TAKING NOTES ON A MUSICAL
01a. Title:
In 1967, a film based on the musical was released by United Artists, with many of the original cast recreating their roles.
"How to Succeed in Music Without Really Trying"
01b. Date Composed: 1961In 1967, a film based on the musical was released by United Artists, with many of the original cast recreating their roles.
02a. Composer:
02b. Lyricist:
Loesser, Frank
http://theseconddisc.com/2010/07/01/loesser-is-always-more-happy-birthday-frank-loesser/
http://eddieonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/06/centennial-tributes-frank-loesser.html
http://mtiblog.mtishows.com/celebrating-frank-loesser-heart-and-soul
Loesser, Frank
Born: New York City, June 29, 1910; Died: New York City, July 26, 1969
Loesser, born in New York 1910, grew up in a household of music as his father was a classically trained pianist, and his brother became a concert pianist. He refused all formal musical training growing up but became a music professional despite it. For many of his compositions he provided his own lyrics something that is rare in the song writing world putting him in the same company with composers Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Meredith Willson. Over his lifetime he wrote five Broadway shows and some 1500 songs for films, won Tonys, a Grammy, and an Academy Award, co-founded MTI, and also helped raise four children. Loesser was known for being a workaholic, surviving on just four hours of sleep nightly.
Admitted to the College of the City of New York at the age of 14, he flunked out at the age of 15 (mostly because he was bored by the course work). Following a long string of dull jobs, he drifted into writing skits for vaudeville. But living in a house of music clearly had some effect on him, since the songs he wrote for an undistinguished Broadway review, "The Illustrators," led to an offer from Hollywood. One of his first film songs, "Moon of Manakoora," for the picture "Hurricane" became a major hit and established Loesser as a film composer of note. He worked first as a lyricist only with such composers as Burton Lane, Jule Styne, Arthur Schwartz and Hoagy Carmichael on such songs as "Two Sleepy People," "Jingle Jangle Jingle," and "I Don't Want to Walk Without You."
When the US entered World War II, Loesser's rousing song, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," was a great morale-builder and he joined the Army, where he was charged with doing more of the same. Following his discharge, he returned to his movie work with such songs as "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year," "A Slow Boat to China," and the 1949 Oscar winning song "Baby, It's Cold Outside." He made a triumphant return to New York in 1948 with "Where's Charley?" a musical based on the classic farce "Charley's Aunt." Star Ray Bolger would introduce one of Loesser's biggest hits, "Once in Love With Amy" in this show. He would follow the success of this show with an even bigger one in 1950, "Guys and Dolls." Challenging himself to write an entire show all by himself he created "The Most Happy Fella" in 1856 based on a 1924 play by Sidney Howard, "They Knew What They Wanted." His next musical, "Greenwillow," opened to mixed reviews and a short Broadway run. Then came "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in 1961. His last musical, "Pleasures and Palaces," closed out of town in Detroit in 1965. Frank Loesser died in New York in 1969 of lung cancer.
02b. Lyricist:
Loesser, Frank
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/337406%7C0/Heart-Soul-The-Life-and-Music-of-Frank-Loesser.html
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/337406%7C0/Heart-Soul-The-Life-and-Music-of-Frank-Loesser.html
http://eddieonfilm.blogspot.com/2008/06/centennial-tributes-frank-loesser.html
http://mtiblog.mtishows.com/celebrating-frank-loesser-heart-and-soul
03a. Historical event, story, and/or novel on
How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying
http://www.ranker.com/list/shepherd-mead-books-and-stories-and-written-works/reference
http://includemeout2.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-succeed-in-business-without.html
which this musical is based:
How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying
1952
03b. Author of the original story or novel on which this
musical is based:
Mead's best known book has no plot; it is a satire of an instructional self-help manual about contemporary office life in the United States and was inspired by his corporate experiences. Published in 1952, it was written in his spare time; before work and on weekends. Its subtitle was "The dastard's guide to fame and fortune."
musical is based:
Shepherd Mead
Mead's best known book has no plot; it is a satire of an instructional self-help manual about contemporary office life in the United States and was inspired by his corporate experiences. Published in 1952, it was written in his spare time; before work and on weekends. Its subtitle was "The dastard's guide to fame and fortune."
Shepherd Mead (1914-1994) was one of those men dogged by success. At 22, the quiet Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University left his native St. Louis for New York and joined the mail room of a large corporation - as does J. Pierpont Finch, the leading character (who is by now a sort of folk hero) in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Like Finch, Mead rose to the top. It was, in fact, while he was a Vice President, inhabiting a huge office with four windows, that he wrote "How to Succeed in Business." It remained 12 weeks on the best seller list and was followed by several novels on big business, one of which, "The Admen," sold more than two million copies.
Like J. Pierpont Finch, Mead's caricature of a business man, Mead became a sort of folk hero in his own right - but a folk hero with a message.
~Shepherd Mead~
03c. Author of the adaption of the original story or
novel:
novel:
Abe Burrows
Abe Burrows (December 18, 1910 - May 17, 1985) was a noted American humorist, author, songwriter/composer, singer, pianist, and director for radio and the stage, particularly Broadway. He was born Abram Solman Borowitz in New York, graduated from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and attended both City College and New York University. He began working as a runner on Wall Street and also worked in an accounting firm until the Wall Street Crash. After he met Frank Galen in 1938, the two wrote and sold jokes to an impressionist who appeared on the Rudy Vallee radio program. His radio career gained strength when he collaborated as a script writer with Ed Garner, the writer and star of radio legend "Duffy's Tavern" and then later worked on the Rudy Vallee program.
He wrote the Broadway librettos for "Guys and Dolls" (also with Frank Loesser; his first hit for which he received a Tony award and a New York Drama Critics award in 1951), "Silk Stockings," "Can-Can," and also directed them along with many others. He also adapted Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice into "First Impressions." In 1955 playwright Willie GIlbert and fellow playwright Jack Weinstock created a dramatic interpretation of Shepherd Mead's book "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" that was unproduced for five years. Producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin in 1961, with the intention of retooling it as a musical, asked Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser (who wrote both the music and lyrics for the show, which was orchestrated by Robert Ginzler) to work on the new adaptation. Burrows collaborated on the book with Jack Weinstock and Willie GIlbert, and also served as the director of the musical. Their new adaption became even more satirical and added romance to the story and it earned Burrows a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony, and a New York Drama Critics award).
He wrote the Broadway librettos for "Guys and Dolls" (also with Frank Loesser; his first hit for which he received a Tony award and a New York Drama Critics award in 1951), "Silk Stockings," "Can-Can," and also directed them along with many others. He also adapted Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice into "First Impressions." In 1955 playwright Willie GIlbert and fellow playwright Jack Weinstock created a dramatic interpretation of Shepherd Mead's book "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" that was unproduced for five years. Producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin in 1961, with the intention of retooling it as a musical, asked Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser (who wrote both the music and lyrics for the show, which was orchestrated by Robert Ginzler) to work on the new adaptation. Burrows collaborated on the book with Jack Weinstock and Willie GIlbert, and also served as the director of the musical. Their new adaption became even more satirical and added romance to the story and it earned Burrows a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony, and a New York Drama Critics award).
Following "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," he would go on to write the comedy hit Cactus Flower and to direct Forty Carats. also performing in night clubs, and on television. He published his autobiography in 1979, calling it "Honest Abe: Is There Really No Business Like Show Business?" Abe Burrows died in May 1985, at the age of 74.
Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert
They were a New York physician and his friend/patient, a transplanted Clevelander who turned to entertaining. The two teamed up to write nightclub material for Kaye Ballard and other celebrity entertainers, and later wrote sketches for the Broadway review "Tickets, Please." From there they moved into TV, contributing scripts to a variety of dramas and comedies including over 1,000 scripts for the children's television show "Howdy Doody." After reading Shepherd Mead's book, they tried to adapt it into a straight comedy. The first straight play version by Weinstock and Gilbert made the rounds of all the New York producers, and was rejected until Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin (who received a copy from an agent in 1960) saw the musical possibilities of the play. After original producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin read the script, the team was persuaded into turning it into a musical comedy. They followed the success of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" with a mystery comedy "Catch Me If You Can," which only had a three-month run. Jack Weinstock died in 1969, at the age of 62. At the time of his death, he and Gilbert were working on another play, "The Candy Store."
http://www3.northern.edu/wild/0203Season/HTS_Prs.htm
They were a New York physician and his friend/patient, a transplanted Clevelander who turned to entertaining. The two teamed up to write nightclub material for Kaye Ballard and other celebrity entertainers, and later wrote sketches for the Broadway review "Tickets, Please." From there they moved into TV, contributing scripts to a variety of dramas and comedies including over 1,000 scripts for the children's television show "Howdy Doody." After reading Shepherd Mead's book, they tried to adapt it into a straight comedy. The first straight play version by Weinstock and Gilbert made the rounds of all the New York producers, and was rejected until Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin (who received a copy from an agent in 1960) saw the musical possibilities of the play. After original producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin read the script, the team was persuaded into turning it into a musical comedy. They followed the success of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" with a mystery comedy "Catch Me If You Can," which only had a three-month run. Jack Weinstock died in 1969, at the age of 62. At the time of his death, he and Gilbert were working on another play, "The Candy Store."
http://www3.northern.edu/wild/0203Season/HTS_Prs.htm
04a. What the story is about:
THIS SATIRE ON 'BIG BUSINESS' TELLS THE STORY OF A YOUNG MAN WHO FINDS THERE IS 'ROOM AT THE TOP' AND WITH THE HELP OF A BOOK (Based on an Advice Book) OF SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS MANAGES TO GET THERE ACCOMPANIED BY HIS EVER FAITHFUL GIRL WHOSE LOVE FOR HIM TRIUMPHS OVER COMMERCIALISM.
05a. Where the story takes place (ex: name of city,
country, etc.):
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
05b. Name possible clues in the movie that tell you this
location (ex: famous landmarks, speech accents,
etc.)
HIGH RISE BUILDINGS, NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE (SKYSCRAPERS), TIMES SQUARE, ROW HOUSING
THIS SATIRE ON 'BIG BUSINESS' TELLS THE STORY OF A YOUNG MAN WHO FINDS THERE IS 'ROOM AT THE TOP' AND WITH THE HELP OF A BOOK (Based on an Advice Book) OF SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS MANAGES TO GET THERE ACCOMPANIED BY HIS EVER FAITHFUL GIRL WHOSE LOVE FOR HIM TRIUMPHS OVER COMMERCIALISM.
05a. Where the story takes place (ex: name of city,
country, etc.):
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
location (ex: famous landmarks, speech accents,
etc.)
HIGH RISE BUILDINGS, NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE (SKYSCRAPERS), TIMES SQUARE, ROW HOUSING
06a. Setting of the story (ex: farm, big city, slums,
affluent neighborhood, etc.)
BIG CITY, EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
(The entire action takes place in the Park Avenue office building of the World Wide Wicket Company.)
07a. Time frame the story takes place in:
1960'S
07b. Name possible clues in the movie that tell you the
time frame (ex: style of clothes and hair, types of
transportation, modern inventions, etc.):
HAIR AND CLOTHING STYLES, PRODUCTS USED THAT ARE NOT USED ANYMORE (EX:
BONNET HAIR DRYERS, METRECAL LIQUID DIET DRINK, TYPEWRITERS), OLDER VERSIONS OF
TELEPHONES (NO CELL PHONES), AUTOMOBILES, OUTDATED JOBS (EX: STENOGRAPHER WHO TAKES NOTES USING A TECHNIQUE CALLED "SHORTHAND") REFERENCE TO THE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME (LYNDON JOHNSON), VALUE OF MONEY ("It's a dollar ninety vegetable plate").
08a. Names of main characters and short
He a young window washer who applies for a job at the World Wide Wicket Company ("a company so
big that nobody knows exactly what anybody else is doing") and then has a meteoric "rise to the top" to
become the company chairman. He does this through the aid of a good instruction manual but otherwise
has little qualifications. Finch, the protagonist, while thoroughly charming with natural charisma, living by his wits he has an opportunistic, self-centered personality and becomes a conniving backstabber willing to do anything to climb the corporate ladder; he is an Anti-Hero.
time frame (ex: style of clothes and hair, types of
HAIR AND CLOTHING STYLES, PRODUCTS USED THAT ARE NOT USED ANYMORE (EX:
BONNET HAIR DRYERS, METRECAL LIQUID DIET DRINK, TYPEWRITERS), OLDER VERSIONS OF
TELEPHONES (NO CELL PHONES), AUTOMOBILES, OUTDATED JOBS (EX: STENOGRAPHER WHO TAKES NOTES USING A TECHNIQUE CALLED "SHORTHAND") REFERENCE TO THE PRESIDENT AT THE TIME (LYNDON JOHNSON), VALUE OF MONEY ("It's a dollar ninety vegetable plate").
08a. Names of main characters and short
descriptions of each (ex: John Smith-salesman,
Mary Smith-wife of John Smith, etc.
==================================================================
Major Characters:
==================================================================
J. Pierpont Finch: Mary Smith-wife of John Smith, etc.
==================================================================
Major Characters:
==================================================================
big that nobody knows exactly what anybody else is doing") and then has a meteoric "rise to the top" to
become the company chairman. He does this through the aid of a good instruction manual but otherwise
has little qualifications. Finch, the protagonist, while thoroughly charming with natural charisma, living by his wits he has an opportunistic, self-centered personality and becomes a conniving backstabber willing to do anything to climb the corporate ladder; he is an Anti-Hero.
*J. Pierpont Finch: This name is taken from John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) and his son of the same name (1867-1943), of the banking firm of J. P. Morgan & Co.
==================================================================
Rosemary Pilkington:
She is a pretty, young secretary of above-average qualifications at the World Wide Wicket Company who
sets her career sights on beoming Mrs. Finch (Love Interest). She is the ethical person in this story.
==================================================================
J.B. Biggley:
He is the boss, President (the "Mr. Big") of the World Wide Wicket Company. On the outside he is a
ruthless, consequently successful, businessman though underneath still a college lad at heart (he loves his former college) with a secret passion for knitting.
==================================================================
Biggley's obnoxious, arrogant and lazy nephew. He got his job through Nepotism. He is the villain in this musical. In spite of his devious schemes and family connections he still can't make it to the top at the company.
Quote from Bud Frump:
Bud Frump: Are you ambitious, Finch?
J.Pierpont FInch: No, not necessarily.
Bud Frump: Good. You just keep that in mind. If you just remember who I am and who you are, we'll get along fine. If not ...
Rosemary: You go crying to your uncle!
Bud Frump: I beg your pardon, I do not go crying to my uncle! It just happens my mother is Mrs. Biggley's sister. If I feel something's wrong, I phone
my mother. She phones Mrs. Biggley, and Mrs. Biggley phones Mr. Biggley. That's the DEMOCRATIC way.
==================================================================
She is Biggley's attractive and dim-witted (Brainless Beauty/Femme Fatale) mistress who, though
unqualified, wants and gets a secretarial job at the company under the boss's protection.
*Hedy LaRue: Named for Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna. She became famous in the Czech film known in English as "Ecstasy," where she appeared in the nude. She came to Hollywood in 1937 and, although she was not much of an actress,she appeared in roles where she only had to stand around and look beautiful, equating sex appeal with "looking stupid." She was not stupid, however; she with composer George Antheil received a patent for a device important in preventing the jamming of radio signals, and later in the development of cellular phones, although the patent had expired before it was put to use. See the article on Ms Lamarr in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and also the obituary. At least for the film version of How to Succeed, the character of Hedy was based in part on Marilyn Monroe.
==================================================================
Supporting Characters:
This is the unseen mentor or the "voice" (Gender Neutral Narrator) of the book "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" and functions as the narrator of the musical.
==================================================================
Chairman of the World Wide Wicket Company he is a highly successful man with a small stature (a small
sized man with the biggest job). His earlier work experience was (like Finch) as a window washer. In this
musical the role of Womper is traditionally played by the same actor as Twimble.
==================================================================
Miss Jones:
Biggley's immovable (Grande Dame)secretary who is charmed by Finch. She enjoys the respect her
position and mature years command and is often abrupt and tough but can be very kind-hearted to those
who are good to her.
==================================================================
Executives and Secretaries:
Chorus
==================================================================
sets her career sights on beoming Mrs. Finch (Love Interest). She is the ethical person in this story.
==================================================================
J.B. Biggley:
ruthless, consequently successful, businessman though underneath still a college lad at heart (he loves his former college) with a secret passion for knitting.
==================================================================
Bud Frump:
Quote from Bud Frump:
Bud Frump: Are you ambitious, Finch?
J.Pierpont FInch: No, not necessarily.
Bud Frump: Good. You just keep that in mind. If you just remember who I am and who you are, we'll get along fine. If not ...
Rosemary: You go crying to your uncle!
Bud Frump: I beg your pardon, I do not go crying to my uncle! It just happens my mother is Mrs. Biggley's sister. If I feel something's wrong, I phone
my mother. She phones Mrs. Biggley, and Mrs. Biggley phones Mr. Biggley. That's the DEMOCRATIC way.
==================================================================
Hedy LaRue:
unqualified, wants and gets a secretarial job at the company under the boss's protection.
*Hedy LaRue: Named for Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna. She became famous in the Czech film known in English as "Ecstasy," where she appeared in the nude. She came to Hollywood in 1937 and, although she was not much of an actress,she appeared in roles where she only had to stand around and look beautiful, equating sex appeal with "looking stupid." She was not stupid, however; she with composer George Antheil received a patent for a device important in preventing the jamming of radio signals, and later in the development of cellular phones, although the patent had expired before it was put to use. See the article on Ms Lamarr in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and also the obituary. At least for the film version of How to Succeed, the character of Hedy was based in part on Marilyn Monroe.
==================================================================
Supporting Characters:
==================================================================
Book voice: This is the unseen mentor or the "voice" (Gender Neutral Narrator) of the book "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" and functions as the narrator of the musical.
==================================================================
Mr. Bert Bratt:
He is the Personnel Manager adept in the main skill required for holding his job; agreeing with the boss.
==================================================================
He is the Personnel Manager adept in the main skill required for holding his job; agreeing with the boss.
==================================================================
Mr. Twimble:
As head of the mailroom for 25 years he finally gets promoted to the shipping department. He is an
example (according to to the guidebook) of "how not to succeed" being that he is a loyal company man.
It is his belief that his longevity with the conpany is due to his lack of ambition and his knack of staying unnoticed.
==================================================================
Smitty:
She is Rosemary's best friend and a fellow secretary at the World Wide Wicket Company. A big-hearted, if cynical, working girl with a dry sense of humor. A good secretary who is also after a man.
*Smitty was once a common nickname for anyone, especially female, named Smith.
==================================================================
Mr. Milton Gatch:
He heads the Plans and Systems department. He is an almost successful executive except for his sleazy penchant for the ladies for which Finch uses as a way to destroy him.
==================================================================
Miss Krumholtz:
She is a secretary of Mr. Gatch, then of J. Pierpont Finch.
*Krumholtz is from German krummholz: krumm means "crooked" or "twisted", and holz means "wood". The term is applied to trees
exposed to freezing winds, where the wind kills the branches on the windward side of the trunk
Mr. Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington:As head of the mailroom for 25 years he finally gets promoted to the shipping department. He is an
example (according to to the guidebook) of "how not to succeed" being that he is a loyal company man.
It is his belief that his longevity with the conpany is due to his lack of ambition and his knack of staying unnoticed.
==================================================================
Smitty:
She is Rosemary's best friend and a fellow secretary at the World Wide Wicket Company. A big-hearted, if cynical, working girl with a dry sense of humor. A good secretary who is also after a man.
*Smitty was once a common nickname for anyone, especially female, named Smith.
==================================================================
Mr. Milton Gatch:
He heads the Plans and Systems department. He is an almost successful executive except for his sleazy penchant for the ladies for which Finch uses as a way to destroy him.
==================================================================
Miss Krumholtz:
She is a secretary of Mr. Gatch, then of J. Pierpont Finch.
*Krumholtz is from German krummholz: krumm means "crooked" or "twisted", and holz means "wood". The term is applied to trees
exposed to freezing winds, where the wind kills the branches on the windward side of the trunk
==================================================================
He heads the advertising department until he is fired by Biggley for having graduated from Biggley's
college's arch-rival. Like Finch, he also followed the "How to Succeed" guidebook.
college's arch-rival. Like Finch, he also followed the "How to Succeed" guidebook.
*Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington: B B D O (Batten, Barton, Durstine, & Osborn) is one of the leading advertising firms in New York City, so it is appropriate that Ovington is being made head of advertising.
==================================================================
Mr. Wally Womper: Chairman of the World Wide Wicket Company he is a highly successful man with a small stature (a small
sized man with the biggest job). His earlier work experience was (like Finch) as a window washer. In this
musical the role of Womper is traditionally played by the same actor as Twimble.
==================================================================
Miss Jones:
Biggley's immovable (Grande Dame)secretary who is charmed by Finch. She enjoys the respect her
position and mature years command and is often abrupt and tough but can be very kind-hearted to those
who are good to her.
Executives and Secretaries:
Chorus
==================================================================
09a. Inner messages within the story (ex: morals, ethics,
etc.) and explain the message you think the author
of the movie (or story) is trying to convey:
THIS MUSICAL SHOWS AND MAKES FUN AT HOW "BIG BUSINESS" OPERATES. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS FILM IS SOMEWHAT DATED THERE IS STILL MUCH TRUTH IN THE PREMISE THAT MANY ACHIEVE CORPORATE ADVANCEMENT THROUGH SCHEMING AND MOUTHING PLATITUDES CORPORATE LEADERS LIKE TO HEAR; THAT IN ORDER TO "TAKE THE LADDER TO THE TOP" TO RAISE TO A LEVEL OF POWER, UNDER-HANDED OFFICE POLITICS OFTEN OCCUR.
1. THE INNER MESSAGE IS THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE OF ONE "BROTHERHOOD' AND WORK
TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL.
2. WE SHOULD ALL STRIVE TO BE OURSELVES INSTEAD OF BEING SOMEONE WE ARE NOT.
3. AT SOME POINT BEING DISHONEST AND A BACKSTABBER WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU.
EXAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE FILM:
•At the end of the story Finch decides to tell the truth and the truth so impresses Mr. Womper that he is made his successor becoming the new CEO of the company.
•Finch rises in the company by using unethical tactics which eventually also becomes his downfall when others start becoming wise to them.
•Others use similar tactics but even though Finch is good at executing what he reads in the book he does not see those tactics being used on him.
10a. Personal opinion (your ENJOYMENT factor: why
you liked or disliked the musical):
PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN OPINION BASED ON HOW YOU PERSONALLY ENJOYED THIS
MUSICAL AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES WHY.
of the movie (or story) is trying to convey:
THIS MUSICAL SHOWS AND MAKES FUN AT HOW "BIG BUSINESS" OPERATES. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS FILM IS SOMEWHAT DATED THERE IS STILL MUCH TRUTH IN THE PREMISE THAT MANY ACHIEVE CORPORATE ADVANCEMENT THROUGH SCHEMING AND MOUTHING PLATITUDES CORPORATE LEADERS LIKE TO HEAR; THAT IN ORDER TO "TAKE THE LADDER TO THE TOP" TO RAISE TO A LEVEL OF POWER, UNDER-HANDED OFFICE POLITICS OFTEN OCCUR.
1. THE INNER MESSAGE IS THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE OF ONE "BROTHERHOOD' AND WORK
TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL.
2. WE SHOULD ALL STRIVE TO BE OURSELVES INSTEAD OF BEING SOMEONE WE ARE NOT.
3. AT SOME POINT BEING DISHONEST AND A BACKSTABBER WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU.
EXAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE FILM:
•At the end of the story Finch decides to tell the truth and the truth so impresses Mr. Womper that he is made his successor becoming the new CEO of the company.
•Finch rises in the company by using unethical tactics which eventually also becomes his downfall when others start becoming wise to them.
•Others use similar tactics but even though Finch is good at executing what he reads in the book he does not see those tactics being used on him.
10a. Personal opinion (your ENJOYMENT factor: why
you liked or disliked the musical):
PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN OPINION BASED ON HOW YOU PERSONALLY ENJOYED THIS
MUSICAL AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES WHY.
10b. Personal opinion on the QUALITY OF THE
ARTISTRY in this musical: (ex: how well acted,
quality of the singing voice(s), cinematography,
memorable melodies, etc.):
ARTISTRY in this musical: (ex: how well acted,
quality of the singing voice(s), cinematography,
memorable melodies, etc.):
PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN OPINION BASED ON HOW YOU PERSONALLY RATE THE QUALITY
OF THIS MUSICAL AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES WHY.
11a. Terms or phrases used in the movie that are new,
unusual to you, and/or not often used:
Benevolent:
This means an act of, or a general inclination towards, charity.
Conformity:
This means doing the same thing as everyone else.
Crescendo:
This means to pet or pamper someone.
Debenture:
This is a certificate acknowledging a debt. The speech really is gibberish. [Finch:]
Diners' Club:
This was the first general charge card, first issued in 1950. (Before, credit cards were issued by individual merchants or by oil companies.) Today, it is still one of the most popular T&E cards, although perhaps not as well known as American Express. ["Brotherhood of Man"]
FAO Schwartz:
This is one of the leading toy stores in New York City. They now have branches in other cities, including San Francisco; soon in Los Angeles. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy"]
Impetuous:
Lionel is one of the biggest maker of toy trains. A caboose used to be the last car on a freight train, where the conductor would ride and have his office, usually accompanied by one brakeman. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy"]
Mailroom:
A mailroom is a room in which outgoing and in going mail is sorted and processed. In a large organization the mailroom is the hub of the internal mail system and the interface with external mail. Clerks (mailboys) deliver the mail for the other employees in different departments using a cart or a trolley doing regular rounds throughout the day.
Memorandum:
A memorandum is a written record, message, or reminder.
Metrecal:
This was the first high-energy, high protein beverage, like Slim-Fast or Ensure, introduced in 1959 by Mead Johnson Nutritionals (now owned by Bristol-Myers-Squibb), originally developed for those trying to gain weight. It quickly became popular among those trying to lose weight; one would drink Metrecal instead of lunch. (It is also kosher for Passover.) The Metrecal fad faded in the mid 1960s. In the late 1960s, Mead Johnson introduced a product called Nutrament, for those trying to gain weight: you would drink it in addition to your lunch. But Nutrament turned out to be the same product as Metrecal, with a different name. [Smitty]
Nepotism:
Nepotism is favoritism shown to relatives by those in power, as by giving them jobs. Literally, it means preference for one's nephews, and it originally referred to bishops, especially the pope, granting church offices to his nephews (as bishops, being celibate, were not supposed to have sons on whom to show favors). During the XVIII century most popes were particularly guilty of nepotism, so when Pope Benedict XIV, who was a very devout churchman,was not, Horace Greeley praised him as "a priest without insolence or interest, a prince without favorites, a pope without nephews." [Biggley]
Neurotic:
Neurotic comes from neuro-, from a Greek word for "nerve." It can also describe someone with neurotic behaviors, so you can think of a neurotic as someone who has a particularly bad case of nerves.
Parody:
This means an act of, or a general inclination towards, charity.
Conformity:
This means doing the same thing as everyone else.
Crescendo:
In a crescendo, the music is getting louder. There's often a crescendo in a large group of talking people, too. This word comes from classical music, where it's very important how loudly the instruments play. If a tuba is crescendoing at the wrong time, then a quiet piano part might not be heard at all. The crescendo is important in all kinds of music, because volume — how loud something is — is one of the main features of music. If you are whispering and gradually raise your voice and then end up shouting, that's a crescendo as well.
Dandle:This means to pet or pamper someone.
Debenture:
This is a certificate acknowledging a debt. The speech really is gibberish. [Finch:]
Diners' Club:
This was the first general charge card, first issued in 1950. (Before, credit cards were issued by individual merchants or by oil companies.) Today, it is still one of the most popular T&E cards, although perhaps not as well known as American Express. ["Brotherhood of Man"]
FAO Schwartz:
This is one of the leading toy stores in New York City. They now have branches in other cities, including San Francisco; soon in Los Angeles. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy"]
| Fraternity:
This refers to any organization of people with something in common stemming from the Latin word fraternitatem, meaning "brotherhood."
This is a dance in 4/4 time popular in the 18th century. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy"]
|
Someone impetuous acts too hastily or carelessly. Hotheaded, impulsive folks are impetuous. If you're a careful person who thinks everything through and doesn't act rashly, then you're not very impetuous. Impetuous has to do with doing things on the spur of the moment — and not good things. Being impetuous usually goes along with being impatient and easily angered. If you're impetuous, you act quickly and thoughtlessly when you should just take a deep breath, relax, and think about the best thing to do.
"Lionel":Lionel is one of the biggest maker of toy trains. A caboose used to be the last car on a freight train, where the conductor would ride and have his office, usually accompanied by one brakeman. ["A Secretary Is Not a Toy"]
Mailroom:
A mailroom is a room in which outgoing and in going mail is sorted and processed. In a large organization the mailroom is the hub of the internal mail system and the interface with external mail. Clerks (mailboys) deliver the mail for the other employees in different departments using a cart or a trolley doing regular rounds throughout the day.
Memorandum:
A memorandum is a written record, message, or reminder.
Metrecal:
This was the first high-energy, high protein beverage, like Slim-Fast or Ensure, introduced in 1959 by Mead Johnson Nutritionals (now owned by Bristol-Myers-Squibb), originally developed for those trying to gain weight. It quickly became popular among those trying to lose weight; one would drink Metrecal instead of lunch. (It is also kosher for Passover.) The Metrecal fad faded in the mid 1960s. In the late 1960s, Mead Johnson introduced a product called Nutrament, for those trying to gain weight: you would drink it in addition to your lunch. But Nutrament turned out to be the same product as Metrecal, with a different name. [Smitty]
Nepotism:
Nepotism is favoritism shown to relatives by those in power, as by giving them jobs. Literally, it means preference for one's nephews, and it originally referred to bishops, especially the pope, granting church offices to his nephews (as bishops, being celibate, were not supposed to have sons on whom to show favors). During the XVIII century most popes were particularly guilty of nepotism, so when Pope Benedict XIV, who was a very devout churchman,was not, Horace Greeley praised him as "a priest without insolence or interest, a prince without favorites, a pope without nephews." [Biggley]
Neurotic:
Neurotic comes from neuro-, from a Greek word for "nerve." It can also describe someone with neurotic behaviors, so you can think of a neurotic as someone who has a particularly bad case of nerves.
Parody:
A parody is a humorous or mocking imitation of something, using the same form as the original. To parody a poem, you have to write another poem. A parody is a form of humor that spoofs — or satirizes — something using the same form. For example, shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show" have parodied real newscasts by doing fake newscasts that look like the real thing. Whoever is President always gets parodied by various comedians and comedy writers. Anything in the public eye could be the victim of a parody.
Satire:
The Elks (officially Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: BPOE), founded in 1868, is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the country. Their local chapters are called lodges. The Shriners (officially Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine [A.A.O.N.M.S.]; the initials are probably an anagram of "A MASON"), another fraternal organization, was founded in 1872. The members wear the fez, and their chapters are called temples. All members are also master masons. They also operate the Shriners' Hospitals. ["Brotherhood of Man"]
Stouffer's:
Stouffer's opened their first restaurant in Cleveland in 1922. In the 1950s they began their frozen food operation. The company is now owned by Nestlé, the Swiss chocolate company. ["Been a Long Day"]
Tinkertoy: The Tinkertoy Construction Set is a toy construction set (in a way like an erector set) for children first created in 1914. The toy was designed after seeing children playing with pencils and empty spools of thread.
Unscrupulous:
Wicket:
This is a small gate or door (especially one that is part of a larger door) or a movable barrier in a fence or wall.
http://t_f_mcq.tripod.com/theater/H2S/htsibwrt_glossary.html
Satire is a way of making fun of people by using silly or exaggerated language. Politicians are easy targets for satire, especially when they're acting self-righteous or hypocritical. Even though the ridiculous language of satire isn't intended to be taken seriously, well-made satire can use mockery to get at more serious truths. Sometimes satire can even overtake reality: when the television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live presented a mock debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign season, the satire was so dead-on that it influenced the way people thought of the candidates.
Shriners:The Elks (officially Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: BPOE), founded in 1868, is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the country. Their local chapters are called lodges. The Shriners (officially Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine [A.A.O.N.M.S.]; the initials are probably an anagram of "A MASON"), another fraternal organization, was founded in 1872. The members wear the fez, and their chapters are called temples. All members are also master masons. They also operate the Shriners' Hospitals. ["Brotherhood of Man"]
Stouffer's:
Stouffer's opened their first restaurant in Cleveland in 1922. In the 1950s they began their frozen food operation. The company is now owned by Nestlé, the Swiss chocolate company. ["Been a Long Day"]
Tinkertoy: The Tinkertoy Construction Set is a toy construction set (in a way like an erector set) for children first created in 1914. The toy was designed after seeing children playing with pencils and empty spools of thread.
Unscrupulous:
Use the adjective unscrupulous to describe someone who behaves in a dishonest or unethical way. Unscrupulous behavior is the unfortunate resort of many ambitious people — it’s the immoral stuff they do to make success more attainable. When you sell someone bad loans, when you hack into your competition's accounts, when you read your roommate's mail for signs of an opportunity with his girlfriend, you're being unscrupulous.
The Untouchables:
This was a 1959 TV series based on the exploits of federal lawman Eliot Ness, who recruits an incorruptibly team to catch Chicago gangster Al Capone. Machine guns are part of their arsenal. Gatling was the inventor of a workable automatic gun. [Finch:]
Wicket:
This is a small gate or door (especially one that is part of a larger door) or a movable barrier in a fence or wall.
http://t_f_mcq.tripod.com/theater/H2S/htsibwrt_glossary.html
12a. Song titles (hint: listen for repeated words or
phrases in the song and guess the name of the
song if you don’t know the name):
|
|
==================================================================
Act I
==================================================================
• OVERTURE
==================================================================
• HOW TO SUCCEED- J. Pierpont Finch
Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm- Rosemary Pilkington
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/happytokeephisdinnerwarm.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePPgEdclgoA&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwjL_erNSbc&feature=relmfu
==================================================================
Coffee Break- Smitty, Bud Frump & Chorus
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/coffeebreak.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMAJLHKYotE&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMAJLHKYotE&feature=related
==================================================================
• THE COMPANY WAY- Finch & Twimble
==================================================================
• A SECRETARY IS NOT A TOY- Bratt, Bud & Men
.jpg)
• BEEN A LONG DAY (REPRISE)- Bud, J.B. Biggley & Hedy LaRue
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/parisoriginal.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_-MZsUEf6k&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo6W9zoA5VI&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGIRhX1QFe8&feature=related
==================================================================
• ROSEMARY- Finch & Rosemary
Strangely, Finch has this realization that he has fallen in love with Rosemary while kissing another woman (Love Epiphany).
• ACT I FINALE- Finch, Rosemary & Bud
==================================================================
Act II
Act I
==================================================================
• OVERTURE
==================================================================
• HOW TO SUCCEED- J. Pierpont Finch
==================================================================
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/happytokeephisdinnerwarm.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePPgEdclgoA&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwjL_erNSbc&feature=relmfu
==================================================================
Coffee Break- Smitty, Bud Frump & Chorus
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/coffeebreak.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMAJLHKYotE&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMAJLHKYotE&feature=related
==================================================================
• THE COMPANY WAY- Finch & Twimble
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/thecompanyway.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGhTr8lDCV0&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R1SkrSCUgs&feature=related
• THE COMPANY WAY (REPRISE)- Bud, Twimble & Companyvideo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGhTr8lDCV0&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R1SkrSCUgs&feature=related
==================================================================
• A SECRETARY IS NOT A TOY- Bratt, Bud & Men
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/asecretaryisnotatoy.htm
==================================================================
• BEEN A LONG DAY- Smitty, Finch & Rosemary
==================================================================
• GRAND OLD IVY (RIP THE CHIPMONK)- Finch & Biggley
This is modeled after a Football Fight Song.
==================================================================
Paris Original- Rosemary, Smitty, Mrs. Jones & Girlslyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/parisoriginal.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_-MZsUEf6k&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo6W9zoA5VI&feature=related
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGIRhX1QFe8&feature=related
==================================================================
• ROSEMARY- Finch & Rosemary
Strangely, Finch has this realization that he has fallen in love with Rosemary while kissing another woman (Love Epiphany).
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/rosemary.htm
video http://www.videosurf.com/video/robert-morse-rosemary-how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying-1967-1215607511
==================================================================video http://www.videosurf.com/video/robert-morse-rosemary-how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying-1967-1215607511
• ACT I FINALE- Finch, Rosemary & Bud
==================================================================
Act II
==================================================================
Cinderella, Darling- Smitty & Girls
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/cinderelladarling.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1wb1xZLRA&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqQ5CtpxPg&feature=related
==================================================================
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/cinderelladarling.htm
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1wb1xZLRA&feature=relmfu
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqQ5CtpxPg&feature=related
==================================================================
1995 revival replacement: How to Succeed (Reprise)
==================================================================
==================================================================
Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm (Reprise)- Rosemary
==================================================================
Love From a Heart of Gold- Biggley & Hedy
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/lovefromaheartofgold.htm
==================================================================
==================================================================
Love From a Heart of Gold- Biggley & Hedy
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/lovefromaheartofgold.htm
==================================================================
Finch sings "I Believe In You" to his reflection in the executive washroom mirror (Mirror Monologue).
"I Believe In You" (reprise) sung by Finch is combined with "Gotta Stop That Man"(sung by the
executives) creating a "Counterpoint Duet."
==================================================================
• BROTHERHOOD OF MAN- Finch, Wally Womper, Mrs. Jones & Men
Gospel Revival Number
.jpg)
Gospel Revival Number
.jpg)
lyrics http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/howtosucceedinbusinesswithoutreallytrying/brotherhoodofman.htm
video http://www.ovguide.com/anthony-'scooter'-teague-9202a8c04000641f800000000576eed8
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69WpCBLrdSQ&feature=related
video http://www.ovguide.com/anthony-'scooter'-teague-9202a8c04000641f800000000576eed8
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69WpCBLrdSQ&feature=related
==================================================================
• FINALE- Company
Book Ends Matching scenes at the beginning and end of a story, often to show how things have changed through the course of the episode, or to demonstrate that they haven't changed at all.
==================================================================
THESE SONGS ARE NOT IN THE FILM VERSION:
"Love From a Heart of Gold"
"Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm"
"Cinderella Darling"
"Paris Original"
"Coffee Break"
LINKS:
http://mosineecommunitytheatre.com/uploads/CharacterBreakdown.pdf
http://t_f_mcq.tripod.com/theater/H2S/htsibwrt_glossary.html
VARIATIONS ON "HOW TO SUCCEED"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QddnSQDYtKw&feature=related/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaTFGrEaGUg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceyoPY0uUms&feature=relmfu
Finch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njwzB8CtSYY&feature=relmfu
Mr. Biggley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiLMrIW-X6U&feature=related
Hedy LaRue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntKntdLzQHU&feature=relmfu
Rosemary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opW3teNFnI4&feature=relmfu
Frump http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um7zOjaiQ8c&feature=relmfu
Watch parts of the 1967 movie version on line:
4/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgQkoJ8j1kQ&feature=relmfu
5/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u36N5brvaxQ&feature=relmfu
6/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA8D0ccF8Kw&feature=relmfu
7/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzABdZnYiiY&feature=relmfu
8/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCVfiKFcQc&feature=relmfu
9/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1m64zgxuOI&feature=relmfu
13/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NvMaXn4hYk&feature=relmfu
Watch the entire 1967 movie version on line:
http://www.videosurf.com/video/how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying-1324802898
http://t_f_mcq.tripod.com/theater/H2S/htsibwrt_glossary.html
VARIATIONS ON "HOW TO SUCCEED"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QddnSQDYtKw&feature=related/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaTFGrEaGUg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceyoPY0uUms&feature=relmfu
Finch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njwzB8CtSYY&feature=relmfu
Mr. Biggley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiLMrIW-X6U&feature=related
Hedy LaRue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntKntdLzQHU&feature=relmfu
Rosemary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opW3teNFnI4&feature=relmfu
Frump http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um7zOjaiQ8c&feature=relmfu
Watch parts of the 1967 movie version on line:
4/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgQkoJ8j1kQ&feature=relmfu
5/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u36N5brvaxQ&feature=relmfu
6/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA8D0ccF8Kw&feature=relmfu
7/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzABdZnYiiY&feature=relmfu
8/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCVfiKFcQc&feature=relmfu
9/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1m64zgxuOI&feature=relmfu
13/13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NvMaXn4hYk&feature=relmfu
Watch the entire 1967 movie version on line:
http://www.videosurf.com/video/how-to-succeed-in-business-without-really-trying-1324802898
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
"You have an inborn gift for mailroomery."
"I've been enjoying myself so much I've forgotten that I'm depressed."
"Before applying for a job, make sure the company is a large one. This is essential. It should be large enough so that nobody really knows what the other fellow is doing."
"It takes a combination of skill, diplomacy, and bold caution."
"You take the average young person these days. I mean the trouble is they're looking for instant poetry, instant psychoanalysis, instant mashed potatoes, and instant old fashioned love. They don't realize it takes time to establish a meaningful relationship."
"If you have education, intelligence, and ability, so much the better. But, remember that thousands have reached the top without any of these qualities.
http://www.reellifewisdom.com/taxonomy/term/how_to_succeed_in_business_without_really_trying
"You have an inborn gift for mailroomery."
"I've been enjoying myself so much I've forgotten that I'm depressed."
"Before applying for a job, make sure the company is a large one. This is essential. It should be large enough so that nobody really knows what the other fellow is doing."
"It takes a combination of skill, diplomacy, and bold caution."
"You take the average young person these days. I mean the trouble is they're looking for instant poetry, instant psychoanalysis, instant mashed potatoes, and instant old fashioned love. They don't realize it takes time to establish a meaningful relationship."
"If you have education, intelligence, and ability, so much the better. But, remember that thousands have reached the top without any of these qualities.
http://www.reellifewisdom.com/taxonomy/term/how_to_succeed_in_business_without_really_trying
J. B. Biggley: I like the way you thinch, Fink.
[Long pause] J. Pierpont Finch: That's "think, Finch."
[Long pause] J. Pierpont Finch: That's "think, Finch."
J. Pierpont Finch: Be patient? Don't you realize I've been working here... well, two whole hours now?
J. Pierpont Finch: What are you taking that down in?
Hedy LaRue: Long hand. It's safer. I make up for it when I type.
J. Pierpont Finch: Oh, you type fast.
Hedy LaRue: Like a jack rabbit - 12 words a minute.
Hedy LaRue: Long hand. It's safer. I make up for it when I type.
J. Pierpont Finch: Oh, you type fast.
Hedy LaRue: Like a jack rabbit - 12 words a minute.
J. B. Biggley: I realize that I'm the president of this company, the man that's responsible for everything that goes on here. So, I want to state, right now, that anything that happened is not my fault.
TV Announcer: A day without a wicket is like a day without sunshine.
J. Pierpont Finch: Mediocrity is not a mortal sin.
Mr. Twimble: Last month I became a quarter-of-a-century man.
J. Pierpont Finch:Oh, that's beautiful, a quarter-of-a-century.
Mr. Twimble: Quarter-of-a-century.
J. Pierpont Finch: How
long have you been in the mail room?
Mr. Twimble: Twenty-five years. It's not easy to get this medal. It takes a combination of skill, diplomacy, and bold caution.
J. Pierpont Finch:Oh, that's beautiful, a quarter-of-a-century.
Mr. Twimble: Quarter-of-a-century.
J. Pierpont Finch: How
long have you been in the mail room?
Mr. Twimble: Twenty-five years. It's not easy to get this medal. It takes a combination of skill, diplomacy, and bold caution.
Mr. Twimble: You never told me you hired your nephew.
J. B. Biggley: I never showed him any favoritism; in fact, I hate him.
Mr. Twimble: But you love his ideas.
J. B. Biggley: No. When he first told me the idea, told him it was a lousy idea. When Finch brought it to me, I still said it was a lousy idea. In fact, I told Finch it was a lousy idea.
Mr. Twimble: Why did you buy it?
J. B. Biggley: Seemed like a good idea.
J. B. Biggley: I never showed him any favoritism; in fact, I hate him.
Mr. Twimble: But you love his ideas.
J. B. Biggley: No. When he first told me the idea, told him it was a lousy idea. When Finch brought it to me, I still said it was a lousy idea. In fact, I told Finch it was a lousy idea.
Mr. Twimble: Why did you buy it?
J. B. Biggley: Seemed like a good idea.