The Music Man [Blu-ray]

Director: Morton DaCosta

Overview

After nearly 900 performances on stage, the hit Broadway musical and play The Music Man comes to the big screen. Harold Hill (Robert Preston) is a traveling con man who lands in River City, Iowa in the year 1912. He alerts the town to the evils of the poolhall and the potential to corrupt the town's youth. The solution is to form a musical band and put musical instruments instead of pool cues in the hands of the moppets. He convinces the townsfolk to give him plenty of money to buy marching band uniforms and musical merchandise. He meets fellow con man Marcellus Washburn (Buddy Hackett) who aids in the scheme. Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones) is the local librarian suspicious of Harold's motives. Harold doesn't know a thing about music, but has a system where wishing will make it so. Hill is almost whisked off to jail when a fellow con man warns Marian of the possible scam. Hill also does nothing to endear himself to Mayor Shinn (Paul Ford) who happens to own the pool hall of such disrepute. The Music Man is a colorful slice of nostalgic Americana and the song and dance film was nominated for Best Picture. Ray Heindorf won an Oscar for his musical direction. Memorable songs from the production include the finale "76 Trombones", "Till There Was You" and "Gary, Indiana." In one of the most glaring omissions by the Motion Picture Academy, Preston was not even nominated for his brilliant, memorable performance. This role marked one of the many highlight of his long and distinguished career, and his name is synonymous with the film. The classic was produced and directed by Morton DaCosta, who performed in similar capacity on the stage play.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/02/2010
UPC:	0883929095810
Original Release:	1962
Rating:	G
Source:	Warner Home Video
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	2:31:00
Sales rank:	12,231

Special Features

Featurette; Right here in River City: the making of; Meredith Wilson's the Music Man; Introduction by Shirley Jones; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Robert Preston	Prof. Harold Hill
Shirley Jones	Marian Paroo
Paul Ford	Mayor Shinn
Buddy Hackett	Marcellus Washburn
Hermione Gingold	Eulalie Shinn
Pert Kelton	Mrs. Paroo
Timmy Everett	Tommy
Susan Luckey	Zaneeta Shinn
Ronny Howard	Winthrop Paroo,Oscar Jackson
Harry Hickox	Charlie Cowell
Ewart Dunlop	The Buffalo Bill
Oliver Hix	The Buffalo Bill
Jacey Squires	The Buffalo Bill
Olin Britt	The Buffalo Bill
Charles Lane	Constable Locke
Mary Wickes	Mrs. Squires
Monique Vermont	Amaryllis
Ronnie Dapo	Norbert Smith
Jesslyn Fax	Avis Grubb
Patty Lee Hilka	Gracie Shinn
Garry Potter	Dewey
Delos Jewkes	Harley MacCauley
Ray Kellogg	Harry Joseph
William Fawcett	Lester Lonnergan
Roy Dean	Gilbert Hawthorne
David Swain	Chet Glanville
Arthur Mills	Herbert Malthouse
Rand Barker	Duncan Shyball
Jeannine Burnier	Jessie Shyball
Shirley Claire	Amy Dakin
Natalie Core	Truthful Smith
Therese Lyon	Dolly Higgins
Penelope Martin	Lila O'Brink
Barbara Pepper	Feril Hawkes
Anne Loos	Stella Jackson
Peggy Wynne	Ada Nutting
Hank Worden	Undertaker
Milton Parsons	Farmer
Natalie Masters	Farmer's Wife
Percy Helton	Conductor
The Buffalo Bills	Jacey Squires; Olin Britt; Ewart Dunlo
Peggy Mondo	Actor
Max Showalter	Actor
Ray Heindorf	Composer

Technical Credits

Marion Hargrove

Morton Da Costa	Producer
Marion Hargrove	Screenwriter
George Groves	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Meredith Wilson’s 1957 Broadway smash The Music Man was a big, brass-band valentine to small-town America at the turn of the 20th century. And the film, which followed five years later, is among the most exuberant, old-fashioned delights from the waning days of the Hollywood musical’s golden age. Robert Preston conducts himself splendidly as Prof. Harold Hill, a traveling salesman with a scheme to form a boys' marching band and sell River City yokels the uniforms and gear. Alas, the town’s lovely librarian, Marian (Shirley Jones), smells a rat; and Hill’s efforts to charm her by drawing her awkward little brother (Ron Howard) out of his shell lead to the ersatz professor’s unlikely delivery from the dark side. The film’s impeccable cast includes Paul Ford as River City's confounded mayor, Hermione Gingold as his "Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little" biddy of a wife, and Buddy Hackett as Hill's former partner in crime. "76 Trombones" leads the big parade of showstoppers, including "Till There Was You," "Marian the Librarian," “Gary, Indiana," and "Trouble." Speaking of trouble right here in River City, the revealing making-of documentary included on the Special Edition DVD notes that Jones was pregnant during most of the production, necessitating various shoot-arounds. Another fun fact from the 30-minute documentary: The studio wanted Frank Sinatra for the title role, but the musical's composer, Meredith Wilson, insisted that without Preston, who made the role his own on Broadway, there would be no movie. Like the wish-fulfilling contents of "The Wells Fargo Wagon," The Music Man remains something very, very special.