Themes: Ladder to the Top, Rise To Power, Office Politics
Main Cast: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Anthony Teague, Maureen Arthur
Release Year: 1967
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
Plot
Robert Morse recreated his Tony-winning stage role in this 1967 film version of Frank Loesser's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical. A humble window washer at the New York offices of World Wide Wickets, J. Pierpont Finch applies the lessons he's learned from a book called How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to wangle his way to the top of the executive heap. Though advised by the mailroom supervisor (Sammy Smith) to keep a low profile and play things "The Company Way," Finch follows his own skewed set of rules, endearing himself to bombastic company president J. B. Biggely (Rudy Vallee) by posing as a graduate of Grand Old Ivy, Biggely's alma mater. As he climbs to the top, Finch manages to dispose of an over-amorous rival by arranging a tryst between that rival and curvaceous secretary Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur)--who happens to be Biggely's live-in girlfriend. Finch also gets rid of the troublesome Mr. Ovington (Murray Matheson) by exposing the latter as an alumnus of Old Ivy's hated rival university. Graduating to vice-president, Finch feels secure enough to sing the show's one genuine love song "I Believe In You"--to himself! Actually, he's really in love with true-blue secretary Rosemary (Michele Lee), but won't admit to this until he suffers a career setback. Most of Loesser's songs survived the transition from stage to screen, with the exception of "Paris Original," which is heard merely as background music. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying came to the screen as America was questioning the business ethos that had driven the country during the 1950s. Like The Apartment, How to Succeed is set in corporate America; however, whereas the earlier film used the setting as a backdrop to its main story, the musical makes the love story subservient to the setting. Equally as important, whereas The Apartment is darkly humorous, How to Succeed is joyously satirical, invigorating in its cynicism. Although several of Frank Loesser's marvelous songs were dropped, viewers still get to witness gems such as "Brotherhood of Man" and "A Secretary is Not a Toy," as well as the fine Bob Fosse choreography accompanying them. The one false note struck by the songs is the decision to give "I Believe in You" to Rosemary before Finch sings it. This sentimentalizes the song and defuses the impact when it is later reprised. Robert Morse's brilliant tour de force performance as Finch is a treasure. He combines deft comic timing with exuberance, innocence, and physical charm so that the character's ruthless ambition is always enjoyable. He dominates the film, despite fine support from Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Maureen Arthur. The film has some flaws, beyond the reduction of the score -- the satire is not as sharp and the direction is not as sure as one could wish -- but overall it's witty, amusing, and rousing. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Murray Matheson - Benjamin Ovington; Sammy Smith - Wally Womper; Kay Reynolds - Smitty; John Myhers - Bert O. Bratt; Jeff de Benning - Gatch; Ruth Kobart - Miss Jones; Carol Worthington - Lucille Krumholtz; Janice Carroll - Brenda; Lory Patrick - Receptionist; Pat O'Moore - Media Man No. I; Wally Strauss - Media Man No. 2; Dan Tobin - Johnson; Robert Q. Lewis - Tackaberry; John Holland - Matthews; Paul Hartman - Toynbee; Justin Smith - Jenkins; George Fenneman - TV Announcer (Himself); Anne Seymour - Gertrude Biggley; Joey Faye - Taxi Cab Driver; Helen Verbit - Finch's Landlady; Virginia Sale - Cleaning Woman; Al Nessor - Newspaper Seller; Ivan Volkman - The President of the U.S.; Carl Princi - 1st Junior Executive; David Swift - Elevator Operator [uncredited]; Hy Averback - 2nd Executive; Erin O'Brien-Moore - Mrs. Frump; Sheila Rogers - 1st Girl; Tucker Smith - Junior Executive; Robert Sweeney - 3rd Junior Executive; Margaret Mason; Paul Bradley - TV Board Member
Credit
Robert F. Boyle - Art Director, Bob Fosse - Choreography, Dale Moreda - Choreography, Micheline - Costume Designer, David Swift - Director, Allan Jacobs - Editor, Ralph Winters - Editor, Nelson Riddle - Composer (Music Score), Frank Loesser - Songwriter, Robert J. Schiffer - Makeup, Burnett Guffey - Cinematographer, David Swift - Producer, Edward Boyle - Set Designer, Robert Martin - Sound/Sound Designer, David Swift - Screenwriter, Shepherd Mead - Book Author, William S. Gilbert - Play Author, Abe Burrows - Play Author, Jack Weinstock - Play Author
J. Pierrepont Finch buys a book How To Succeed In Business, describing in step-by-step fashion how to rise in the business world. The ambitious young window cleaner follows its advice carefully. He joins the "World-Wide Wicket Company" and begins work in the mail-room. Soon, thanks to the ethically-questionable advice in the book, he rises to Vice-President in Charge Of Advertising, making sure that each person above him gets either fired or moved or transferred within the company. Finch begins to fall in love with Rosemary Pilkington, a secretary at the company. Finch finds out that the president of the company, J. B. Biggley, has made advances towards the beautiful but incompetent secretary Hedy LaRue. Finch uses this information to assist his climb on the corporate ladder. However, Bud Frump, Biggley's annoying nephew, also takes advantage of the situation and tries to get to the top before Finch.
