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This was one of the rare Broadway musicals whose book is actually more interesting than its score. So while roughly a half-dozen Frank Loesser songs from the stage version are deleted, they're not really missed. What survives is a witty skewering of office politics, featuring much of the Broadway cast. And while such '60s business staples as rampant sexism and smoking now look quaintly offensive, the gleeful satirizing of backstabbing and skulduggery in business will always be relevant. David Swift, whose training was in TV, doesn't do much with the widescreen format (except for the ingenious ballet-mechanique in "A Secretary Is Not a Toy"), but he cuts cleverly away from the production numbers just as the musical-comedy silliness is on the verge of becoming embarrassing, and he splices in some delectable location shots of '60s New York. The color scheme is bright, the pacing brisk, the cast friendly, the production values refreshingly modest. At a time in movie history when so many adaptations of stage hits were overbudgeted and overlong, what a pleasure to see something to faithful to its source material -- and so unpretentious.

What a great musical! Too bad only one song made the hit parade( I Believe in You) Michelle Lee's singing voice has the depth and range of Barbara Striesand....wish we could have heard more of it. Rudy Vallee was a gem...topped off a remarkable career --the Elvis of the 1920s! Get the DVD....it's a beautiful transfer!

This is an interesting musical. Unlike many movies that were originally Broadway musicals, this film does little to try to make it look like a movie. Instead, it plays a lot like watching a play--complete with many musical and dancing numbers where you can easily see how it was performed on stage. Now this is NOT meant an a negative--just stating how it's almost like watching a filmed version of the play. And, because of this, the sets are often very surreal--like sets from a play that are easily moved and disassembled. And, if you are interested, this play is currently playing on Broadway--with Daniel Radcliff in the revival. I am not sure if tickets are now so expensive because of its star or because it's a darn good musical--but I suspect it's both.

The innocuous looking Robert Morse stars in the film (he played the same role on stage previously). He's a very, very cynical young man who used a book entitled "How To Succeed in Business"--and follows it for his meteoric rise through the ranks of a corporation. In fact, in only a matter of days, he moves from the mail room to a vice president...and his stock keeps on rising. Along the way are a lot of peppy and cynical songs--my favorite of which is "A Secretary is NOT a Toy" though "I Believe in You" has become a standard. And, to get ahead, he sucks up, manipulates and lies--all which the movie seems to heartily endorse, as in every case Morse is wildly successful! As a result, it's a funny comedy and ultimate movie for cynics! I thoroughly enjoyed it--and I really don't even like musicals all that much! Apart from good songs, a fun and goofy plot and good acting, the film manages to be entertaining and new. There just aren't any other films like it--and it's a bit surprising that it didn't make Morse a star, as he was very good here. Ironically, he's been brought back to the small screen for a recurring role on "Mad Men"--a drama that seems, at times, inspired by this film.

By the way, George Fenneman plays himself. If you wonder why his face is familiar, he was the announcer for the TV show "You Bet Your Life". Also, doesn't the boss' nephew look a LOT like a 1960s version of Napoleon Dynamite?! Look at him yourself--you'll see what I mean.

One of the great satirical, musical comedies of the 60s. Robert Morse in the lead role is not unlike a sophisticated version of one of the Jerry Lewis characters of the same era - with the exception that he sings. And, he sings some wonderfully witty songs that must be very close to the bone in companies that take themselves too seriously. Sammy Smith is superb in his dual roles as the quarter of a century mail room head who "plays it the company way" and then later as Chairman Wally, the ex window washer. The lyrics will never date, along with the hammy caricatures of the self serving executives and staff. Not all stage musicals have translated well to the screen but How to Succeed is a noteworthy exception - highly recommended.

I've lived in the Metropolitan New York area all my life but the first musical I ever saw was the revival of How to Succeed in Business with Matthew Broderick in the title role. This prompted me to purchase the original musical with Robert Morse and I was not disappointed. My wife preferred the live musical, however what attracted me to the video was the performance of Rudy Vallee as Mr Bigly. Frank Loesser's score is marvelous, I think that the song "The Company Way" is a humorous parody of those corporate types who risk nothing that will damage their careers. This video is one that I've watched over and over and I can recommend to any musical lovers other than ardent feminists who might be turned off by the 1960s type relationships between the men and women.