The Music Man (1962)

Director:

Morton DaCosta

Writers:

Meredith Willson (book) and
Franklin Lacey (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 June 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy | Family | Romance

Tagline:

The story of that man and his 76 trombones, and the wonderful, wonderful tune he played on every heart in town!

Plot:

A con man comes to a Midwestern town with a scam using a boy's marching band program, but things don't go according to plan.

Plot Keywords:

Marching Band | Librarian | Love | Billiards | Iowa

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Robert Preston	...	Harold Hill
Shirley Jones	...	Marian Paroo
Buddy Hackett	...	Marcellus Washburn
Hermione Gingold	...	Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn
Paul Ford	...	Mayor George Shinn
Pert Kelton	...	Mrs. Paroo
Timmy Everett	...	Tommy Djilas
Susan Luckey	...	Zaneeta Shinn
Ron Howard	...	Winthrop Paroo (as Ronny Howard)
Harry Hickox	...	Charlie Cowell
Charles Lane	...	Constable Locke
Mary Wickes	...	Mrs. Squires
Sara Seegar	...	Maud Dunlop
Adnia Rice	...	Alma Hix
Peggy Mondo	...	Ethel Toffelmier
Jesslyn Fax	...	Avis Grubb
Monique Vermont	...	Amaryllis
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vern Reed	...	Jacey Squires (as The Buffallo Bills)
Al Shea	...	Ewart Dunlop (as The Buffalo Bills)
Bill Spangenberg	...	Olin Britt (as The Buffalo Bills)
Wayne Ward	...	Oliver Hix (as The Buffalo Bills)
Rand Barker	...	Duncan Shyball (uncredited)
Charles Alvin Bell	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Jeannine Burnier	...	Jessie Shyball (uncredited)
Shirley Claire	...	Amy Dakin (uncredited)
Natalie Core	...	Truthful Smith (uncredited)
Ronnie Dapo	...	Norbert Smith (uncredited)
Roy Dean	...	Gilbert Hawthorne (uncredited)
Eileen Diamond	...	Dancer (uncredited)
William Fawcett	...	Lester Lonnergan (uncredited)
Percy Helton	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
Patty Lee Hilka	...	Gracie Shinn (uncredited)
Rance Howard	...	Oscar Jackson (uncredited)
Delos Jewkes	...	Harley MacCauley (uncredited)
Elaine Joyce	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ray Kellogg	...	Harry Joseph (uncredited)
Ann Loos	...	Stella Jackson (uncredited)
Robert Lyons	...	Band member (uncredited)
Therese Lyon	...	Dolly Higgins (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Penelope Martin	...	Lila O'Brink (uncredited)
Natalie Masters	...	Farmer's wife (uncredited)
Arthur Mills	...	Herbert Malthouse (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Farmer (Iowa Stubborn) (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Feril Hawkes (Snapping Beans) (uncredited)
Charles Percheskly	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Gary Potter	...	Dewey Malthouse (uncredited)
Maudie Prickett	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Larry Steven Randel	...	Band member (uncredited)
Max Showalter	...	Salesman on the train (uncredited)
David Swain	...	Chet Glanville (uncredited)
Larri Thomas	...	High School Girl (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Undertaker (uncredited)
Peggy Wynne	...	Ada Nutting (uncredited)

Directed by
Morton DaCosta

Writing credits
Meredith Willson		(book) and
Franklin Lacey		(book)
Marion Hargrove		(screenplay)

Produced by
Morton DaCosta	....	producer
Joel Freeman	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(as William Ziegler)

Art Direction by
Paul Groesse

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins
Phil A. Ankrom		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist
Myrl Stoltz	....	hair stylist: Miss Jones
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Joel Freeman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Llewellyn	....	assistant director

Sound Department
M.A. Merrick	....	sound
Dolph Thomas	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fuca	....	assistant set costumer (uncredited)

Music Department
Frank Comstock	....	orchestrator
Ray Heindorf	....	conductor
Ray Heindorf	....	music supervisor
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestrator
Charles Henderson	....	music arranger: vocal arrangements
Gus Levene	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Kermit Bloomgarden	....	stage producer
Herbert Greene	....	associate stage producer
Tom Panko	....	assistant choreographer
Onna White	....	choreographer
Robert E. Blair	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (video)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Frank Productions  stage production in association with

Also Known As:

Meredith Willson's The Music Man (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

151 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #19903) (original rating) | USA:G (1985) (re-rating) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The marching bands of the University of California and the University of Southern California were drafted in for the final parade scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: The final parade sequence is filmed on both sunny and overcast days.

Quotes:

Harold Hill: Mothers of River City, heed that warning before it's too late! Watch for the telltale signs of corruption! The minute your son leaves the house, does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee? Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger? A dime-novel hidden in the corncrib? Is he starting to memorize jokes from Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang? Are certain words creeping into his conversation? Words like "swell" and "so's your old man"? If so my friends, ya got trouble!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mork & Mindy: Mork vs. the Necrotons: Part 1 (#2.11)" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Till There Was You

this is what musicals are all about

bright, fun, colorful, unforgettable songs, likeable characters, great choreography, true to the time period, and i'd like to see anyone try to find an actor blend so naturally into a character as robert preston.