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How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)

R  90 min  -  Comedy | Fantasy   -  29 March 1990 (West Germany)
6.9
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Ratings: 6.9/10 from 2,492 users  
Reviews: 32 user | 34 critic

Dennis Dimbleby Bagley is a brilliant young advertising executive who can't come up with a slogan to sell a revolutionary new pimple cream... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Robinson

Writer:

Bruce Robinson

Stars:

Richard E. Grant, Rachel Ward and Richard Wilson
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9 photos | 8 videos | 16 news articles | full cast and crew »

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Related News

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Related Videos

How to Get Ahead in Advertising -- Trailer for How To Get Ahead In Advertising How to Get Ahead in Advertising -- You think your boss is tough? Reebok showed us what might happen if your manager were actually a policy-obsessed linebacker with a no-BS approach to enforcing office rules. Thank goodness for workman’s comp. How to Get Ahead in Advertising -- US Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard E. Grant ...
Denis Dimbleby Bagley
Rachel Ward ...
Julia Bagley
Richard Wilson ...
John Bristol
Jacqueline Tong Jacqueline Tong ...
Penny Wheelstock
John Shrapnel ...
Psychiatrist
Susan Wooldridge Susan Wooldridge ...
Monica
Hugh Armstrong Hugh Armstrong ...
Harry Wax
Mick Ford Mick Ford ...
Richard
Jacqueline Pearce Jacqueline Pearce ...
Maud
Christopher Simon ...
Waiter
Gino Melvazzi Gino Melvazzi ...
Waiter
Victor Lucas Victor Lucas ...
Tweedy Man
Dawn Keeler Dawn Keeler ...
Tweedy Woman
Kerryann White Kerryann White ...
Girl in Elevator
Vivienne McKone Vivienne McKone ...
Sullivan Bristol Receptionist
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

Dennis Dimbleby Bagley is a brilliant young advertising executive who can't come up with a slogan to sell a revolutionary new pimple cream. His obsessive worrying affects not only his relationship with his wife, his friends and his boss, but also his own body - graphically demonstrated when he grows a large stress-related boil on his shoulder. But when the boil grows eyes and a mouth and starts talking, Bagley really begins to think he's lost his mind. But has he? Written by Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Pimple Cream | Advertising Executive | Advertising | Pimple | Cafe  | See more »

Taglines:

The Career Where Two Heads Are Better Than One

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

(West Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

Come fare carriera nella pubblicità See more »

Filming Locations:

Hampton House - 20 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London, England, UK See more »

Box Office

Gross:

$418,053 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The classic Aston Martin seen in the Bagleys' garage belonged to writer/director Bruce Robinson. A 1961 DB4 Convertible of which only 70 were made, he owned it for 30 years and it was auctioned off in 2008. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: After Bagley has lunch with his wife, she drops him back at the advertising firm's office building, but it is a different building to the one used for the interior scenes, which is the tall red building several hundred yards up the street (visible in the crane shot of their car pulling up), right next to the Lambeth bridge, as we can see from the window view in the scenes in Bagley's and Bristol's offices. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Denis Dimbleby Bagley: Let me try and clarify some of this for you. Best Company Supermarkets are not interested in selling wholesome foods. They are not worried about the nation's health. What is concerning them, is that the nation appears to be getting worried about its health...
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Melrose Place: My New Partner (#1.23)" (1993) See more »

Soundtracks

"SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES"
Words by Otto A. Harbach
Music by Jerome Kern
Performed by Joanna Mays
Used by permission of Chappell Music Ltd. See more »