THE MUSIC MAN
US, 1962, 151 minutes, Colour.
Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford, Timmy Everett, Ron Howard.
Directed by Morton da Costa.
The Music Man is a big popular Hollywood musical, although it comes from the period after the heyday of the American musical. Warner Brothers turned on lavish production with wide screen colour for this musical. It is based on Meredith Wilson's stage play, has choreography by Onna White and a pleasant score especially the famous 'Seventy six Trombones'. Robert Preston is always a vigorous actor and brings to Professor Hill a lot of his vigorous panache. Shirley Jones who had been in many musicals, especially Carousel and Oklahoma, is an attractive heroine.
Comedy is provided by such people as Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold and Paul Ford. The story of the salesman and charlatan in Middle America provides romance, comedy, and a portrait of Middle America. Direction is by stage director Morton Da Costa who directed the film version on Auntie Mame. To some extent the production was out of its proper time and tried to bring Broadway to the screen. However, it is one of the more successful adaptations from Broadway to the wide screen. It is very entertaining family musical.
Ron Howard (using the name Ronnie Howard) makes an appearance – he was eight at the time. He has the key role of Winthrop Paroo and has the chance also to sing. In retrospect, he seems a very strong screen presence even at that age and was to go on to a career not only in acting but as an Oscar-winning director (A Beautiful Mind).
The film was rethought and restaged for television in 2003. The setting remained the same but some of the issues, especially feminism, were more to the fore. Matthew Broderick seems diminutive in comparison with Robert Preston but he has a strong screen presence and also had a successful career on Broadway – especially with The Producers. There is a little-known supporting cast. However, the cheery spirit of The Music Man remains the same as it did in the original film.
1.A popular Broadway musical? Screen version? Television version? Audiences entertained by the story, the characters, the songs and the choreography?
2.The lavish treatment, production values, the adaptation for the screen – and the echoes of stage presentation?
3.The settings, the early 20th century, American society before World War One? The railroads and the trains, the provincial towns in Iowa and the midwest, the streets, the homes, the shops, the library? The lavish costumes and décor?
4.The range of songs, the popular songs like Seventy Six Trombones, ‘Til There Was You, The Wells Fargo? The number of songs, their insertion into the situations, developments of character?
5.Salesmen in the early 20th century, their reputation, the song on the train, the criticisms of Harold Hill? And his being on the train? The scams, the uniforms for the band? The mayor and his attitudes, welcoming the conman, the people in the town believing the salesman? Their disillusionment and their lynch attitudes? Harold Hill as the salesman in action, his style, charming people, reading them?
6.Harold Hill and his reputation, personality, on the train, in the town, his friendship with Marcellus Washburne, getting the information? Meeting the mayor, playing up to the mayor’s wife? The warnings about Marian? As librarian, as keeping to herself? His proposal about the band, for the children, the uniforms? His cavalier attitude towards people? His not being able to play any instrument? His philosophy of thinking? Meeting Marian, the hostile interactions, her home? Her change, his change? The build-up to the band, the uniforms arriving, his decisions about swindling the people? The possibility of escape? His going to the court, people pleading for him? The arrival of the band?
7.The mayor and his pomposity, needing something to help the town? His believing Harold Hill? Being exploited? The portrait of his wife, her pomposity, lording it over the other ladies? Tensions between them? His being in control? The songs of the mayor, of the mayor’s wife, of the ladies of the town? The other ladies and their performance?
8.The Paroo family, nice, the mother and her welcome, love for her children? Winthrop, his stammer, nervousness? The young girl and her piano lessons and the relationship with Winthrop? His response to Harold Hill, the change, the end and the challenge of the music? His challenge to Harold Hill to stay?
9.Marian, the library, the song Madam Librarian? The choreography in the library sequences? Her work, skills? The book she was promoting – and the criticisms of the kinds of books, the mayor and his censorious attitude, the ladies? Her initial animosity towards Harold Hill, becoming infatuated with him? The dates? Her change of attitude, falling in love? Her songs? Her meeting the salesman and learning the truth? Her decision to help Harold, coming to him in the park, her plea? The happy ending?
10.Tommy, his love for the mayor’s daughter, the dances, the mayor’s attitude, his being the leader of the band?
11.The people in the town, the shops, the county fair, the summer holiday, the good old days? All the details of the cosy midwest?
12.Marcellus Washburne, the comic style, information to Harold, friendship, the crisis and helping him?
13.Harold Hill in crisis, his conscience, whether to leave or not, in love with Marian, going to the court, the hearings, the band arriving, the transformation into the joy of Seventy Six Trombones?
