary
.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) is a ruthless, influential newspaper columnist who wields his power to shape public opinion. His world collides with Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis), an unscrupulous, ambitious press agent desperate for Hunsecker’s favor. Hunsecker enlists Falco to break up the romance between his younger sister, Susan, and a jazz musician named Steve Dallas. As Falco becomes entangled in Hunsecker’s schemes, he finds himself drowning in a web of lies, corruption, and betrayal.
Personal History
Unaware.
Current Review
You are rather thrown into this Film Noir. So fast, its initially a little tricky to tell what exactly Tony Curtis is doing for a living. Apart from acting as a rather impressive double for the Kray Twins, whenever Burt Lancaster is in the frame.
 |
| Match me Sidney |
The dialogue is delivered so quickly that it's hard to keep up. To summarise - Curtis is a hustler, getting juicy celebratory details for new columnist Lancaster. Lancaster has a sister (he was 44 and she is 20 - so rather unlikely), who is in a relationship with Jazz guitarist. Lancaster doesn't approve. He wants them split up. Curtis tried once, failed, and is given a second chance.
Over the top melodrama in the closing stages and potentially some crossing and double crossing going on.
Does the smarmy Curtis get his just deserts? You bet.
Liked - the cinematography, the jazz (for a short time) and some very quotable dialogue, a snippet of which will be shown later.
Disliked - frenzied delivery that impacts grasp of the film.
Quirky Facts
- The character of J.J. Hunsecker is based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell.
- Ernest Lehman's original novella was first published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1950, whose editors refused to print a story with the word "smell" in the title. For this publication, the title was changed to "Tell Me About It Tomorrow", although it reverted to Lehman's original title when published in book form. Lehman took some comfort from the fact that his original title was a term which entered the language.
Quotes
- Sidney Falco: The cat's in the bag and the bag's in the river.
- Sidney Falco: Maybe I left my sense of humor in my other suit.
- J.J. Hunsecker: I love this dirty town.
- [holding an unlit cigarette] - J.J. Hunsecker: Match me, Sidney.
- J.J. Hunsecker: Son, I don't relish shooting a mosquito with an elephant gun, so why don't you just shuffle along?
- Sidney Falco: You know, Susie, I've heard this woman-talk before. Why don't ya start growin' up, huh? Start thinking with your head instead of your hips. Uh, by the way... I got nothing against women thinking with their hips. That's their nature. Just like it's a man's nature to go out and hustle and get the things he wants. Susie, look at yourself. You're 19 years old. Just a kid, and you're falling apart at the seams. You tiptoe around on those bird legs of yours, nervous and incompetent with a fatality for doing wrong, picking wrong... and giving up even before you start a fight! Wait a minute. It's the truth, and the truth hurts. Come around some night when I'm not writin' your brother's column... and I'll revise that delicate outlook of life. To give credit where credit is due, Susie... that body of yours deserves a better fate than tumbling off some terrace. Susie... a bed is the best friend a girl ever had. Pleasant dreams.
Future Inspiration
As expected, AI comes up with a lot of Jazz Music, which I think I will give a miss to. The top 5 of Burt Lancaster films doesn't really offer much - although I suppose I should watch From Her to Eternity once.
I think the following is the closest recommendation;
Nightcrawler (2014) – Jake Gyllenhaal plays an amoral stringer who climbs the ranks of crime journalism in L.A., echoing Sidney Falco’s desperate hustle and moral decay.
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