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The Age of Commercialism

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Hermione Gingold's indignant disapproval of the "smutty" Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, was the icing on the cake of this exceptional film. Are we to infer that she would have perhaps preferred to err along with Elinor Glyn ? Two dateless all-time best-sellers, but meaningless, no doubt, to the cinema-goer of today.Impossible not to admire the dexterity of Robert Preston's dynamic transference of his stage role to the screen. Highly theatrical, but wholly cinematic. Great cast, all the way. I agree with the reviewer who interpreted the story as an account of the way America buys into the conman's spiel, and finds happiness in being played for a sucker. Forget the US holocaust, ethnic cleansing of the natives, slavery, the fake revolution, the civil war. This is how the West was won, and the way Iowa once was. Makes you think !

This family favorite and Academy Award winning Musical – Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment by Ray Heindorf (his third Oscar out of 18 nominations) – was also nominated for Best Picture, Editing, and Sound, as well as for its Color Art Direction-Set Decoration and Costume Designs. It features Robert Preston in the title (and his career) role, as Professor Harold Hill, Shirley Jones as Marian "the librarian", Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford and eight-year-old Ron "Ronny" Howard as Winthrop Paroo, Marian's little brother; the ubiquitous Charles Lane, and Mary Wickes, also appear. It was produced and directed by Morton DaCosta, adapted by Marion Hargrove from the Meredith Willson-Franklin Lacey book, and added to the National Film Registry in 2005.The soundtrack features such memorable standards as: "Goodnight, My Someone" and "Gary, Indiana", the rousing "Shipoopi" plus the creatively intertwined numbers: "Ya Got Trouble/76 Trombones" and "Pick a Little, Talk a Little/Goodnight, Ladies".In case you are somehow unfamiliar with the story, Hill is a confidence man, who along with his cohort Marcellus Washburn (Hackett), happens upon River City, a small town replete with naïve parents – including the Mayor (Ford) and his wife (Gingold) – that fall for his shtick. They come to believe that Hill can transform their little minions into a full-fledged patriotic marching band – all they have to do is buy brand new uniforms and instruments from him! The better (read and) informed Marian is the only one that's skeptical, even though (especially because?) little Winthrop is Hill's biggest fan. So Hill has to win over or at least distract Miss Marian long enough for Washburn to collect the town's money, then they can get out of town before the townfolk realize that Hill's a fraud. Of course, wooing the comely librarian is fraught with its own dangers as the Professor soon discovers and risks being entrapped by his own lovemaking.

When I was a kid, I used to be in the elementary school play called the Music Man. I asked myself "What is the Music Man?" Then, I watched the movie and got the idea of what the play is all about. Harold Hill(Played by Robert Preston, reprising his role in the play of the same name) is a charismatic con man who arrives at River City, Iowa in his latest scheme: sell boy band programs without actually teaching the boys how to play their instruments. However, his scheme is about to backfire when Marian Paroo(Shirley Jones) becomes suspicious of Harold Hill and plans to expose him for who he really is. When Harold and Marian fall in love with each other, will Harold Hill have the conscious to tell River City the truth? Unforgettable songs, unique characters, and an original plot are the combination for this wonderful movie adapted from the classic Broadway play of the same name by Meredith Willson. Ye Gods, what a great movie! Also starring Buddy Hackett(From It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) as Marcellus Washburn, Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo, The Buffalo Bills, Ron Howard(From the Andy Griffith Show) as Winthrop, Hermoine Gingold as Mrs. Shinn, and Paul Ford as Mayor Shinn.

By the early 1960s, musicals were, for the most part, passé in Hollywood. While a few really exceptional musicals would be made in this era (such as "My Fair Lady", "Oliver!" and "The Sound of Music"), the output of musicals was a tiny fraction of Hollywood during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It was the final gasps of the genre--albeit some very strong and enjoyable gasps. One of the better ones of this time clearly is "The Music Man". While the ending really was very poor (more about that later), the sets and costumes are very lovely and nostalgic. And, most importantly, the songs are simply great! Robert Preston reprises his Tony Award-winning role as Professor Henry Hill--a shyster traveling salesman who is about to bilk yet another small town out of their money. His m.o. is this--he pretends to be a musical professor and convinces everyone to buy his overpriced musical instruments. He convinces them that it's easy for the town to create a band and become great--even though he apparently can't read music or play anything...except a con-game! Amazingly, the folks in this Iowa town are all complete idiots--and quickly fall for his routine. The only exception is the LOVELY town librarian, Marian (Shirley Jones). Soon she learns the truth--and at this point the film is simply terrific. However, what she does with this information makes no sense at all and the film loses a couple points in the final portion because of this as well as the town's reaction (though a hanging might have been more realistic, it would have been a bit dark!). In addition, while the songs are WONDERFUL, "Shipoopi" isn't. It, like the title, is pretty dumb--though the dance number is quite nice...but...SHIPOOPI?!?! Uggh! It has to rank as one of the dumber songs in film history. But, looking past the film's faults, it is a delight in so many other ways that it's still well worth seeing. Full of high energy and fun---it's still a lovely little film.