The 'Dirty Job'

As far as I know, we're not told specifically what it was. I think what it was is less important than the information we are given about Sid's character and his relationship with J.J. as a result.

From this one line, we learn that Sidney knows he's a crawling, boot-licking toady, and that he's pretty much okay with it, as long as it gets him what he wants. It also leads to self-loathing, but Sidney is one of those poor creatures who believes that life is a sh!t sandwich, and the more bread you have, the less sh!t you have to eat, unmindful of the fact that you're still eating sh!t.

He's also a shameless user of leverage, believing that he can win points with J.J. if he just reminds him of how servile he has been and can still be. "I'm a tool; use me!" he tells him. He's shamelessly currying favor just because he thinks it'll give him a leg up and put him in J.J.'s good graces.

Interestingly, and a subtext I found throughout Tony Curtis's excellent performance, is the notion that Sidney knows right from wrong, but places himself above moral value judgments, at least until innocent lives are at stake. Even so, when he's with Susie at the end, trying to convince her not to jump, his cynicism and misogyny can't be concealed, and it's not until push comes to shove (an ironic term, considering Susie's self-destructive tendency) that he has to take action and the last shred of his humanity manages to come through in time to save her.

I found this script, and the cinematic treatment of it nearly Shakespearean in its storytelling and characters. Isn't Falco reminiscent of Iago? Isn't J.J. something like a cross between King Lear and Macbeth? Susie is Ophelia, spared death by 20th Century Hollywood storytelling more than anything else.

An often overlooked gem.