I may only come across it for a moment, or have it on as background noise while I do something else. No matter where I come in on the movie, from the beginning on, it never fails that two-and-some-hours later, I come to myself watching the closing credits. I don't know why. I have no connection with the the mid-west rural America turnabout of the last century of the story. I grew up in Dallas, and have lived at the southern end of that sprawling coastal urban mass of people known as BosNYWash for the last 23 years. Nonetheless, the movie is unfailingly entertaining. It never pales or becomes dull in repeat viewings.Of course, the music can be credited with a large part of its appeal. It is by turns, rousing, witty, sweet, and moving. The lyrics are inventive, amusing with the spoken songs; clever, with enough satire to send up the provincialism of small towns; polished, as a reflection of Mr. Hill's technique; simple and direct, when expressing deep-felt aspirations and emotions. The production numbers are all wonderful, the choreography of the the dancers, chorus, cameras, and editing smooth and energetic. And the performances are all great, with just that much larger-than-life necessary to make for a good show.But other movies have that, and wouldn't keep me watching them time after time. It must be The Music Man deals with something more essential. There is a surprising amount of cynicism and worldliness in the story, not just by Harold Hill. The town folk are all ready to expect the worst of human nature. Not the usual picture of rural America, or the innocent rubes taken advantage of by the scheming con man. They are taken advantage of, but it's by Hill's manipulation of their weaknesses, fears, and proclivities, not their innocence. Paradoxically, the fakery Hill needs to practice brings about the good in the movie. To deflect investigation of his credentials, he turns the feuding school board into an inseparable quartet. Looking for a natural leader to coalesce the band around, he pulls the young Tommy out of a life of hooliganism, giving him responsibility. Conning Winthrop Paroo, he breaks the child out of his lonely and unhappy isolation. And for Marion Paroo, he brings birds, bells, and love.I have an informal list in my head of my favorite musicals. They include movies like 42nd Street, the Rogers/Astaire musicals, Funny Face, and others. The Music Man, however, doesn't automatically come to mind. I'll have to work to change my thinking.

I saw this movie last night, in TMN's 4th of July tribute. After all these years, its charm still prevails.It always amazes me when someone hits a home run out of the ball park during his first time up at bat. That's what Willson has done with The Music Man. This is one of the cleverest musicals I've ever seen, both music and lyrics alike, and all from the ingenious mind of the same brilliant man!It's wonderful that so many of the leading cast from the Broadway show were involved in the movie, including Director Morton Da Costa and, of course, Robert Preston, among others. It's filmed in much the same way as the stage production. Oona White's choreography is energetic, infectious and as terrific as anything from Jerome Robbins.But back to Willson. He skilfully weaves his best songs in with each other ('Good Night, My Someone'/'76 Trombones', 'Pick-a-little,Talk-a-little/Good Night, Ladies' and 'Lida Rose', the duet between Shirley Jones (Marion the Librarian) and The Buffalo Bills, to name but a few. The movie was made almost 55 years ago, but because it's set in the '20's, it nonetheless holds up. It was dated back then, and it's dated now, which is why it still works. And a song like 'The Sadder But Wiser Girl for Me' must have been risqué back in the day, but the lyrics are clever, funny, and quite probably ahead of their time, for a family-oriented musical! Watching this movie is like a masterclass in stagecraft.

This review contains spoilers. The ending is brilliant. It is an intelligent, yet subtle statement on American consumerism. At the end, we see that the Town has bought the lie, they allowed themselves to be grifted and were so delusional and desperate to believe that their children weren't horrible musicians that we the viewer are witnessing a unified mass hysteria taking place. During this surreal moment, the uniforms that once were filthy rags, change to beautiful band outfits, and the band begins to play like John Sousa himself. The reason I reached this conclusion is that through out the film, we see no signs of magic, or fantasy, thus the ending is either done because they couldn't come up with an ending and whipped out a "magical anomaly", or this was a deftly crafted representation of the American citizen so willing to be lied to , and an examination at the happiness they feel when they buy a product and the weird yet fantastical reality that they then delve into after acquiring that product, believing their lives are better and now they are better than others. I gave this film a ten, because it is a classic, yet on a much deeper level than is comfortable for us to view openly.

I remember in junior high school, we had a music teacher who spent the whole semester reviewing and analyzing THE MUSIC MAN. I have to admit, it was one of my greatest classes of all-time, and years later I still remember it. So I have always had a soft spot for Meredith Wilson's THE MUSIC MAN. It is one of my personal favorite movie musicals, and definitely my favorite one from the 1960s.The 1962 film is based on the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name by Meredith Willson. The film was one of the biggest hits of the year and highly acclaimed critically.Set in July 1912, a traveling salesman, "Professor" Harold Hill (Robert Preston), arrives in River City, Iowa, intrigued by the challenge of swindling the famously stubborn natives of Iowa ("Iowa Stubborn"). Masquerading as a traveling band instructor, Professor Hill plans to con the citizens of River City into paying him to create a boys' marching band, including instruments, uniforms, and music instruction. Once he has collected the money and the instruments and uniforms have arrived, he will hop the next train out of town leaving them without their money or a band.With help from his associate Marcellus (Buddy Hackett), Professor Hill incites mass concern among the parents of River City that their young boys are being seduced into a world of sin and vice by the new pool table in town ("Ya Got Trouble"). He convinces them that a boys' marching band is the only way to keep the boys of the town pure and out of trouble, and begins collecting their money ("76 Trombones"). Hill anticipates that Marian (Shirley Jones), the town's librarian and piano instructor, will attempt to discredit him, so he sets out to seduce her into silence. Also in opposition to Hill is the town's Mayor Shinn, who orders the school board to obtain Hill's credentials. When they attempt to do so, Hill avoids their questions by teaching them to sing as a barbershop quartet via "sustained talking." They are thereafter easily tricked by Hill into breaking into song whenever they ask for his credentials.Meanwhile, Hill attempts to win the heart of Marian the librarian, who has an extreme distrust of men. His charms have little effect upon Marian ("Marian the Librarian") until he wins the admiration of both her mother and her withdrawn and unhappy younger brother Winthrop (Ron Howard) ("Gary, Indiana"). Marian falls in love with Hill, and subsequently hides evidence she has proving he is a fraud ("Till There Was You"). The band's instruments arrive ("Wells Fargo Wagon") and Hill tells the boys to learn to play via the "Think System," in which they simply have to think of a tune over and over and will know how to play it without ever touching their instruments.Hill's con is nearly complete and he is about to leave town when a disgruntled competing salesman comes to town and exposes Hill and his plans. Chased by an angry mob and pressed to leave town by Marcellus and Marian, Hill realizes that he is actually in love with Marian too and can't leave River City. He is captured by the mob and brought before a town meeting to be tarred and feathered. Hill is saved by the boys' band who miraculously have learned to play their own instruments (albeit incredibly badly). Hill remains in River City with Marian to conduct the boys' band full time, which eventually becomes properly trained and equipped with better quality instruments and uniforms. ("76 Trombones 2nd Reprise").The film made Robert Preston into an "A" list star in motion pictures, after years of appearing in supporting roles in famous films and in starring roles in "B" movies. Although Preston scored a great success in the original stage version of the show, he was not first choice for the film version, partly because he was not a box office star. Jack L. Warner, who was notorious for wanting to film stage musicals with stars other than the ones who played the roles onstage, wanted Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby for the role of Professor Harold Hill, but Meredith Willson insisted upon Preston. Cary Grant was also "begged" by Warner to play Hill but he declined, saying "nobody could do that role as well as Bob Preston". Cary Grant was right...