The Music Man | | Cast : | Robert Preston, Shirley Jones | | Director : | Morton DaCosta | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | June 19, 1962 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | G (General Audience) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 14, 2005 | | Summary | "THIS ISN'T EVEN DUBUQUE!" | Content
 | "The Music Man" is, for my money, the definitive piece of musical Americana. It's also my all-time favorite Hollywood musical, a movie I've loved every minute of ever since I first saw it in my hometown theater at age 7 or so. Now, thanks to this excellent DVD, everyone who loves great musicals can enjoy
it.
What makes "The Music Man" so special? That's easy: the great Meredith Willson and his rollicking, rousing, hilarious songs, story and script (the latter faithfully adapted by Hollywood veteran Marion "See Here, Private" Hargrove). Nobody ever wrote better, wittier or livelier comic patter songs, and nobody delivered them better than Robert Preston- who, nearly half a century after his Broadway debut and many years after his death, IS Professor Harold Hill. Preston still bursts through your screen with his confident, exuberant and mesmerizing turn as the world's most famous flim-flam man, that wannabe bandleader who jumps the train to put one over on those straitlaced rubes from River City, Iowa. I still think "Trouble In River City" is the greatest comic number of its kind ever, and if "Seventy-Six Trombones" doesn't get you marching around the room, go call your local funeral director. "The Wells Fargo Wagon", "Gary, Indiana", "Pick-A-Little"- it just never stops. What a clever, unique lyricist Willson was! Of course, he wrote lovely ballads here too: "Goodnight, My Someone", "Till There Was You" (legitimized by the Beatles, of all people, who sang it on their "Ed Sullivan" debut), and my lifelong barbershop favorite, "Lida Rose".
Preston isn't the only one who delivers the goods on this fabulous score. Shirley Jones was a huge musical star by now (and an Oscar-winning dramatic actress too); she's just right as the prim-and-proper Marian, madame librarian and piano teacher, who happens to sing like an angel even if she sees Hill's game right away. I love her "Will I Ever Tell You" counterpoint to "Lida Rose". Little Ronny Howard, then known as "Opie" from "Andy Griffith" and decades away from becoming a beloved movie director, is great as lisping, towheaded Winthrop (who gets to sing parts of "Gary, Indiana" and "Wells Fargo"). Even Buddy Hackett, whose mush-mouthed Flatbush accent sounds way out of place in this heartland setting, does his best as Hill's old buddy Marcellus as he introduces "Shipoopi", the big square dance number at the ice cream social.
Most of the supporting cast were well-worn comic character actors who'd been around forever and fit the turn-of-the-century, "American Gothic" (look for the sight gag based on that Iowa icon) setting perfectly: Paul Ford as the scatter-brained, huffy mayor; Hermione Gingold as his stuck-up wife (I love how she says "BALL-zak!"); Pert Kelton as homespun Mrs. Paroo; and the Buffalo Bills- not the football team, but one of America's great barbershop quartets (named for their hometown)- who add old-time vaudeville intros to their precious, old-time harmonies.
This movie runs 2 1/2 hours but doesn't slow down for a minute. In addition, the widescreen presentation allows for clear, bright looks at the lively dance numbers and gingerbread-
Midwest settings. A nice old-timey touch was added by director Morton DaCosta, better known for his excellent stage work capped by this original Broadway show; he employed the silent-era "iris"
shot to give Hill and Marian a quaint, yet warm, "footlight" glow as their numbers fade out.
There's also a nice half-hour feature on the movie (and stage play)'s history, featuring the still-gracious Shirley Jones
(Preston passed away in the '80s). Onna White, the choreographer on both versions, also appears; her work took weeks, and it shows. Who else pulled off a delicate, ten-minute soft shoe in a library? Oddly enough, Warner wanted Sinatra- Sinatra!- for the Hill role. But Willson was "Iowa Stubborn" enough, she says, to say "No Preston, no picture". Can you imagine Ol' Blue Eyes in that band outfit? Me, neither. It's also well-known that Shirley was very pregnant while doing this movie. The answer? Well, check out the July 4th pageant scenes and the slide that gets slipped into the "Columbia" number!
There's a reason- actually, a lot of reasons- why "The Music Man" is still staged, revived, remade and loved even by the most jaded, sophisticated "blue-state" audiences. But why should I tell you what they are? Go rent or get this DVD for yourself. There's no better musical Americana! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 09, 2005 | | Summary | A Musical Classic | Content
| If you love brass bands, you will be taken in by con man Professor Harold Hill (Robert Preston). Shirley Jones' early role is a charmer! We need upbeat entertainment more than ever,
but do not often get it. Everyone needs this "oldie" in their DVD collection. Trouble in River City, but they get their 76 Trombones! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Great film | Content
| The Music Man is a great film. The clarity of putting it on DVD was just amazing. A must see! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Classic Americana | Content
| The Music Man is one of Hollywood's music Classics. Robert
Preston's performance is superb, along with Shirley Jones
who help make this film an all time classic and one for the
DVD library.
Eric |
| Rating | | | Date | July 26, 2005 | | Summary | Fun Movie | Content
| This musical still delights and charms us ... more than 40 years after it was made. It earns our applause the old fashion way - with good solid song and dance entertainment.
Robert Preston shines as Professor Harold Hill ... an unscrupulous con man who sets out to deceive the entire population (about 2,400) of River City, Iowa. He charms his way into their hearts (and pocketbooks) and manages to stay one step ahead of the authorities.
Along the way, he (Prof. Hill) touches the lives of a spinster-to-be (Shirley Jones as Marian the Librarian) and her extremely shy little brother Winthrop (played by a very young and adorable Ronnie Howard) and, to his surprise, he finds himself in the unfamiliar territory of a good-doer. His planned escape thereby stalled, he is caught, and must, um, face the music.
Along the way we are given quite a few memorable and fun songs and some delightful dance routines. The movie makers used some imagination, took some chances, and gave us a lot of entertainment. My favorite spots are the opening train sequence and the very excellent dance (and song) scene inside the library.
The River City townsfolk are made out to be stubborn and narrow minded ... but in fact they are each comedy producers. Virtually every adult character in the movie delivers his or her share of the workload ... and adds humor to the overall fun of the picture. Paul Ford, as the befuddled Mayor George Shinn, is particularly good ... and Hermione Gingold, who plays his wife Eulalie, is funny also (though in a different way).
Shirley Jones is pretty good here. She's always been a great singer, but she does some effective acting and fancy footwork here as well. Pert Kelton, as her Irish-brogued mother, is a delight. But the show pretty much belongs to Robert Preston. A most able entertainer, he is light on his feet, and equally as nimble (and agile) while handling his lines. He's not a great singer ... he speaks most of the lyrics to his songs ... but they (the songs) work, and they work well.
I had heard that, in the pre-production phase of making the movie, they wanted to replace Robert Preston (the star of the stage version of "The Music Man") with someone else. Meredith Willson, the writer of the original story, gave them an ultimatum ... either Robert Preston stays or ... no movie. And, watching him (Preston) perform here, it's easy to understand that feeling. He is a delight.
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