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IMDbPro

The Music Man

  • 19621962
  • GG
  • 2h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford, Hermione Gingold, Shirley Jones, Pert Kelton, and Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer0:55
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Family
  • Musical
Traveling con artist Harold Hill targets the naïve residents of a small town in 1910s Iowa by posing as a boys' band leader to raise money before he can skip town.Traveling con artist Harold Hill targets the naïve residents of a small town in 1910s Iowa by posing as a boys' band leader to raise money before he can skip town.Traveling con artist Harold Hill targets the naïve residents of a small town in 1910s Iowa by posing as a boys' band leader to raise money before he can skip town.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Morton DaCosta
  • Writers
    • Meredith Willson(based on: "The Music Man")
    • Franklin Lacey(written in collaboration with)
    • Marion Hargrove(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Preston
    • Shirley Jones
    • Buddy Hackett
Top credits
  • Director
    • Morton DaCosta
  • Writers
    • Meredith Willson(based on: "The Music Man")
    • Franklin Lacey(written in collaboration with)
    • Marion Hargrove(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Preston
    • Shirley Jones
    • Buddy Hackett
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 154User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Music Man
    Trailer 0:55
    The Music Man

    Photos114

    Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold in The Music Man (1962)
    Hermione Gingold, Peggy Mondo, Robert Preston, and Sara Seegar in The Music Man (1962)
    Robert Preston and The Buffalo Bills in The Music Man (1962)
    Shirley Jones and Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Shirley Jones and Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Morton DaCosta, Robert Preston, and Meredith Willson in The Music Man (1962)
    Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
    Bradford Craig, Bruce Hoy, Elaine Joyce, Gary Menteer, Robert Preston, and Eileen Diamond in The Music Man (1962)
    Bradford Craig, Bruce Hoy, Shirley Jones, Bert May, Gary Menteer, and Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Preston
    Robert Preston
    • Harold Hillas Harold Hill
    Shirley Jones
    Shirley Jones
    • Marian Parooas Marian Paroo
    Buddy Hackett
    Buddy Hackett
    • Marcellus Washburnas Marcellus Washburn
    Hermione Gingold
    Hermione Gingold
    • Eulalie Mackechnie Shinnas Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn
    Paul Ford
    Paul Ford
    • Mayor George Shinnas Mayor George Shinn
    Pert Kelton
    Pert Kelton
    • Mrs. Parooas Mrs. Paroo
    The Buffalo Bills
    • School Boardas School Board
    Vern Reed
    • Jacey Squiresas Jacey Squires
    • (as The Buffalo Bills)
    Ron Howard
    Ron Howard
    • Winthrop Parooas Winthrop Paroo
    • (as Ronny Howard)
    Al Shea
    • Ewart Dunlopas Ewart Dunlop
    • (as The Buffalo Bills)
    Bill Spangenberg
    • Olin Brittas Olin Britt
    • (as The Buffalo Bills)
    Wayne Ward
    • Oliver Hixas Oliver Hix
    • (as The Buffalo Bills)
    Timmy Everett
    • Tommy Djilasas Tommy Djilas
    Susan Luckey
    Susan Luckey
    • Zaneeta Shinnas Zaneeta Shinn
    Harry Hickox
    Harry Hickox
    • Charlie Cowellas Charlie Cowell
    Charles Lane
    Charles Lane
    • Constable Lockeas Constable Locke
    Mary Wickes
    Mary Wickes
    • Mrs. Squiresas Mrs. Squires
    Sara Seegar
    Sara Seegar
    • Maud Dunlopas Maud Dunlop
    • Director
      • Morton DaCosta
    • Writers
      • Meredith Willson(based on: "The Music Man")
      • Franklin Lacey(written in collaboration with)
      • Marion Hargrove(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In Joanie Gets Wheels (1980), Howard and Marion Cunningham are coming out of a movie theater; they pause in the lobby and look at the poster for "The Music Man". Marion comments how much the little boy in the movie (Winthrop) "looks so much like Richie did when he was little". Both Winthrop and Richie were played by Ron Howard.
    • Goofs
      Twice when Harold Hill first arrives in River City, mountains are seen in the background. There are no mountains like that in eastern Iowa where River City is supposed to be.
    • 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.

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into Right Here in River City: The Making of Meredith Willson's 'The Music Man' (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Main Title
      (1957) (uncredited)

      Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson

      Performed by Ray Heindorf and the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra

    User reviews154

    Review
    Top review
    But he doesn't know the territory!
    It seems redundant to add my comments when so many people have already done justice to it, but I'm still in the glow of having finally seen this movie as God intended--in Cinemascope! When I saw it long ago on TV, I was struck by how unusual it was but kept noticing certain distracting bits around the edge of the screen--it was the fade-outs and split-screen effects I was missing! Watch this film in letterboxed form ONLY please--it's visually, musically and dramatically innovative.

    Its splendors have already been mentioned. I add two minor treats: 1) appearance of lanky character actor Hank Worden (of "The Searchers" and "Twin Peaks") as the undertaker, and 2) script so full of bizarre slang and expressions, it's as if P.G. Wodehouse or Damon Runyan were writing turn-of-the-century Americana.

    My two carps are minor: I would have told Morton Da Costa to lose all the heavy-handed cutaways to the train wheels ("Rock Island") and chickens ("Pick a Little, Talk a Little") because we already got the point, and Ron Howard's cute lithp is a turn-off for me, but I never like cute kids. However, he's good at the climax, and when Shirley Jones hears him singing "Wells Fargo Wagon" and tears the evidence against Harold Hill out of the book (a librarian!), it's one of the most convincing turnarounds in musical history. Especially because she's still not fooled by the hucksterism, she just perceives it differently in comparison with the easily manipulated small-towners around her. She realizes that he's selling hope and joy despite himself ("There's always a band.") And when she just thanks him for his gift ("Till There Was You") and doesn't mind if he flees, of course he realizes he would be insane to leave. Another heartfelt turnaround.

    One of the most graceful musicals, marked by blurring of the line between straight dialogue and songs--as the line "there was love all around but I never heard it singing" implies, you can hear the singing if you listen for it in the world. It's in the trains and the chickens and the bands you hear in your head and the pride in your children playing that clarinet by the "think system." Moving.
    helpful•14
    3
    • michael.e.barrett
    • Feb 28, 2001

    FAQ4

    • What is 'The Music Man' about?
    • Is 'The Music Man' based on a book?
    • What is the origin of Zaneeta Shinn's expression "ye gods" and what does it mean?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 19, 1962 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Meredith Willson's The Music Man
    • Filming locations
      • Midwest Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,240,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 31 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • SDDS
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1
      • 2.39 : 1

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    Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford, Hermione Gingold, Shirley Jones, Pert Kelton, and Robert Preston in The Music Man (1962)
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