2008 Advisor
jmdobies
Austin, TX
Wickedly Funny Musical Send-Up of American Corporate Culture
5 star rating

TV Personality, a music lover, Creative, retro, a writer, forty something, married, a pet owner
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Pros

    Robert Morse's Performance, Great Songs, Bob Fosse's Choreography


AUG
20
2008

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — 

Number Three in my Top Ten Movie Musicals of the '60s is 1967's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, produced and directed by David Swift, adapted from the hit broadway show written by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, loosely based on the book by Shepherd Mead, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Robert Morse won a Tony Award in 1962 for his role as window washer turned executive J. Pierpont Finch, the puckish protagonist of this wickedly funny satire on American coroprate culture. It's a performance of ernormous charm, and it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the part. Morse can be seen these days as Bert Cooper, the senior partner on AMC's Mad Men.

Rudy Vallee, another holdover from the original Broadway production, plays J.B. Bigley, the big boss at Worldwide Wickets, who's fooling around with Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur). Rounding out the great cast are Michele Lee as Rosemary Pilkington, Sammy Smith (in a dual role), and Anthony "Scooter" Teague as Bud Frump, Biglee's wife's nephew and Finch's rival as he climbs the corporate ladder.

Much of Bob Fosse's original choreography has been retained here, so expect plenty of loose-limbs, shoulder-hunching, and "jazz hands."

Loesser's witty and tuneful score includes "How to," "I Believe in You," "The Company Way," and "A Secretary is Not a Toy."

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is certainly a product of its time, and while sexual politics have certainly undergone a sea change in the last 40 years, office politics haven't really changed all that much since then. Of course, it is still highly unlikely that anyone could go from the mailroom to the executive suite in less than a week. These days, getting downsized is a lot more likely.

To sum up, this is one of my favorite muscials of all time, and easily the best thing that Bobby Morse ever did, even though some might say it was his one man show about Truman Capote. If you've never seen it (and I mean this movie, not Tru), I urge you to put it in your Netflix queue or catch it next time it shows up on Turner Classic Movies.

Available on DVD from MGM Home Entertainment.

Last edited on Aug 21, 2008



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Telpher wrote on Aug 21, 2008 at 10:55PM

I caught this on TCM recently, and really enjoyed it. Robert Morse was great - and it's great to see him, now, on Mad Men.

GeorgeChabot wrote on Aug 21, 2008 at 5:24PM

This would really have to be super good for me to stomach Truman Capote. I used to see him on TV talk shows. (Shudder)


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