 Tony Curtis had to fight for the role of Sidney Falco because Universal , the studio to which he was contracted , was worried that it would ruin his career . Tired of doing pretty @-@ boy roles and wanting to prove that he could act , Curtis got his way . Orson Welles was originally considered for the role of J. J. Hunsecker . Mackendrick wanted to cast Hume Cronyn because he felt that Cronyn closely resembled Walter Winchell , the basis for the Hunsecker character in the novelette . Lehman makes the distinction in an interview that Winchell was the inspiration for the version of the character in the novelette , and that this differs from the character in the film version . United Artists wanted Burt Lancaster in the role because of his box office appeal and his successful pairing with Curtis on Trapeze . Robert Vaughn was signed to a contract with Lancaster 's film company and was to have played the Steve Dallas role but was drafted into the Army before he could begin the film . 
