Sweet Smell of SuccessPG

Directed Alexander Mackendrick | USA | 1957 | 1h 36m | Starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Jeff Donnell

Powerful New York columnist J.J. Hunsecker shapes public opinion with his influential Broadway column, but he can’t control his younger sister. Disapproving of her romance with an aspiring jazz musician, Hunsecker enlists ruthless press agent Sidney Falco to destroy the relationship by any means. Alexander Mackendrick’s classic noir is a biting critique of newspaper gossip and a dark portrait of human nature at its worst – one of the sharpest films of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Reviews

‘One of the sharpest and corrosively perceptive films to emerge from Hollywood.’
★★★★★
Jason Wood, BBC

‘New York never looked as thrillingly sordid as it does in this scabrous masterpiece.’
★★★★★
Wendy Ide, The Observer

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Sweet Smell of Success between February 16, 2025 and February 17, 2025.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 23rd June)

18:00

Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story 18
1h 21m | Malagasy w/ English subtitles
In Madagascar, a young miner is torn between fast money and his principles. A political, personal debut from Luck Razanajaona, blending 1970s radical spirit with a gripping tale of identity, justice, and survival.

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20:00

Trainspotting 18
1h 34m
Join Cinema Under The Stairs as we dive headfirst into Edinburgh’s underbelly, where Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie orbit the chaos of heroin addiction, nihilism, and one of the greatest soundtracks ever pressed to vinyl.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 24th June)

18:30

Best of Iris Prize 2024 15
£6 Tickets
1h
Discover award-winning LGBTQ+ short films from the 2024 Iris Prize, presented in partnership with Oxford Pride. This special showcase features powerful stories of love, identity, and resilience from around the world. Bold, moving cinema that celebrates queer voices.

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20:30

The Phoenician Scheme 15
£6 for Members
1h 41m
When a billionaire bequeaths his empire to his nun daughter, chaos follows. Assassins, tycoons, and wild twists abound in Wes Anderson’s latest star-studded comedy caper, starring Benicio Del Toro, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Cera.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!