The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

AJ Carothers (story)
Jim Cash (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 April 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

There's no such thing as an overnight success. Brantley Foster took two weeks.

Plot:

A talented young man can't get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.

Plot Keywords:

Corporation | Limousine | Mailroom | Husband Wife Relationship | Blockbuster

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Michael J. Fox	...	Brantley Foster / Carlton Whitfield
Helen Slater	...	Christy Wills
Richard Jordan	...	Howard Prescott
Margaret Whitton	...	Vera Prescott
John Pankow	...	Fred Melrose
Christopher Murney	...	Barney Rattigan
Gerry Bamman	...	Art Thomas
Fred Gwynne	...	Donald Davenport
Carol Ann Susi	...	Jean (as Carol-Ann Susi)
Elizabeth Franz	...	Grace Foster
Drew Snyder	...	Burt Foster
Susan Kellermann	...	Maureen
Barton Heyman	...	Arnold Forbush
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Sheila
Ira Wheeler	...	Owens (as Ira B. Wheeler)
Ashley J. Laurence	...	Vernon S. Fletcher
Rex Robbins	...	McMasters
Christopher Durang	...	Davis
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Ferguson
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Ron
Jack Davidson	...	Davidson
John Bowman	...	Proctor
Jeff Brooks	...	Executive
Ascanio Sharpe	...	Executive
Don Amendolia	...	Executive
Judith Malina	...	Mrs. Meacham
Mary Catherine Wright	...	Research Department Clerk
Joseph Ragno	...	Shipping Executive
Burke Pearson	...	Fired Executive
Ray Ramirez	...	Liquor Store Owner
Gloria Irizarry	...	Wife of Liquor Store Owner
Mark Margolis	...	Maintenence Man
Rick Aviles	...	Maintenance Man
John Capodice	...	Man in KRS Building (as John C. Capodice)
Sally-Jane Heit	...	Woman in KRS Building
Richard Arthur Gallo	...	Harried KRS Executive
Luis Ramos	...	Cuban
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cindy Crawford	...	Herself (uncredited)
R. Emmett Fitzsimmons	...	(uncredited)
Elain R. Graham	...	(uncredited)
Bruce McGill	...	Unnamed employer (uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits
AJ Carothers		(story)
Jim Cash		(screenplay) &
Jack Epps Jr.		(screenplay)
AJ Carothers		screenplay

Produced by
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	line producer
David Chasman	....	executive producer
Nora Kaye	....	associate producer
Herbert Ross	....	producer

Original Music by
David Foster

Cinematography by
Carlo Di Palma		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Production Design by
Peter S. Larkin		(as Peter Larkin)
Edward Pisoni

Set Decoration by
Susan Bode

Costume Design by
Joseph G. Aulisi

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup artist
Joseph Coscia	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Louis D'Esposito	....	second assistant director
Robert V. Girolami	....	first assistant director
Danny Irom	....	dga trainee
Jane Paul	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Caroff	....	graphic artist
John R. Ford	....	props
Robert Griffon Jr.	....	props
Robert Griffon Sr.	....	set dresser
Ken Kammerer	....	set dresser
Walter Stocklin	....	property master
Catherine Tambini	....	production assistant to art department
Donna Tonery	....	set dresser
Richard A. Ventre	....	scenic chargeman (as Dick Ventre)
Manny Sanchez	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lon Bender	....	supervising sound editor (as Lon E. Bender)
Anna Boorstin	....	sound editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Joe Gilbert	....	adr editor
Stan Gilbert	....	supervising adr editor
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Randy Kelley	....	sound editor
Larry Kemp	....	sound editor
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Sabat	....	sound mixer (as Jim Sabat)
Louis Sabat	....	boom operator
Wylie Stateman	....	supervising sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Webb	....	sound re-recordist (as Timmy Webb)
Hugo Weng	....	sound editor
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor

Stunts
Danny Aiello III	....	stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts (as Billy Anagnos)
Nicholas J. Giangiulio	....	stunts (as Nicholas Giangiulio)
Lance Guecia	....	stunts
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Victor Magnotta	....	stunt coordinator (as Vic Magnotta)
Victor Magnotta	....	stunts
Edgard Mourino	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunts
Konrad Sheehan	....	stunts
Gary Tacon	....	stunts
Tom Wright	....	stunts
Charles Croughwell	....	stunt double: Michael J. Fox (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Buck	....	key grip
Michael Caracciolo	....	camera trainee
Jack Coffen	....	electrician (as John Coffen)
Michael J. Fabiano	....	grip (as Michael Fabiano Jr.)
Kevin Fitzpatrick	....	electrician
Tom Gilligan	....	dolly grip (as Thomas Gilligan)
Michael Green	....	first assistant camera
Michael J. Kammerer	....	grip (as Michael Kammerer)
Jay Levy	....	second assistant camera
James Malone	....	best boy (as Jim Malone)
Frances 'Buddy' McBride	....	electrician
Patrick McGrath	....	grip
Michael Stone	....	camera operator
William Ward	....	gaffer (as Billy Ward)
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Mary Colquhoun	....	casting: New York
Hank McCann	....	casting: Los Angeles
Joy Todd	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Christians	....	wardrobe: men
Jennifer Nichols	....	wardrobe: women

Editorial Department
Adam Bernardi	....	assistant film editor
John Murray	....	assistant film editor
Peck Prior	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Jeb Brien	....	music supervisor
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	supervising music editor (as Daniel A. Carlin)
David Foster	....	executive music producer
Tommy Mottola	....	music supervisor
Andrew Silver	....	assistant music editor

Other crew
Deedee Bail	....	assistant: Herbert Ross
Richard Baratta	....	location assistant
Lucius Barre	....	unit publicist
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor
Timothy M. Bourne	....	location manager (as Timothy Bourne)
Michael Clark	....	production assistant to location department
Michael Colberg	....	assistant: Mary Colquhoun
Barbara Heller	....	production assistant to location department
Jay Holman	....	production assistant: Herbert Ross
Jennie Maresca	....	payroll auditor
Kathleen McGill	....	production auditor
Jane Raab	....	production office coordinator
Steve Sanderson	....	production assistant to location department
Jennifer W. Shore	....	assistant production office coordinator (as Jennifer Wyckoff Shore)
Matilde Valera	....	assistant auditor
Janet Weiss	....	assistant: Nora Kaye
Marc Baron	....	double: John Pankow (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rastar Pictures (as A Rastar Production)
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures

Other Companies

• Goldwyn Sound Facility  re-recording
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Universal Title  opticals

Also Known As:

The Secret of My Success (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Italy:T | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

101 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Rastar Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo: [Cindy Crawford]during the opening credit sequence; she's the third of four models who turns her head in rapid succession.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Brantley is watching out of the window in his uncle's company, we see that someone is walking through the hallway towards him. In the next sequence from another angle, we expect the person to pass Brantley, but there's no one there and nowhere for them to go even if they were.

Quotes:

Barney Rattigan: Any questions?
Brantley Foster aka Carlton Whitfield: Yeah, what do I call you?
Barney Rattigan: You call me God.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) (VG)

Soundtrack:

COME GET MY LOVE

Typically eighties, but worth watching thanks to Michael J. Fox

The eighties, the decade of ugly clothes and hairstyles, bad music and easily forgettable movies. But there is one positive aspect about that decade and that is Michael J. Fox. He's probably one of the few actors who started his movie career at those days who I still admire. He's still nice to watch, especially in light weighted comedies like this one.

In fact, the title "The Secret of My Succe$s" already says enough about what you can expect from this movie (also notice the little dollar sign in the title), but I'll give a short resume anyway. It shows how Brantley Foster, a talented and well-educated young man coming from rural Kansas, goes to New York to find a suiting job and a nice girlfriend. But he isn't very successful, no company wants to hire him, because he doesn't have any experience. Before leaving Kansas for the Big Apple, his father had bought him a return ticket home and his mother gave him the address of his in New York living uncle, Howard Prescott, just in case when he should need some help. But what Foster didn't know is that his uncle runs a multi-million-dollar company. When he pays him a visit, he gets a job ... in the mail room. But then he meets Christy Wills, who happens to be one of the top executives. Believing that the best way to win her over is by posing as an executive, Brantley decides to take a position under the name Carlton Whitfield and of course things soon start to get completely out of hand...

I admit that this movie is as 'eighties' as you can get them. I'm pretty sure that no-one of todays directors would be able to make it exactly the way it looks, because they don't write scripts like that anymore and there are no more actors like Fox. The man that comes closest for this kind of role is probably Jim Carrey, but even then you would get a completely different kind of movie. It's probably thanks to Michael J. Fox, who is really very nice in this movie, that I forgot about most of its flaws. Once again he's the boyish, sweet guy and that's probably the best thing this movie has to offer. If it hadn't been for him, almost no-one would ever have seen the movie or would still remember it because the story isn't special and it's too typical for that time period.

All in all this is a fast-paced comedy full of typical eighties clichés, but it works thanks to Michael J. Fox's performance and that's why I still give it a 7/10.