Sweet Smell of Success Page #4

The phone rings. Sidney is dressed by now. As Sally goes

for it, he makes for the outer door.

SIDNEY:

If that's for me, tear it up!

SALLY:

Take a top coat.

SIDNEY:

And leave a tip in every hat-check

room in town?

He is already gone as she picks up the phone.

SALLY:

Sidney Falco office... Oh, Miss

Kay, he tried to reach you. No,

he's at the barbers now. No,

that's held over till the Tuesday

column...

LAP DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ELYSIAN ROOM - NIGHT

The quintet. As the dissolve clears, a clatter of polite

applause greets the end of a previous number. CAMERA is on

the bandstand, moving smoothly through the group of five

musicians as the rhythm of a new number is set up: first the

leader (a guitarist) snaps his fingers, giving the tempo

to...the bass, who "walks" with the beat, bringing in...the

drums, which start a quiet, insistent wire-brush background

for...the cello and the flute, whose introductory phrases,

set the stage for...

STEVE DALLAS:

...the guitar, the leader again. It comes in after this

short preamble with the first statement of melody. (The tune

has a faint echo of significance because it is one of the

themes of the film, already heard as a phrase in the

background score of the title music.) CAMERA lingers a

moment on the guitarist, STEVE DALLAS. He is a youth of

pleasant, intelligent appearance. He plays with the intent

air of the contemporary jazz musician who takes his work

very seriously indeed and affects a much greater interest in

the music and his fellow musicians than in the listening

audience.

SIDNEY:

A close shot. Sidney has just entered the club, strolling

into the vestibule near the entrance. He wears an expression

of oddly unsuitable antagonism, as he looks forward...

DALLAS:

Seen in long shot from Sidney's viewpoint. CAMERA moves to

include Sidney in foreground again. He turns as he is

accosted by RITA, the cigarette girl of the club. She is a

pert creature, attractive and not unaware of the fact.

RITA:

Don't you ever get messages,

Eyelashes? I called you twice.

SIDNEY:

(irked)

I've been up to here. Listen,

honey, tell me something. You know

Susan Hunsecker...?

(Rita nods)

Has she been in? I mean lately, in

the last coupla days...?

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