TCM's Noir Alley with Eddie Muller and Rosie Perez: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

New York is one of the ultimate film noir cities, and Eddie Muller, host of TCM’s Noir Alley, will present, with film noir enthusiast Rosie Perez, one of the most memorable looks at the rotten side of the Big Apple. “I love this dirty town,” says columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) from behind his intimidating browline eyeglasses. This coldblooded Broadway gossip columnist — shrewd, scheming, and a master of the heartless publicity machine — was based on famed journalist and radio personality Walter Winchell. Jealously protective of his younger sister (Susan Harrison) and disapproving of her romance with a jazz guitarist (Martin Milner), Hunsecker coerces desperate press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis, in his breakthrough role) into splitting them up, which leads everyone down a twisting path of backstabbing, compromised morals, and physical violence. The bright lights of Times Square come off as garish in cinematographer James Wong Howe’s crackling, high-contrast black-and-white, with crowded streets and buzzy restaurants that feel grimy, menacing, and never more lonely. With a jazz score by Elmer Bernstein and the Chico Hamilton Quintet, along with the snappy dialogue of playwright Clifford Odets and writer Ernest Lehman, this bracing drama is a sensational look at the dark dealings of unscrupulous newspapermen. This talk was recorded on January 31th, 2026 at The 92nd Street Y, New York. Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community. Donate now: http://www.92NY.org/Donate Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/92ndStreetY Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/92ndStreetY TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@92ndstreety Archives: https://www.92ny.org/archives