TV and Movies

[Oznell]

9:45 p.m. Eastern --  "Sweet Smell of Success"  Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Barbara Nichols, Sam Levene

One of the greats.  Searing, explosive, memorable.  Burt Lancaster is a powerful and corrupt New York columnist, ruthless, driven, and unalterably opposed to his sister's (Susan Harrison) romance with an up-and-coming jazz musician (Martin Milner).  Tony Curtis is the scruple-free publicist that Burt has doing his bidding, whatever that may involve, in the fast-paced, seamy urban world they inhabit.

This has to have been one of Tony Curtis's greatest roles-- he's perfect as the toadying but conflicted p.r. guy.  As the vulnerable, manipulated younger sister of Lancaster, Susan Harrison shines--  she's fragile, elusive, beautiful in an unusal way--  a pawn, subject to her brother's machinations.  Soulful, sweet Marty Milner, she thinks, is her way out from under...

The dialogue is crisp and the milieu of downtown nightclubs, bars and the mean streets is richly atmospheric.

"Match me, Sidney".

ETA:  This enjoyably overwrought trailer says it all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtE8r-VTsPY

[drizzellla]

Just put a pair of glasses on Burt Lancaster and I get the heebie jebbies.

[corita]

        In  the early sixties, I lived out of the US.  Burt was in town filming a movie!!  Burt and his daughter came to swim at our club.  He was so nice and spent quite a bit of time diving off the board. What a handsome man!!!  He became a favorite actor from then on....

[drizzellla]

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@corita wrote:

        In  the early sixties, I lived out of the US.  Burt was in town filming a movie!!  Burt and his daughter came to swim at our club.  He was so nice and spent quite a bit of time diving off the board. What a handsome man!!!  He became a favorite actor from then on....

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Was he practicing for his role in "The Swimmer"?

Bet it was fun to see him up close. He seemed to like physical activity. So can see why he would go swimming during his off time.

[Oznell]

@corita--  Cool!

@drizzellla--  To your comment about Burt and spectacles--  ha, ha,  how true!

[godi]

This movie sounds amazing. 👍❤️

[corita]

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@drizzellla wrote:

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@corita wrote:

        In  the early sixties, I lived out of the US.  Burt was in town filming a movie!!  Burt and his daughter came to swim at our club.  He was so nice and spent quite a bit of time diving off the board. What a handsome man!!!  He became a favorite actor from then on....

---

Was he practicing for his role in "The Swimmer"?

Bet it was fun to see him up close. He seemed to like physical activity. So can see why he would go swimming during his off time.

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      Don't think I ever heard what film he was working on. I do remember he was very nice to all the kids in the pool. 

[Oznell]

Oh, and Burt's other, oft-quoted, memorable zinger to Tony:

"You're a cookie full of arsenic!"

[Judaline]

I have the album of the soundtrack...............somewhere. I used to love looking at Tony Curtis.