Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir mae by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman and Alexander Mackendrick from the novelette by Lehman. The film tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist named J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems inappropriate. Lancaster's role is based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell.