How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

David Swift

Writers:

Abe Burrows (book) and
Jack Weinstock (book) ...

Release Date:

9 March 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Nothing Succeeds Like "Succeed" ! !

Plot:

Armed with a "How to..." manual, an ambitious window washer seeks to climb the corporate ladder.

Plot Keywords:

How To | Business | Book | Advertising | Secretary

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Robert Morse	...	Finch
Michele Lee	...	Rosemary
Rudy Vallee	...	J.B. Biggley
Anthony 'Scooter' Teague	...	Bud Frump (as Anthony Teague)
Maureen Arthur	...	Hedy
John Myhers	...	Bratt
Carol Worthington	...	Lucille Krumholtz
Kay Reynolds	...	Smitty
Ruth Kobart	...	Miss Jones
Sammy Smith	...	Twimble Womper / Wally Womper
Jeff DeBenning	...	Gatch (as Jeff Debenning)
Janice Carroll	...	Brenda
Robert Q. Lewis	...	Tackaberry
Paul Hartman	...	Toynbee
Dan Tobin	...	Johnson

Also Known As:

How to Succeed in Business... (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:14A (video rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #21357) | Australia:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

270 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

The song "Coffee Break" was filmed, but the footage was later deemed unusable, leaving a somewhat obvious cut when the coffee cart arrives.

Goofs:

Continuity: An exterior shot implies that nightfall is descending on New York City at the end of the workday (5pm). This would indicate that it is winter. However, most of the women employees are wearing short-sleeved or sleeveless warm-weather styles, and the CEO mentions that he plans to play golf the next day.

Quotes:

J. B. Biggley: Do you know who I am?
J. Pierpont Finch: No, sir.
J. B. Biggley: I'm J. B. Biggley, the President of this company, that's who I am. In fact, that's who the hell I am.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What I Like About You: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to Be a Lesbian (#3.12)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Brotherhood of Man

I Believe In You!

Except for four songs being dropped and a slight altering of the original story's pacing, this is a flawless translation of a Broadway classic to the big screen, making great use of New York locations and retaining Robert Morse in the best role of his entire career as the ambitious window washer J. Pierrepoint Finch who climbs his way up the corporate ladder by every little trick in a book that the musical takes it's title from. Morse's timing and delivery is perfect and everyone who's played the part of Finch since on Broadway (most notably Matthew Broderick a few years back) have had to emulate his basic approach to the part.

Michele Lee is also perfect as the secretary Rosemary who is madly in love with Finch. Her sexy solo of "I Believe In You" (a vast improvement over the stage's "Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm") makes you wish she hadn't given up Broadway for TV success because she has one of the best singing voices you'll ever hear.