Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success is a hard-edged 1957 drama about media power, corruption, and manipulation in New York’s entertainment world. Burt Lancaster plays influential gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker, while Tony Curtis portrays Sidney Falco, a desperate press agent willing to deceive and exploit others to secure Hunsecker’s favor. Originally a box-office failure, the film is now regarded as one of the defining American films of the 1950s.

The film features caustic dialogue by Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets, James Wong Howe’s documentary-style black-and-white cinematography, and Elmer Bernstein’s forceful jazz-inflected score. Jazz drummer Chico Hamilton and his quintet also appear in the film, accompanying the character played by Martin Milner.

When: Sunday, November 15

Showtime: 4:05 p.m.

Tickets: General admission $15.50; members $10.50; seniors age 62 and older $13.50; students with ID $13.50.

Run time: 96 minutes

Presented as: Part of NOIR CITY: Philadelphia 2026

Director: Alexander Mackendrick

Cast: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Sam Levene, and Barbara Nichols

Screenplay: Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman

Cinematography: James Wong Howe

Music: Elmer Bernstein

Production: Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions

Original distributor: United Artists

Presentation: DCP, black and white, 1.66:1 aspect ratio

Venue: Ambler Theater, 108 E Butler Ave, Ambler, Pennsylvania 19002

Venue phone: 215-345-7855