The Music Man is a musical that celebrates small town life. It really is very staid small town life. That is until the arrival of Professor Harold Hill, (Robert Preston). Hill is a con artist. He is running a new con; selling band uniforms. He is able to convince the residents of River City, Iowa, that he is legit, performing Ya Got Trouble.There is one resident who doesn’t fall for his scheme. That is the town librarian, Marion Paroo, (Shirley Jones). She also brushes off his unwanted advances.
Harold Hill runs into one of his former partners in crime, while in River City, Marcellus Washburn, (Buddy Hackett). Professor Hill is happy to see him. He’s hoping he can help him, with his scheme. Marcellus tells him, that he’s a legitimate businessman, and has a nice life. This doesn’t deter Hill. He manages to put on his best snake oil salesman persona. He sings his way through his seeming adversity. There is one person, aside from Marion, who isn’t swayed. That is Mayor George Shin. His political mind is convinced that Hill is a crook. It also bruises his ego, when Harold Hill is the talk of the town.
It turns out that the good Professor Hill’s charm, has gotten to Marion Paroo. She has fallen in love with him, and asks her mother, Mrs. Paroo, (Pert Kelton), for advice. She tells her to follow her heart, and she does. She catches Harold Hill on a bridge. She tells him her feelings, in a song, Til There Was You. It is beautiful song, performed operatically, by Shirley Jones. Hill likes her singing, but must get on with his shady business.
It is while Hill is soliciting investors, for band uniforms, that his crooked world falls apart. The mayor is vindicated. An associate of the professor’s has come forward, and exposed Hill’s business venture. It is lucky that Marcellus Washburn, finds out. He tells him to grab the next train out of town. It seems like good advice. The only thing is that Harold Hill realizes he loves Marion. He tells her that her love is misplaced. She says she’s known who he was for a few days, but she loves him. Marcellus frantically tries to convince Harold Hill to leave. It doesn’t work, and the people of River City, Iowa, confront the confidence man. They are about ready to administer justice, until Marion steps in. She says that the town was boring and mundane, until Harold Hill arrived. They are convinced and the money is returned, and it is used for band uniforms.
The Music Man is the movie adaptation of Meredith Wilson’s very successful broadway musical. Robert Preston recreates his performance as Harold Hill. He has great on screen charisma with academy award winning actress, Shirley Jones. She got her start in broadway musicals. She goes from being the spinster librarian to a woman awakened by love. Ms. Jones is charming in this movie, and her film career proves that she can handle a broad range of roles. The most interesting casting is Buddy Hackett as Marcellus Washburn. He does a great job with his musical number, Shipoopi. It gives the audience a better appreciation, of his talent. It is a difficult thing to bring a successful play to the screen. It is a task to do it for a musical. Morton DaCosta and his actors have achieved it with The Music Man.