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.

As someone who's a lifelong fan of musicals, The Music Man is one of the standouts of the genre and an example of a film that gets better and better every time I see it. Adaptation-wise it's one of the best, those who love the Broadway show will appreciate how faithful it is to it in a way that few other film musicals are, and the film is an invigorating experience as a musical and as an overall film.

The production values are top-notch, with plenty of bright colours, handsome sets and some of the cleverest cinematography of any film musical, adding so much colour and verve to every song. The score is energetic and lush and the songs are marvellous and don't make the mistakes of bogging the film down by being too lengthy or pointless. Even the admittedly silly Shipoopi, thankfully not in a cringe-worthy annoying way. Favourites being the heartfelt Till There Was You and the show-stopper that is 76 Trombones, you also have to love how virtuosic Ya Gotta Trouble is. The choreography is just electric and some of the most fun-filled and dynamic of any film musical(along with the likes of West Side Story),particularly in 76 Trombones. Morton Da Costa, who also directed the musical on Broadway, re-creates it on screen with all the expertise and energy he brought to his Broadway directing, without it being too overly-literal.

Love the script too, which is snappy and smart and in a way that's warm-hearted and good-natured. A few of my favourite lines come from Hermione Gingold the lines "Well, I'd certainly know if I gave you a son!" and ""It's a smutty book" and her delivery of them are just hilarious and her chemistry and interplay with Paul Ford(also very funny) is scene-stealing. One may worry that the story plays second fiddle to the songs and choreography, and it didn't feel that way really to me. Maybe not as strong, but the energy and charm it has is non-stop as well as the warmth and heart(those things and how they're executed more than make up for that),if a film cheers you up when it's needed it does its job well, The Music Man is one such film. It is a long film at nearly 2 and a half hours, but personally it sure didn't feel it. The characters are also very engaging, as well as wonderfully performed.

Robert Preston's performance(a possible career-best, it's certainly the role I remember him most for) is one for the ages and one of my favourite lead performance from any film musical. Shirley Jones is as lovely as she was in Oklahoma! and Carousel and sings just as beautifully with a slightly more mature quality than before. Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold are terrific fun and steal each scene they're in. Buddy Hackett and Ronny Howard's singing are not brilliant exactly(I don't class either of them as singers really),but the performances from both are still great, particularly from Howard who plays the younger brother with sweetness and pathos. Hackett is very amusing too. Buffalo Bills also make appearances and quite special ones too.

Overall, an invigorating experience and a wonderful film in general, one of the best film musicals ever made. 10/10 Bethany Cox

For a man who was primarily a director on stage, Morton DaCosta certainly knew how to fill the screen. Fill it he did with The Music Man, a festival of song and dance and heart warming nostalgia.

How could it be anything else. The original Broadway show was composer Meredith Willson's tribute to the idyllic childhood he had growing up in Mason City, Iowa. The town of River City and the characters therein are taken from Willson's memories. What memories they were.

We are fortunate indeed to preserve one of the great Broadway performances of all time, that of Robert Preston in The Music Man. With all due respect to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, both of whom were mentioned for the lead, I cannot imagine ANYONE else as Professor Harold Hill. This man truly made Harold Hill his own part, the same way Yul Brynner did with King Mongkut of Siam. Other than Preston, only the Barbershop Singing Quartet the Buffalo Bills, and Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo made it to the screen.

Preston who got his start at Paramount during the late Thirties, played second leads in A films and usually died in them. He made a career decision in the Fifties to go back to the stage and got the role of a lifetime in The Music Man. The original Broadway production ran from 1957 to 1961 for 1341 performances.

Only an actor of rare charisma could have played Harold Hill. If you have a less than mesmerizing Hill your production will fall flat. The character is a lot like Starbuck in The Rainmaker, the conman, the outrageous swindler who brings joy to people even as he's fleecing them. Possibly Burt Lancaster could have done it, but who knows if Lancaster could have sung.

Shirley Jones who got to the screen just in time to play the female leads in three Broadway classics, The Music Man, Oklahoma, and Carousel. Having won an Oscar two years earlier for Elmer Gantry, Jones brought a little box office herself to the production. She got to sing a couple of great ballads Goodnight My Someone and Till There Was You. The latter was the big hit of the show and on record, Anita Bryant's copy sold the most.

Morton DaCosta cast the rest of the film well with such luminaries as Paul Ford, Buddy Hackett, and Hermione Gingold. It was worth the price of a ticket just to hear her say "Balzac." Meredith Willson did some gentle kidding of his hometown as to what passed for culture in the place of his upbringing.

Young Timmy Everett played the role of Preston's young protégé Tommy Djilas. A really talented dancer, Everett was lost to the world of entertainment way too soon.

As I said DaCosta really fills the screen with The Music Man. Nothing shows that better than the production number of 76 Trombones that was sung twice in the film, the second time in an even bigger finale. That number was what really put The Music Man over on Broadway. But the way the entire screen is used, almost as eye filling as the children of Israel leaving Egypt in The Ten Commandments, you can't imagine how it was ever done on stage. But it was and by the same fellow.

I doubt Mason City, Iowa was as idyllic in those pre-World War I years, but step back a little in time and watch The Music Man. Maybe it wasn't as idyllic, but it sure seems a lot more simple.