Directed by David Swift

This is an all-time favorite for damn good reason. It’s pure entertainment!

Is it dated? Yes, of course. Does it hold up hilariously (probably worryingly)? Also yes. It maintains a well-deserved 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Daniel Radcliffe’s remake didn’t come close. You can’t beat Bob Fosse.

J. Pierpont Finch takes us on a journey from window washer to big-time exec at the World Wide Wicket Company — guided step-by-step by the book “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” The satire, the silliness, the outrageous plot, the music: Check, check, check, and check. It all works.

The cast

Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee both reprised their Broadway roles for this film adaptation and slayed. No one in this cast missed the mark. Michele Lee was a vision as Rosemary Pilkington.

The plot & the songs

The book and it’s through-line narration offer a great vehicle for storytelling. Finch and his guide bring us along on the adventure. But there are many in the modern age that doubt the satirical roots of this story, and to that I say “get schooled.” Here are some clear examples of satire:

• The specificity of the book’s advice: “If the secretary assigned to you is so attractive that it feels too good to be true, be very careful. It may be that one of the big men in the company is interested in her career. The smaller her abilities, the bigger her protector.”
• The accelerated timeline: When Finch worries he hasn’t made progress quickly enough, Rosemary says “Men work years to make it as far as you have in two days,” and we’re reminded that it has indeed only been 48 hours since he started in the mail room.
• The overdramatization: Finch dumps hundreds of cigarette butts out of the paper bag when setting up his fake overnight workspace.
• The emotional extremes: When Finch is apologizing for his mistakes and Biggley says “If there’s one thing I respect in a man it’s humility,” Finch drops his head down, then reaches with his hand to push his head down even further in a show of phony disgrace.
• The faux roadblocks: When the VP of Advertising isn’t fooled by Finch’s tricks, the movie reveals that he is studying from the same book.
• The corporate ridicule: Biggley complains about going through 15 Advertising VPs in the past year, claiming, “I keep hiring people who are supposed to have big ideas. And not one of them will do what I tell them to.”
• The very premise: Does anyone ever mention what a wicket is? Nope! And it doesn’t matter. Such a mockery!

“Company Way” is potentially the best song in the film. The hilarity of “A Secretary is Not a Toy,” feels both “of the time” and “ahead of its time” in an incredible way.

Final thoughts

Everyone who hates this movie hasn’t grasped the satire and isn’t in on the joke. How to Succeed is a grand slam and a hilarious portrayal of the 9-to-5 scam.

This movie is good.

My rating: 4/5