I just watched this movie again on TV (06/2018) and it's still a terrific movie. Although a couple of the songs are forgettable, the production puts this movie way above most other musicals. The "76 Trombone" scene for one is just tremendous. And one of my favorite production numbers of all musicals is "Lady Librarian". I can watch that scene over & over again. Not sure about the rest of you, but I think Shirley Jones was under-appreciated for her singing voice! What to say about Robert Preston? I still can't believe he wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar for his performance! Oh, a great tidbit is how the composer, Meredith Willson and his estate, made more money from royalties on The Beatles' recording of "Till There Was You" than they did on the musical and the movie! Amazing! If you get a chance to watch this with your family, I recommend it.

I first saw "The Music Man" in 1964. I was moved by Shirley Jone's rendition of "Goodnight My Someone." I started praying "to my someone" nightly. In August 1970 I met the woman whom I married in May 1972. We recently celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary. I whole heartily believe that this song was instrumental in my long marriage.

It's 1912 when (Professor) Harold Hill (played by Robert Preston) visits River City, Iowa. Although he appears to be a salesman, he is actually a con man with a well-rehearsed plan for parting the townsfolk and their money. He proposes to give the small town a rousing, glittering, breathtaking marching band. All they have to do is buy the instruments and the uniforms and Professor Hill will do the rest.During his stay in River City, Hill becomes enamored of the town librarian, Marian (played by Shirley Jones). She has a young brother named Winthrop (Ron Howard) who, due to a lisp, is socially awkward. As Hill's plans take form, he eventually has second thoughts about conning Marian. Will he make the evening train with the town's cash in his pocket? Or will his feelings for Marian trip him up?Other reviewers have lavished praise upon this musical and its star, Robert Preston. The kudos are warranted. The film does a good job of recreating an ideal small American town and the music is very entertaining. Preston surely captures the sing-song shill of the shyster and he is as slippery as fish oil. The wonderful voice of Shirley Jones elevates the production, while other roles are delightfully cast with Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford and others.One aspect of this musical sets it apart from most others. You will note that most musicals--from "Oklahoma!" to "Carousel" include a darker element--a character who adds danger or ill intent--or a theme that is not cheerful, e.g. racism in "South Pacific" or Nazism in "The Sound of Music". The closest thing "The Music Man" has to this is the shady character of Harold Hill, but the story deflects any darkness with its cheerful tunes and comic diversions. As a result, the film remains upbeat throughout.Preston's performance of "Ya Got Trouble" is iconic and one of the best numbers in musical history.

Just watched the movie for the xxth time—it has gotten to be a 4th of July tradition. I was first exposed to this musical when my older sisters were cast in a high school theatrical version back before this movie was released.What's not to like? Preston is brilliant. Jones is the perfect example of how the perfection of human beauty is enhanced with a beautiful voice. It's romantic and nostalgic and wonderful. But what makes Music Man so special is that it is based on a cultural reality. Iowa (like the rest of the Big Ten turf) is awash in an incredible band music tradition. Those amazing bands that play halftime music at Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State don't fall out of thin air—they are supported by a feeder system. Music Man was supposedly about Mason City and I would be shocked if they don't have a first-rate high school band to this day.But all these bands had to start somewhere. Someone had to convince folks that they should spend money to teach their children to make music. Now it is unlikely that someone as smooth-talking as Hill ever existed, but someone had to perform the job he did. And anyone who was promoting a band was very likely to be something of a showman—it comes with the territory. So while Hill was an exaggeration, real Hills existed.Note here, this isn't a story of a con-man who got away with one. Because it doesn't matter if Hill knew a note of music. If this had really happened, there would be no downside. Suddenly, the town would have a bunch of new instruments and in love with the idea their town could make it's own music. The town probably had enough Marions so they could get basic instruction started. Besides, it would take at least five years before the town band could make music anyway, so no one could have expected Hill to actually form a boy's band during the summer. Guys like Hill were important but hardly sufficient. The great youth bands in Iowa would wait until her universities started cranking out qualified music teachers.The idea that Iowa could have developed from virgin grassland to a society with roads, schools, and a successful export economy in only 60 years (1850 to 1910 when this musical was supposedly set) implies a LOT of plain hard work. It is also implies promoters. And the guys who brought music to the Midwest were the sort of people who didn't wait for permission to get something started. It's why the sensible librarian / piano teacher Marion recognized the promoter's value to the community.There's a lot of truth in this wonderful, silly, beautiful movie.