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The Music Man (1962)

Approved  |   |  Comedy, Musical, Romance  |  19 June 1962 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 12,580 users  
Reviews: 125 user | 30 critic

Harold Hill poses as a boys' band leader to con naive Iowa townsfolk.

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(based on: "The Music Man"), (written in collaboration with), 1 more credit »
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Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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The Buffalo Bills ...
Town Council
Timmy Everett ...
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Winthrop Paroo (as Ronny Howard)
Harry Hickox ...
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Sara Seegar ...
Adnia Rice ...
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Storyline

Confidence man Harold Hill arrives at staid River City intending to cheat the community with his standard scam of offering to equip and train a boy's marching band, then skip town with the money since he has no music skill anyway. Things go awry when he falls for a librarian he tries to divert from exposing him while he inadvertently enriches the town with a love of music. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The story of that man and his 76 trombones, and the wonderful, wonderful tune he played on every heart in town!


Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

19 June 1962 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Meredith Willson's The Music Man  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

In an episode of the TV series Happy Days (1974), Howard and Marion Cunningham are coming out of a movie theater; they pause in the lobby and look at the poster for "The Music Man". Marion comments how much the little boy in the movie (Winthrop) "looks so much like Richie did when he was little". Both Winthrop and Richie were played by Ron Howard. See more »

Goofs

In the candy shop scene where Marian and Hill are sipping soda, Marian reaches into her purse twice. See more »

Quotes

Train conductor: [Turning to a salesman when he is about to light a cigarette] River City, station stop River City. Just crossed the state line into Iowa. Population of River, twenty-two hundred and twelve. Cigarettes illegal in this state!
See more »

Crazy Credits

The letters in the film's title, in producer-director Morton da Costa's name, and in Meredith Willson's name (the first time it appears onscreen) are formed by a miniaturized, stop-motion animated marching band, who also form themselves into musical instruments on which the rest of the opening credits appear. See more »

Connections

Featured in Hollywood Musicals of the 60's (2000) See more »

Soundtracks

Shipoopi
(1957) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Performed by Buddy Hackett and Company
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
this is what musicals are all about
17 July 2003 | by (rochester) – See all my reviews

bright, fun, colorful, unforgettable songs, likeable characters, great choreography, true to the time period, and i'd like to see anyone try to find an actor blend so naturally into a character as robert preston.


38 of 45 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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I never get tired of this movie Imeowtoo
Question on the Final Scene (Spoliers) acosean
Robert Preston never did any singing before The Music Man? monetvenom
Best acting performance ever TexasJimbo
Favorite Song??? diamond-noir
Amaryllis's accent... woodendragon
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