I had read that Tom Cruise modeled his "Jerry McGuire" press agent on Tony Curtis' Sidney Falco. And yet the movie I keep thinking of is "Broadway Danny Rose," one of my favorite Woody Allen comedies (and my favorite Mia Farrow role) — and one that he did in black and white (maybe to resemble the classic New York movies of the '50s, like "Sweet Smell of Success.") In it, Woody plays a Broadway press agent, but he's the polar opposite of Sidney. If anyone wants to watch this as a companion piece, I'd be thrilled to discuss it.Another movie that comes to mind is "Good Night and Good Luck," about journalist Edward R. Murrow's quest to topple Sen. Joe McCarthy. It's set in the same era, black and white, about journalism and gossip-driven hysteria. But the thing that reminds me most of "Sweet Smell" is the tight, tight focus of the film. "GN&GL" is about one thing and one thing only. There are no subplots, no gratuitous love interests, no side "color." It's relentlessly about what it's about: one episode in a life. Similarly, "Sweet Smell" takes an isolated incident (the attempted breakup of a relationship) and turns it into a stark statement about a whole era.
5 comments:
Dagnabbit! I just realized I've been spelling Sidney like the city in Australia. I'll try to fix it.
"Sweet Smell" takes an isolated incident (the attempted breakup of a relationship) and turns it into a stark statement about a whole era.
I like that. It's similar to how The Great Gatsby is about the short period when one man's life is unraveled, but it speaks volumes about a generation.
I'll have to see "Broadway Danny Rose." I've watched "Hannah and her Sisters" a lot and "Manhattan," too, but I've spent less time with some of his more experimental films.
I'm going to look around to see whether I can confirm this, but I'm certain Michael Keaton was imitating Sidney Falco in his role for Ron Howard's "The Paper." He was a good guy but still used the same frenetic energy and manipulation to see through his cause. The clincher for me was how Tony Curtis would stand back to see how his machinations played out while biting his fingernails. Keaton does the same thing.
Oh, good point, cl. I loved "The Paper." Glenn Close was a fantastic bitch in that. Maybe she was modeling herself on Sidney or J.J.!
I haven't seen "The Paper" in ages, but I do remember that mannerism you're talking about, cl, where he stood back and watched. Excellent observation!
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