Delicious UK - (02)February 2020

WORDS: LES DUNN

SWEETSMELLOF

SUCCESS (1957)

WHAT’SIT

ABOUT?

Burt

Lancasterplaysmonstrous

newspapercolumnist

JJ Hunsecker(athinlyveiled

portraitofpowerfulreal-life

pressmanWalterWinchell)

alongsideTonyCurtisas

SidneyFalco,a scheming

pressagentdescribedby

Hunseckeras“fullyuptoall

thetricksofhisveryslimy

trade”.Inreturnfor

newspaperexposureforhis

clients,SidneydoesJJ’sdirty

work.Butasthemovieopens,Sidneyhas

beenfrozenout.(“You’redead,son,”says

Hunsecker.“Getyourselfburied.”)Thisis

becausehehasfailedtostopa blossoming

relationshipbetweenJJ’ssister,Susan,

withwhomthecolumnisthasan

unhealthyobsession,andjazzmusician

SteveDallas.Togethimselfunburied,

Sidneymustredoublehisdastardlyefforts

tobreakuptheromance.Butjusthow

far is he willing to go to keep JJ happy?

WHYTHISMOVIE?

Therearebarnstormingperformances

fromTonyCurtis(whomBurtLancaster

believedshouldhavewonanOscar)

andLancasterhimself.Theshadowy

cinematographybythelegendaryJames

WongHoweis likeCaravaggioinblack

andwhite,andthedialoguefizzeswith

a cynicalenergy,helpedbyanedgyElmer

Bernsteinjazzsoundtrackandlocation

shooting on the streets of Manhattan.

There’scocktaildrinkinganddining

in high-endManhattanrestaurantsand

clubstoenjoyvicariouslyand,

inthisdog-eat-dogworld,the

scriptis jam-packedwithfood

and eating metaphors.

TRIVIANIBBLES

lScottishdirectorAlexander

Mackendrick,who’dpreviously

workedonEalingcomedies

suchasWhiskyGalore!, smeared

VaselineonBurtLancaster’s

glasses,preventinghimfrom

focusingproperlyandgiving

hima moresinisterappearance.

lBothOrsonWellesandFrank

Sinatrawereoriginally

consideredtoplayHunsecker.

lPlaywrightCliffordOdetswasrewriting

thescriptasshootingbegan,andwould

stayupallnighttypingbeforehanding

new scenes to Mackendrick each morning.

THEQUOTETOQUOTE

STEVE:MrHunsecker,you’vegotmore

twists than a barrel of pretzels!

Rent/buyit onAmazon.Turnthepage

for our meal and wine suggestions→

THE MOVIE

84 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

F R I DAY N IGH T

What’sevenbetterthana cosynightin?Acosynightinimmersedintheworldof1950suptown

New York City nightlife. Add a classic steak dish and a special bottle and you got it made, son

mov ie + meal + wine