HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT EVEN TRYING

 "HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT EVEN TRYING"

(1967) 

MY THOUGHTS:
This is one of my favorite musicals. I feel that it is grossly underrated by some and unknown to scores of others. That is a shame as it is thoroughly entertaining, boasts wonderful dance numbers (with staging and choreography by Bob Fosse) marvelous songs, has an incredibly talented cast and is quite humorous in parts. It also illustrates, quite well, what happened in the business world during the 60's, as well as how women were looked upon / treated in the workplace back then. It is well worth the watch and one you want to watch more than once.

SYNOPSIS:
"J. Pierpont Finch is a lowly window cleaner with dreams of making it big in the business world. After finding a copy of the book "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Finch decides to apply the tactics in the book to his own life. Soon, he's working as a mail-room clerk at the World Wide Wicket Company and quickly fighting his way up the corporate ladder with relative ease in this quirky musical based on the hit Broadway production."

STARRING:
Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Valee, Sammy Smith, Maureen Arthur, Ruth Kobart, Paul Hartman, Robert Osborne, Anthony Teague, Dan Tobin and Carol Worthington.

SCREENPLAY:
David Swift; Story by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert; Based on "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by Shepherd Mead.

DIRECTOR:
David Swift

AWARDS & OTHER HONORS:
Although the original musical had been a great Broadway success, capturing seven Tony Awards, the film version was not nominated for any Academy Awards.

The film received generally positive reviews. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times, for example, praised the film as successfully re-creating "just about everything that was conducive to the stage success," especially the performances of Morse and Vallee.