The Music Man (1962)

Harold Hill poses as a boys' band leader to con naive Iowa townsfolk.

Director:

Morton DaCosta

Writers:

Meredith Willson (based on: "The Music Man"), Franklin Lacey (written in collaboration with)

Stars:

Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
The Buffalo Bills	...	School Board
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

Storyline

It's the early twentieth century American Midwest. A con man currently going by the assumed name Harold Hill has used several different schemes to bilk the unsuspecting, and now travels from town to town pretending to be a professor of music - from Gary (Indiana) Conservatory of Music, class of '05 - who solves all the respective towns' youth problems by forming boys' marching bands. He takes money from the townsfolk to buy instruments, music, instructional materials, and uniforms for their sons. However, in reality he has no degree and knows nothing about music, and after all the materials arrive and are distributed, he absconds with all the money, never to be seen again. Many of the traveling salesmen in the territory have been negatively impacted by him, as the townsfolk then become suspicious of any stranger trying to sell them something. For Harold's scheme to work, he must gain the trust of the local music teacher, usually by wooing her, regardless of her appearance. And if the ...

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | librarian | iowa | marching band | uniform | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Meredith Willson's The Music Man

Filming Locations:

Kings Row, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,240,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,953,846

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

151 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) DTS SDDS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the diner, Harold Hill attempts to remember a William Shakespeare quote: "Cowards die a thousand deaths, the brave man... only 500," to which Marian replies "something like that." The quote he looks for is from "Julius Caesar", Act 2, Scene 2, when Gaio Giulio Cesare says, "Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once."

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Goofs

In the opening musical number, "Rock Island", sung by traveling salesmen aboard a moving railroad car, the salesmen are jiggling up and down to the rhythm of the train. But the car and the scenery outside are perfectly steady, revealing that the salesmen are actually dancing, not being joggled by the train.

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Quotes

Marian Paroo: No, please, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Harold Hill: Oh, my dear little librarian. You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering.
Marian Paroo: Oh, so would I.

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits appear in the style of a Broadway show's curtain call. First the minor characters are shown with the performers' names. The credits then progress through the cast ending with the lead.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: High School Big Shot (1994)

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Soundtracks

If You Don't Mind My Saying So
(1957) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Performed by Shirley Jones and Pert Kelton in the "Piano Lesson" number

User Reviews

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.