History Theatre / HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying

* {{Meganekko}}: Smitty.

TheFilmOfThePlay, directed by David Smith and starring Creator/RobertMorse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Sammy Smith (reprising their respective roles of Finch, Rosemary, Mr. Biggly, and Mr. Twimble / Wally Whomper from the Broadway original) came out in 1967. The show was revived on Broadway in '95 with Creator/MatthewBroderick as Finch and Creator/WalterCronkite reading the book, for which Broderick won a Lead Actor Tony. Its 50th-anniversary revival in 2011 starred Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' fame. In what may be a CastingGag, Radcliffe was replaced by Creator/DarrenCriss (who also played Harry Potter in ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical''), in January 2012 for a two-week run, to be replaced again by Creator/NickJonas.

* BookEnds

* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations

TheFilmOfThePlay, directed by David Smith and starring Creator/RobertMorse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, and Sammy Smith (reprising their respective roles of Finch, Rosemary, Mr. Biggly, and Mr. Twimble / Wally Whomper from the Broadway original) came out in 1967. The show was revived on Broadway in '95 with Creator/MatthewBroderick as Finch and Creator/WalterCronkite reading the book, for which Broderick won a Lead Actor Tony. Its 50th-anniversary revival in 2011 starred Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' fame. In what may be a CastingGag, Radcliffe was replaced by Creator/DarrenCriss, of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', in January 2012 for a two-week run, to be replaced again by Creator/NickJonas.

* GenderNeutralNarrator

TheFilmOfThePlay starring Creator/RobertMorse, Rudy Vallee, and Sammy Smith (reprising their respective roles of Finch, Mr. Biggly, and Mr. Twimble/Wally Whomper from the Broadway original) came out in '67. The show was revived on Broadway in '95 with Creator/MatthewBroderick as Finch and Creator/WalterCronkite reading the book, for which Broderick won a Lead Actor Tony. Its 50th-anniversary revival in 2011 starred Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' fame. In what may be a CastingGag, Radcliffe was replaced by Creator/DarrenCriss, of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', in January 2012 for a two-week run, to be replaced again by Creator/NickJonas.

TheMovie version starring Creator/RobertMorse, Rudy Vallee, and Sammy Smith (reprising their respective roles of Finch, Mr. Biggly, and Mr. Twimble/Wally Whomper from the Broadway original) came out in '67. The show was revived on Broadway in '95 with Creator/MatthewBroderick as Finch and Creator/WalterCronkite reading the book, for which Broderick won a Lead Actor Tony. Its 50th-anniversary revival in 2011 starred Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' fame. In what may be a CastingGag, Radcliffe was replaced by Creator/DarrenCriss, of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', in January 2012 for a two-week run, to be replaced again by Creator/NickJonas.

* CastingGag: Most major productions have relied on authoritative-sounding and recognizable broadcasters to record the part of the "voice" of the Book -- Carl Princi, Walter Cronkite and Anderson Cooper

* StandardOfficeSetting: It takes place entirely in the headquarters of the World Wide Wicket company. Being set in the 60's, the office lacks cubicles but is full of secretaries, Office Romance, and elevators. The company operates an entire skyscraper which includes both giant rooms filled with desks and opulent executive rooms.

* StandardOfficeSetting: It takes place entirely in the headquarters of the World Wide Widget company. Being set in the 60's, the office lacks cubicles but is full of secretaries, Office Romance, and elevators. The company operates an entire skyscraper which includes both giant rooms filled with desks and opulent executive rooms.

%%* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations

%%* BookEnds
%%* BrainlessBeauty: Hedy [=LaRue=].

%%* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Rosemary.

%%* CrowdSong
%%* DanceLine

%%* TheDitz: Hedy

%%* FavouritismFlipFlop
%%* FauxToGuide: The titular guide.
%%* FemmeFatale: Hedy.
%%* FirstGirlWins: Rosemary.

%%* GenderNeutralNarrator

%%* HeadTurningBeauty: Hedy

%%* {{Meganekko}}: Smitty.

%%* TheMusical

%%* MustHaveCaffeine: "Coffee Break"

%%* RepeatWhatYouJustSaid
%%* RhythmTypewriter: "A Secretary Is Not A Toy".
%%* RunningGag: "I'm J. Pierrepont Finch, F-I-N-C-H."

%%* TwinkleSmile: Which doubles as an AsideGlance.

TheMovie version starring Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, and Sammy Smith (reprising their respective roles of Finch, Mr. Biggly, and Mr. Twimble/Wally Whomper from the Broadway original) came out in '67. The show was revived on Broadway in '95 with Creator/MatthewBroderick as Finch and Creator/WalterCronkite reading the book, for which Broderick won a Lead Actor Tony. Its 50th-anniversary revival in 2011 starred Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' fame. In what may be a CastingGag, Radcliffe was replaced by Creator/DarrenCriss, of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'', in January 2012 for a two-week run, to be replaced again by Creator/NickJonas.

* GuileHero: Finch, Finch, Finch. A man who rise from lowly mailroom employee to [[spoiler: Chairman of the Board]] in about two weeks with a combination of telling people what they want to hear and discrediting his rivals.

* YesMan: Mr. Twimble, the head of the mailroom, is a pleasant man overall, but has made this his mantra, as shown by his replies to Finch's questions in "The Company Way":
--> ''But what is your point of view?\\
I have no point of view.\\
Supposing the company thinks...\\
I think so too.\\
Now, what would you say...?\\
I wouldn't say.\\
Your face is a company face.\\
It smiles at executives\\
Then goes back in place.\\
The company furniture?\\
Oh, it suits me fine.\\
The company letterhead?\\
A valentine.''

* SexySecretary: Quite a few of them, prompting Mr. Bratt to rebuke several of the others in the "A Secretary is Nota Toy" number.

* FourthDateMarriage: Slightly justified, since it is the sixties, but still. Finch realizes he's in love with Rosemary and proposes to her on the spot. Of course, then it's then subverted by Hedy showing up and Rosemary leaving Finch almost immediately, so... (Of course, then that's subverted by Rosemary coming back in to chase Hedy off and kissing Finch again.)

--> But what is your point of view?\\

A valentine.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Frump can come off as this, especially in the movie.
** Given that [[Series/MatchGame Charles Nelson Reilly]] originated the part on Broadway, this shouldn't be a surprise.
* AntiHero: Finch, the protagonist, while thoroughly charming, is a conniving backstabber willing to do anything to climb the corporate ladder.
** Yet subverted at the same time by Robert Morse's film depiction of Finch, who is genuinely kind and respectful towards most of the characters (even Bud Frump) while nonetheless manipulating them for his ambitions, culminating in his saving his rivals' jobs (and putting them in debt to him) with the song "Brotherhood of Man". Some stage productions follow this film version of Finch while others follow the original edgier stage version of Finch.

* ManipulativeBastard: '''''FINCH'''''. And also Frump, but he's... [[SmugSnake not]] [[ButtMonkey quite]] as successful.

* [[ReassignedToAntarctica Reassigned To Venezuela]]: The fate of anyone whom Mr. Biggley finds with Hedy.

* StepfordSmiler: Rosemary looks like she's going to become one (see her EstablishingCharacterMoment, "Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm"). This is clearly {{played for laughs}}. It's a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of a 60's housewife.

* YesMan: Mr. Twimble, the head of the mailroom, is a pleasant man overall, but has made this his mantra, as shown by his replies to Finch's questions in ''The Company Way/''
''--> But what is your point of view?\\

Supposing the company thinks . . .\\
I think so too. \\
Now, what would you say . . .?\\

Oh, it suits me fine.//

A valentine.''

%%* CannotTellALie: Hedy.

%%* GuileHero: Finch, Finch, Finch.

%%* MommasBoy: Frump.

%%* SexySecretary

The story starts out with a kid named J. Pierrepont Finch, a window-washer at the World Wide Wicket company (no, that's not a StealthPun, this was TheSixties). He's reading from the eponymous book, quotes from which are often provided by a disembodied Narrator. After a CrashIntoHello with the president of the company, Finch gets a proper job. Now, with only advice from the book, {{Indy Ploy}}s, and a TwinkleSmile to aid him, Finch must work his way up the corporate ladder, with the help and/or opposition of (amongst others): Bud Frump, nephew of WWW current president J.B. Biggley; FemmeFatale Hedy [=LaRue=], who is having an affair with Biggley but causes [[HelloNurse instant attraction]] from just about any male character; Rosemary Pilkington, his LoveInterest; and his own plans and schemes, which have a tendency to [[GoneHorriblyRight Go Horribly Right]].

* BrainlessBeauty: Hedy [=LaRue=].

* TheDitz: Hedy

* FauxToGuide: The titular guide.
* FemmeFatale: Hedy.
* FirstGirlWins: Rosemary.

* GenderNeutralNarrator

* GuileHero: Finch, Finch, Finch.
* HelloNurse: Hedy

* {{Meganekko}}: Smitty.
* MickeyMousing: "Gotta Stop That Man".
** Specifically, the orchestra imitates the sound of an electric razor by playing the tune ''on kazoos.''

* MommasBoy: Frump.
* MustHaveCaffeine: "Coffee Break"

* RhythmTypewriter: "A Secretary Is Not A Toy".
* RunningGag: "I'm J. Pierrepont Finch, F-I-N-C-H."

* TwinkleSmile: Which doubles as an AsideGlance.

** Given that [[MatchGame Charles Nelson Reilly]] originated the part on Broadway, this shouldn't be a surprise.

** Yet subverted at the same time by Robert Morse's stage and film depiction of Finch, who is genuinely kind and respectful towards most of the characters (even Bud Frump in the film) while nonetheless manipulating them for his ambitions, culminating in his saving his rivals' jobs (and putting them in debt to him) with the song "Brotherhood of Man". Most other actors do not include this aspect in their depiction of Finch.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Frump can come off as this, especially in the movie