How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Armed with the titular manual, an ambitious window washer seeks to climb the corporate ladder.

Director:

David Swift

Writers:

Abe Burrows (book), Jack Weinstock (book)

Stars:

Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee

2 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Twenty-seven year old New York window washer, J. Pierrepont Finch, believes he can be a success in the corporate world after he impulsively picks up the book "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". The book promises its reader that he can climb the corporate ladder simply and quickly. The Worldwide Wicket Corporation, the business in the office building whose windows he washes is, according to the book, the perfect type of business. There he meets secretary Rosemary Pilkington, who sees in Ponty (as she calls him) an unassuming man who she believes the corporate world will eat alive. But Ponty, memorizing what the book tells him, does quickly climb the corporate ladder but not by doing any real work. Ponty has a few obstacles along the way such as: Bud Frump who sees Ponty as a rival and is the nephew by marriage of the company president J.B. Biggley; Hedy La Rue, a curvaceous but simple woman who has a secret or not-so-secret tie to someone important in the company; Mr. ...

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Plot Keywords:

book | business | how to | secretary | office | 

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Taglines:

A Word of Caution : See This Picture Before You're Boss Does!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

How to Succeed in Business...

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The music during Miss Jones' first entrance is the same music that Nelson Riddle used as the Penguin's Theme in the Batman (1966) TV show.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

J. B. Biggley: Wally, who's going to be the new chairman of the board, as if I didn't know?
Bud Frump: I'll kill myself!
Mr. Twimble: [as Wally Womper] Ponty, it's your baby now.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Been a Long Day
(uncredited)
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Robert Morse, Michelle Lee, Rudy Vallee, Kathryn Reynolds,
Maureen Arthur and Anthony 'Scooter' Teague

User Reviews

The more things change, ...

I've loved this for over twenty years but I had feared it had become dated. I recently watched it again with someone I know who works at Disney. He'd never seen it before but he screamed, "TRUE!" when he wasn't howling with laughter throughout. And this was nearly forty years later!