A ruthless and influential Broadway gossip columnist is determined to break up his sister's romance with a jazz guitarist. The perfect pawn for the task is an ambitious press agent, who will go to any lengths to earn the journalist's favour - and sets out to ruin the musician's reputation by fair means or foul. Satirical drama, starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.