How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How To Succeed in Business - Opening Night
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Jan 3, 2012
I watched the season finale of "Mad Men" and suddenly remembered Robert Morse's films. I won't give away the "Mad Men" ending if you haven't seen it, but you will thoroughly enjoy it.
I saw the movie "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" many years ago, and have seen the play performed live on stage. It's a perfect parody of big business, still relevant despite the 47 years of corporate re-engineering and "right-sizing."
Window Washer J. Pierpont Finch buys a book called ""How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" which predates the tsunami of business and "success" books we have today and it wasn't called "for Dummies." This simple book guides the aspiring executive to climb the ladder or success from starting at the bottom and using every opportunity to seize the next promotion. Climbing into a window in the World Wide Wickets tower in Manhattan, "Ponty" as he comes to be known, takes advantage of chance encounters through a combination of serendipity and applying the lessons from his book. He accidentally bumps into the Corporate President played by Rudy Vallee, himself a popular singer and actor from the 1920s.
Despite making a bad impression on Mr. Biggley, Ponty makes an instant friend in Rosemary who guides him through the big company. Meeting the Personnel Manager, Mr. Finch starts humbly in the mail room, encountering Bud Frump, the not-so bright aspiring nephew of the Corporate President. Through the selfless act of turning down the promotion to mail room manager in favor of Mr. Frump, Ponty is there at the right time and place to get promoted to Junior Executive. You'll enjoy the bright musical numbers throughout Ponty's ascent to the top.
Only Robert Morse with his infectious gap-tooth grin and wide-eyed excitement could pull off this tremendous musical parody. His incredible voice, quicksilver dance moves, and rubber face will bring a smile to your face. Robert Morse has gone on to a number of other stage and screen roles, most recently as the delightfully gruff advertising Agency President in "Mad Men." Mr. Morse recently turned 83, but he still has it!
If you would like some pure entertainment without the physically impossible special effects, screeching car chases, graphic violence, four-letter dialog, and graphic sex in so many of today's films, this movie is for you. Definitely a 10!!!