HOW TO SUCCEED (film review)
HOW TO SUCCEED as a film is an odd critter. The Pulitzer Prize and muti-Tony Award winning Frank Loesser musical arrives on screen with the libretto pretty much intact, but with five of its thirteen songs excised. All three of Rosemary's songs (Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm, Paris Original, Cinderella Darling) are gone. All the character gets to sing is Rosemary (with Morse) and a short reprise of I Believe In You. Bigley's second number (Love From A Heart Of Gold) is gone. Even Coffee Break is missing, though it was recorded and filmed, but edited out during previews. It's still on the soundtrack cd.
This means that with the exception of one number (A Secretary Is Not A Toy), all of the songs involve Morse. The ego of J. Pierpont Finch leaks over onto the film version of his rise to the top. Oddly enough a year later Barbra Streisand would pull the same trick with FUNNY GIRL. Eight of the show's fifteen songs are missing. Of what remains, only one number (If A Girl Isn't Pretty) does not include Streisand. True, there are two new songs and two Brice standards that are added on to round out the score. I am just struck by the similarity in approaches to the two films (excise all but one of the original songs that does not feature the star).
What we have left is the original Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert's razor-sharp satire of big business and tactics of one determined to claw his way to the top, through guile, subterfuge, knowledge of personalities and downright innocence and charm (or a good imitation of the last two). Morse shines as Finch, and who is more adorable or innocent, even sucking his thumb at one point? He is perfect in his Tony Award winning role. Rudy Vallee reprises his role as J. B. Bigley. Ruth Kobart also reprises her role as Miss Jones.
A big help is the casting of Michelle Lee as Rosemary. She is lovely, charming and totally believable. The original Rosemary, Bonnie Scott, had a horrendous speaking and singing voice, very loud and very grating. It's a wonder she was cast in the first place. Charles Nelson Reilly's Bud Frump, nervous, desperate, insidious, is wonderfully replaced by Scooter (Anthony) Teague, who appeared as one of the Jets in the film of WEST SIDE STORY.
Despite the sparsity of musical numbers, the eight that remain are superbly performed and the show as a whole is wonderfully, bright, funny, still original after all these years, and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended.
HOW TO SUCCEED as a film is an odd critter. The Pulitzer Prize and muti-Tony Award winning Frank Loesser musical arrives on screen with the libretto pretty much intact, but with five of its thirteen songs excised. All three of Rosemary's songs (Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm, Paris Original, Cinderella Darling) are gone. All the character gets to sing is Rosemary (with Morse) and a short reprise of I Believe In You. Bigley's second number (Love From A Heart Of Gold) is gone. Even Coffee Break is missing, though it was recorded and filmed, but edited out during previews. It's still on the soundtrack cd.
This means that with the exception of one number (A Secretary Is Not A Toy), all of the songs involve Morse. The ego of J. Pierpont Finch leaks over onto the film version of his rise to the top. Oddly enough a year later Barbra Streisand would pull the same trick with FUNNY GIRL. Eight of the show's fifteen songs are missing. Of what remains, only one number (If A Girl Isn't Pretty) does not include Streisand. True, there are two new songs and two Brice standards that are added on to round out the score. I am just struck by the similarity in approaches to the two films (excise all but one of the original songs that does not feature the star).
What we have left is the original Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert's razor-sharp satire of big business and tactics of one determined to claw his way to the top, through guile, subterfuge, knowledge of personalities and downright innocence and charm (or a good imitation of the last two). Morse shines as Finch, and who is more adorable or innocent, even sucking his thumb at one point? He is perfect in his Tony Award winning role. Rudy Vallee reprises his role as J. B. Bigley. Ruth Kobart also reprises her role as Miss Jones.
A big help is the casting of Michelle Lee as Rosemary. She is lovely, charming and totally believable. The original Rosemary, Bonnie Scott, had a horrendous speaking and singing voice, very loud and very grating. It's a wonder she was cast in the first place. Charles Nelson Reilly's Bud Frump, nervous, desperate, insidious, is wonderfully replaced by Scooter (Anthony) Teague, who appeared as one of the Jets in the film of WEST SIDE STORY.
Despite the sparsity of musical numbers, the eight that remain are superbly performed and the show as a whole is wonderfully, bright, funny, still original after all these years, and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended.
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