"The Music Man" (1962) is truly among the best screen musicals of all time. Like "Singin' in the Rain" and "West Side Story," "The Music Man" leaves you humming along with the tunes even years after seeing it. Its influence is such that even people who have never seen the movie can improvise some of the lines.
The movie is chock full of memorable numbers, each perfectly constructed to convey the right mood at the right time. From the locomotive rhythm of "Rock Island" to the lilting "Till There Was You" to the rolling triumph of "Seventy-six Trombones," the songs move the story along, linking each scene to the next.
As with any good musical, the songs are not additional to the story. They are the story. The scant dialog is the mortar that fills the cracks between the musical numbers.
And the quality of the cast matches the perfection of the music. The singing and dancing parts went to people who could actually sing and dance. Even Buddy Hackett shines in "Shipoopi." (Okay, Ronny Howard was no Gene Kelly. But for a little kid, he was pretty darned good!) It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Robert Preston and Shirley Jones playing the parts of Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. Preston perfected the role on Broadway and executed it flawlessly on the screen. He was, and always will be, THE Music Man. Jones is beautiful, elegant, and more than a little sexy as Marian the librarian.
The supporting cast shines as well. Each actor brought his or her character to life. Hermione Gingold is a perfect Mrs. Shinn. But my favorite character by far is the fumble-tongued Mayer Shinn, underplayed wonderfully by Paul Ford. His comic timing is impeccable and his facial expressions knock me over every time.
My mother introduced me to "The Music Man" when I was very young. (It used to come on TV a LOT.) I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, even though I didn't completely understand it. As of this writing, my daughter is in a high school production of the show and a whole new generation is falling in love with it.
The movie is chock full of memorable numbers, each perfectly constructed to convey the right mood at the right time. From the locomotive rhythm of "Rock Island" to the lilting "Till There Was You" to the rolling triumph of "Seventy-six Trombones," the songs move the story along, linking each scene to the next.
As with any good musical, the songs are not additional to the story. They are the story. The scant dialog is the mortar that fills the cracks between the musical numbers.
And the quality of the cast matches the perfection of the music. The singing and dancing parts went to people who could actually sing and dance. Even Buddy Hackett shines in "Shipoopi." (Okay, Ronny Howard was no Gene Kelly. But for a little kid, he was pretty darned good!) It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Robert Preston and Shirley Jones playing the parts of Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. Preston perfected the role on Broadway and executed it flawlessly on the screen. He was, and always will be, THE Music Man. Jones is beautiful, elegant, and more than a little sexy as Marian the librarian.
The supporting cast shines as well. Each actor brought his or her character to life. Hermione Gingold is a perfect Mrs. Shinn. But my favorite character by far is the fumble-tongued Mayer Shinn, underplayed wonderfully by Paul Ford. His comic timing is impeccable and his facial expressions knock me over every time.
My mother introduced me to "The Music Man" when I was very young. (It used to come on TV a LOT.) I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, even though I didn't completely understand it. As of this writing, my daughter is in a high school production of the show and a whole new generation is falling in love with it.