“But, of course, the main thrust of satire is delivered by Mr. Morse and Mr. Vallee—Mr. Morse as the lad who climbs the ladder and Mr. Vallee as the lunkhead on top. Seeing Mr. Morse in close-ups, as those wily expressions cross on his face and those wicked designs of Pal Joey gleam in his Horatio Alger-character eyes, is better (and I’m not chauvanistic) than seeing him on the stage. And Mr. Vallee—well, I can say nothing nicer than that he continues to improve with age.”

—1967 NYT review 

In the number “A Secretary is Not a Toy”  you can see an uncanny resemblence to the Sterling Cooper floor plan as the men in gray suits stroll up and down the rows of steno machines reminding one another that

A secretary is not to be
Used for play therapy.
Be good to the girl you employ, boy.
Remember no matter what
Neurotic trouble you’ve got
A secretary is not a toy. 

She’s a highly specialized key component
Of operational unity,
A fine and sensitive mechanism
To serve the office community.
With a mother at home she supports;
And you’ll find nothing like her at FAO Schwarz.

These play was produced in 1961.  The Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Book; Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Drama Critics Circle Award were all snagged by it before the movie version came out in 1967. Aspirational lyricism!

I have a confession to a make, you guys.

A few times when I’ve mentioned this blog and the book and the show, before I can finish the sentence some one will blurt out “OH! IT’S LIKE ‘HOW TO SUCCEED IS BUSINESS WITHOUT TRYING!” 

And I say, “Sure! I guess!..?”

I haven’t seen the musical since I was a tot, I remembered men in suits singing (one of them happening to be Robert Morse aka Bert Cooper at an insurance office and some flowy skirts) but until now haven’t really gotten around to re watching it. 

The design..

The interiors…

Robert Morse singing….

Moral of the story: WHAT AN ABSOLUTE FOOL I HAVE BEEN!

PREPARE FOR A SLIGHT DELUGE!