Sweet Smell of Success (1957) — Screenplay
A powerful columnist's publicist must destroy his sister's romance to keep her under his control.
- Written by
- Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman
- Genre
- Drama, Film-Noir
- Studio
- Norma Productions, Curtleigh Productions, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions
- Length
- 173 pages
This screenplay is a masterclass in sharp, cynical dialogue and moral complexity. The script's structure, built around a web of manipulation and corruption, keeps the tension high while offering a deep character study of its antiheroes. Study it for its precise pacing and the way it uses New York's nightlife to reinforce its noir tone.
Read the full Sweet Smell of Success (1957) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.