How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

A young window cleaner named J. Pierrepont Finch gets hold of a book promising success in business without any real effort. Taking its advice to heart, he talks his way into a job in the mailroom of a large corporation called the World Wide Wicket Company and begins climbing the ladder, using the book's lessons to outmaneuver everyone around him. His rise brings him into contact with the company's imposing president, J. B. Biggley, a rival named Bud Frump, and a secretary, Rosemary, who takes a romantic interest in him.

The film is a musical comedy adapted from the Broadway show of the same name, which was itself based on a satirical guide by Shepherd Mead. David Swift directed, produced and wrote the screenplay, his third turn as director after Pollyanna in 1960 and The Parent Trap in 1961. Robert Morse, Michele Lee and Rudy Vallee lead a large credited cast of 74, with a credited crew of 44. It runs 121 minutes and was made for a budget of four million dollars, returning three million at the worldwide box office.

On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.2 from around 5,500 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7 from a much smaller base of about 64 votes.