Movie Review - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Starring Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Maureen Arthur

Directed by David Swift

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a genuinely funny movie.  I laughed out loud several times as the story of window-washer-turned-executive J. Pierrepont Finch (Robert Morse) unfolded and found the kitschy 60s vibe to be an all-around pleasant experience.  Unfortunately, the film is handcuffed by the fact that it's a musical...and a not very good one at that.  How to Succeed is successful in every single scene where there isn't a musical number.  However, when the cast begins to break out in song, my eyes couldn't help but roll.  Not that there's anything inherently wrong with a musical...but you've got to have good music and this flick fails on all fronts in that area (see my recent review of Carmen Jones for further analysis on this same topic).

And it's all rather unfortunate, too, because as I said above the film works in every single other scene.  Robert Morse is oddly charming as the go-getter Finch and Michele Lee is winning as his sweetheart Rosemary.  Combined with some nice supporting turns from Rudy Vallee as Finch's boss and the hilarious Maureen Arthur playing the boss's "floozy on the side," the film's cast is pretty darn good.  Which makes it all a real shame because at the end of every great scene with the actors, you know they're inevitably gonna break into singing some awful song.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-