Following the peak of the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, the 1950s offered a different kind of cinematic entertainment, marked by the rise of film noir and its darker, more complex storytelling.
Among the films that captured the public’s pulse was the movie Sweet Smell of Success.
Helmed by Alexander Mackendrick, the 1957 movie seamlessly blended drama and crime-thriller elements, which piqued the interest of viewers.
Apart from the intriguing storyline about how ambition and control can lead people to betray human decency, the cast lineup featured a stellar ensemble from its lead stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner, along with supporting members Sam Levene, Emile Meyer, David White and more.
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Decades later, Sweet Smell of Success continues to captivate generations and is still ranked among the greatest films ever made.
Rotten Tomatoes, a popular TV and film review aggregation website, unveiled a list of the top 300 “best movies of all time.”
From modern to classic films with various genres, the ranking is based on the website’s signature Tomatometer rating, or a percentage showing how well a movie or TV show is received by professional critics.
Adding to the list of criteria are the number of Popcornmeter votes and the movie’s number of critics’ reviews.
Sweet Smell of Success landed at No. 219 with a 98 percent Tomatometer rating, which means that it is almost universally praised by critics and only 2 percent gave a negative review.
Critics described the noir film as having “Lancaster’s crisp elocution was never put to more satisfyingly sinister ends,” while one called it “top of the line.”
Reviewers also praised the cast’s performance, especially Tony Curtis, calling his acting “first-rate.”
While the Mackendrick-directed movie is universally regarded as a masterpiece, Sweet Smell of Success failed to score a nod at major award-giving bodies like the Academy Awards at the time of its release.
However, they did receive a nomination for Best Foreign Actor (Tony Curtis) at the 11th BAFTA Awards but lost to Henry Fonda for his role in 12 Angry Men.
Curtis went on to win the Best International Actor award at the Bambi Awards.
In addition to its critical reception, Sweet Smell of Success was not a box-office success but instead a commercial failure.
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