At the beginning of Sweet Smell of Success, J. J. Hunsecker (John Lithgow), a powerful gossip columnist reminiscent of Walter Winchell in every way but height and hat, is perched on the edge of his desk, dictating the next day's column. "Advice to a certain polo-playing playboy after the brawl at P. J. Clark's last night," he rat-a-tats: "Learn the difference between men and pigs. Pigs don't turn into men when they drink." He has more copy to spit: "Item: Libby James, TV glamazon, at Toni's Caprice with married Wall Street biggie. She's learning the hard way that girls get minks the same way minks get minks." He forges on and, as he does, the curtain-up laughs mount.

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