Average Rating: 
Rating:  - ....Seventy Six Trombones lead the Big Parade......
Morton DaCosta's show stopping, toe tapping adaption of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" is pure cinematic pleasure. The DVD release of this boisterous, beautifully made film in stunning Technicolor along with the added bonus of the introduction by Shirley Jones, plus the 30 minute "Right here in River City" documentary is a true delight to any fan of this most loved of films.To be honest...I was never a huge fan of musicals...but "The Music Man" is the one that got me...it is just so enjoyable !! This was the role that Robert Preston was born to play...the smooth talking, quick thinking shyster Professor Harold Hill...only one step ahead of duped towns folk and the long arm of the law. Hill decides to try his luck selling boy's band costumes and instruments in River City, Iowa to the unsuspecting citizens and Hill spends his time charming his way from one situation to the next. From the opening piece with the travelling salesman singing in tune with the hissing and puffing steam train...the charming numbers flow from this wonderful cast...including the memorable "Marian the Librarian", "Iowa Stubborn", "Ya got trouble", Goodnight my Someone"...and of course the signature tune "76 Trombones". Aiding the very talented Preston and Jones are such fine character actors as Buddy Hackett as Hill's old partner, Marcellus Washburn...the wonderfully stern Hermione Gingold as the mayor's wife, Eulalie Shinn...and Paul Ford as the long suffering, Mayor Shinn himself. Plus one of today's finest director's, Ron Howard in one of his earliest acting roles as the pint sized, freckle faced Winthrop Paroo. This really is an outstanding motion picture and one that can be enjoyed by the entire family....an absolute must for your DVD collection !!
Rating: - The Professor, the Librarian and Seventy-Six Trombones
Robert Preston will always be the music man. This poignant, hilarious and tuneful musical captivated audiences during a decade of anti-heroes, drug culture exploration and realism cinema, proving that no matter the age, fantasy will always have a place in the hearts and minds of film goers. Preston is Professor Harold Hill, a con artist who arrives in the nimbled-headed town of River City, determined to brainwash its citizens with the prospect of purchasing a boy's band which, of course, he's more than willing to sell to them. However, on this trip Harold falls for Marianne the librarian (Shirley Jones), a stuck up spinster whose heart melts like butter on the persuasive powers of the con man's band leading baton. How does it all come out - with fanfare and music and Buddy Hackett puffing on a tuba. Don't ask!
Warner Home Video has done a fantastic job remastering this film for DVD. Colors are sharp, bold and well balanced. The anamorphic transfer captures all of the beauty and feel good vibrations of the score and performances. The 5.1 mix is a nice touch. There's also a documentary hosted by Shirley Jones that does a fine job of summing things up as well as giving one a history of the production shoot. Definitely a must have.
Rating: - Fun. Right Here in River City
Professor Harold Hill makes his living conning small town residence by telling them he's going to start a boys' band then leaving with their money before the promised direction begins. Taking an unintended challenge, he gets off in River City, Iowa. While the locals at first appear cold, his charm soon changes their minds. Or almost all of them. Marion, the local librarian and piano teacher, is convenienced that the professor isn't all he claims to be. Meanwhile, Harold has set his sites on wooing the spinster librarian. Will he win her heart or hurt her? Will the townspeople find out the truth, or will this encounter change everyone for the better?As much as I love musicals, I had missed this one until the recent ABC movie version. I fell immediately under its charming spell. The story is fun and the music is fantastic. After enjoying the remake so much, I was looking forward to watching the original, and it didn't disappointment. The cast, lead by Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, is strong. The chorography makes me want to join in the fun (always a must for a musical), and the story fleshes out a couple minor points I had missed in the remake. And I simply must praise the work of the Buffalo Bills as the school board. They've inspired me in my search for good barbershop quartet music. The DVD preserves the movie well. The widescreen picture is sharp and clear and the sound is just fine. Watching the trailer for the reissue shows just how much work has gone into the restoration. Shirley Jones provides an interesting intro and serves as host for the behind the scenes special. This is a classic musical that everyone will enjoy. It tells a fun story with wonderful music and evokes a simpler time and place. If you haven't watched yet, pick up a copy and enjoy tonight.
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