Today’s movie is a musical romance with a scene that happens
on July 23. I hope you will watch this film tonight and enjoy it.
THE MUSIC MAN
On a train to River City, Iowa a
group of traveling salesmen both condemn and are in awe of Harold Hill, a con
man who thrives by selling a town band instruments, but after collecting the money, skips town, leaving them with instruments
they can’t play. When they reach the town, it is revealed that Hill was on the
train as he exits. In River City he meets a former associate of his Marcellus
Washburn, who now lives there. Hill convinces the citizens that the arrival of
a pool table in town will cause an increase in juvenile delinquency, but that a
boy’s band will avoid this problem. He
dodges a request to produce his credentials by the school board by convincing
the four men they are a fantastic singing quartet. Hill starts signing up townspeople to buy instruments and
uniforms. He tries to worm his way into the affections of Marian, the town’s
librarian, her mother and her lisping brother Winthrop. She discovers evidence
that he is fraud, but just then the instruments arrive and the usually withdrawn Winthrop becomes very effusive.
Marian hides the evidence as Hill tells his pupils that if they think about the
music they want to play they will be able to do so. Hill also encourages
romance between the mayor’s daughter and Tommy Djilas, who’s from the wrong
side of the tracks. On July 23, 1912 [1:28:23 to 1:39:52] Prof. Harold Hill
gets his overdue hotel bill and deflects another request for his credentials.
Marian realizes she’s falling in love with Harold. Charlie Cowell, an anvil
salesman shows up and convinces the citizens that Hill is a fraud. Marian and
Marcellus beg him to leave, but Harold realizes he’s in love with Marian and
won’t run out on her. The townspeople want to tar and feather him but at a town
meeting were Marian speaks in his defense minds are changed. The boys band has
learned to play Beethoven’s Minuet in G (very badly) on their instruments, but
their parents are ecstatic. Harold stays in town and with Marian’s help the
band becomes first rate.
A piece of pure musical fluff.
The songs are all right, but the long dance numbers seem somewhat dated today.
Still if you’re looking for pure escapist entertainment, this film will
certainly fill the bill.
Date given in film on bill at
1:37:40
Awards – The film won the Best
Musical Score Oscar. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, the Best Color Costume,
the Best Color Art Direction, Best Sound and Best Film Editing Oscars at the 35th
Academy Awards.
Producer - Morton DaCosta
Director - Morton DaCosta
Screenplay - Marion Hargrove
Runtime - 2 hours 31 minutes
Released - June 19, 1962
Starring –
Robert Preston as Harold Hill
Shirley Jones as Marian Paroo
Buddy Hackett as Marcellus Washburn
Paul Ford as Mayor George Shinn
Hermione Gingold as Eulalie Shinn
Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo
Vern Reed as Jacey Squires
Al Shea as Ewart Dunlop
Ron Howard as Winthrop Paroo
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.
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