Rating: 
Summary: Best Musical ever!
Review: I've always thought that musicals were sort of good, but my opinion changed when i saw The Music Man! The actors were amazing, the songs were lively and danceable, and the storyline actually made sense! The Music Man is a story about a salesman Harold Hill [played by Robert Preston in a role that will forever be his, no matter how many remakes hollywood tries to throw at us] who goes to a small town in iowa to try to sell the townspeople band instruments/uniforms by telling people he will start a boy's band. the catch: he can't tell two notes apart. in comes Marian Paroo [the lovely and talented Shirley Jones], the town's librarian and music teacher. Hill tries to charm Paroo into silence about his lack of musical ability but she seems invincible. will she expose him as a phony, or will he manage to win her over?
This movie is filled with unforgettable songs such as Seventy-Six Trombones or Marian the Librarian, amazing characters like Harold Hill or Winthrop the lisper, and danceable tunes. the music will make you jump up and start singing and dancing to it, and the beautiful costumes will make you wish that you lived in that time. The Music Man is truly the best of the best! :)
Rating:
Summary: Use the think system! It really works!
Review: I love this movie. As silly as it is -- a goofy plot, absurd over-the-top characters, the wacky "think system" -- it is just a whole lot of fun. Robert Preston sparkles as the fly-by-night con artist/salesman who just happens this time to get his foot caught in the door, and who better to catch that foot than Shirley Jones, who is as beautiful and talented a leading lady as has ever graced a big screen musical. Ron Howard is as funny as a kid can be in the movies, and the music will stay with you long after the movie is over. The film also has a great cast of supporting character actors and comedians, not to mention the fabulous Buffalo Bills. I love the anvil salesman character (THAT'S a great line of merchandise for a traveling salesman!), and my favorite song has to be the pool hall song, "There's trouble in River City." The movie, funny as it is, also has its touching moments, especially when Professor Harold Hill, standing on the footbridge, confronts the gap between his dreams and his life for the first time, and really realizes he is in love with the beautiful librarian. For pure fun and entertainment, it's hard to find a better movie than this lively but affectionate kidding of the Hawkeye State, and hard to find a more fun couple than the engaging Robert Preston and the lovely Shirley Jones.
Rating: 
Summary: Renee from Florida
Review: The Music Man was not at all what I expected. I bought it for a family movie night, we love musicals usually. This was so boring you could barely make it through it. Actually, I made myself finish it because i spent money on it. I will be tossing it or passing it on. If anyone's interested, it's going cheap!
Rating: 
Summary: one for the whole family
Review: A film by Morton DeCosta "The Music Man" has the feel of a traditional music. What I mean is that it fits the stereotypical movie musical: a little cheesy, characters ready to burst into song and dance at any moment, and with backgrounds that look like they were painted in. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, "The Music Man" works. The premise of "The Music Man" is that a traveling salesman, Harold Hill (Robert Preston) comes to River City, Iowa with the intent to con the town into buying instruments and uniforms to form a boys marching band. Harold Hill just has to convince the town that they both need and want a marching band. He begins to win over the town, despite not having any musical ability, and has nearly everyone conned except for the librarian, Marian (Shirley Jones). To win her, he tries to woo her. He is incredibly charming and smooth, but it isn't until the kids begin being excited about music that Marian even begins to crack. There are some very good songs in this musical. "76 Trombones" is a classic, but my favorite was "Marian the Librarian". There is a certain amount of sweetness and nostalgia to this movie. It is definitely an old time movie that the whole family can watch together. The one thing that surprised me the most was a young Ron Howard was in this movie (he was the kid with the lisp). I can't say that this is one of my favorite movies, but this was a good musical and a good movie and it is family friendly.
Rating:
Summary: The Professor, the Librarian and Seventy-Six Trombones
Review: 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:
Summary: A Standout but definately not a "masterpiece"
Review: Before I complain I liked the Music Man. It is one of the most light hearted and charming movies I have ever seen and it does have good music. In the days of West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music, somewhere in their is The Music Man. It failed to be better than all the films I have mentioned above. It was more slapstick and mediocre, and somewhat reminded me of some of the musicals MGM did in the 30s and 40s. All the performances were average but not something to hand out an Oscar for. Robert Preston, Ronnie Howard, and Shirley Jones did well. All in all it is enjoyable and very likeable, but it just did live up to the other film musicals of the 1960s. I do reccomend this film.
Rating:
Summary: Fun. Right Here in River City
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this!
Review: How can you top something like this? This movie musical is as close to perfection as it gets. Perfectly cast, marvellously directed and filmed, beautiful music magnificiently arranged, The Music Man sets the standard for all movie musicals, even though it was the last big musical filmed in that era. Meredith Willson's brilliant musical wit and talent reached their pinnacle in this musical. Considered by many to be the best musical ever written, this filmed version is worthy of the musical itself and leaves nothing to be desired. This DVD release is equally marvellous. A fitting tribute to one of Hollywood's finest efforts of all times. The Music Man is one of the movie industry's brightest stars, and this DVD edition will be a prized possession in any movie collection. Even if you "don't know one note from another," you'll love this spirited romp through 1912 small-town Iowa, and through some of the best music ever written for the stage or screen. The transfer to DVD is excellent. Vivid colors, sharp images, beautifully remastered soundtrack, the whole package is excellent. The extras on the disc are also great, including a 30-minute special on the making of the musical and the movie, narrated by Shirley Jones and with comments by Buddy Hackett, Onna White (the choreographer), and Susan Luckey (Zaneeta Shinn). This DVD is one of my most prized possessions. My only complaint is I wish Warner Brothers would package it in a better-grade all-plastic case rather than the cardboard snap case. It won't hold up over time as well, and this baby will be in my collection for a very long time!
Rating:
Summary: A true classic musical; go for LETTERBOX!!!!
Review: This is one of the few videos -- and the only musical -- I sought out and bought in VHS years ago, and now I'm delighted to have it in letterbox DVD. In this instance particularly, LETTERBOX RULES!!! :-) I'm FINALLY seeing all the action and staging as it was produced for the theaters over 40 years ago. It also seems to me that The Music Man story and production values hold up just as solidly today as they did over 40 years ago for kids and adults alike. But I'm a tad biased. Nevertheless, just a few years ago, I "forced" my two bored visiting young neices to watch at least the first 5 minutes of my old VHS full-screen tape, and they were capitated throughout. I saw The Music Man at age 16 and I fell in love with Shirley Jones as "Marion the Librarion." And then there's the OUT-standing ensamble cast of characters, the "good old days" environment, the story line -- the works!!! (It also was the Spring musical at my high school in 1963). Anyway, other ratings are great on Amazon. Just please strongly consider going for letterbox, as compared with full-screen options. You'll see much, much more. This Cinmascope-type movie came out at the tail end of the era when Hollywood both thought that broadcast TV was their mortal enemy, and that people wouldn't want to see a movie twice (ie, there's no aftermarket, such as repeat showings on TV). As a consequence, the movie was shot to fill the full theater screen with action. Even with best attempts, subsequent editing for TV and VHS full-screen formats, a lot of the original action is clipped. With my DVD LB, after 42 years, I've finally seen all four of the Buffalo Bills (the School Board) singing "Lida Rose" with Marion singing "Will I Ever Tell You?" -- all on the same screen without cropping! That's cool! A major musical worth having and protecting for the future, thanks to DVD. George
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: I could wax lyrical about this film for ever but I won't! In my opinion, the greatest movie musical ever produced, 'The Music Man' is lttle heard of in my native Britain. I caught it when it was shown on TV in the small hours of the morning around 15 years ago and have loved it ever since.
Robert Preston IS Harold Hill and proves that he is a fantastic screen actor whose film credits are depressingly few - although if you haven't already seen it, check out 'Victor/Victoria'. Shirley Jones gives a performance that, after 'Oklahoma!' and 'Carousel', shows that she CAN act! All of the supporting players are excellent too, with emphasis on Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold (again too few movie appearances) as the Shinns, Pert Kelton as Mrs. Paroo and The Buffalo Bills as The All-Singing All-Harmonizing School Board.
Working much better as a film than a stage show, Meredith Willson's ode to his Iowa childhood is perfectly captured by Morton DaCosta, whose direction is as stagey as it was on 'Auntie Mame' but which fits very well with the slightly unreal nature of the plot.
Musical highlights are virtually every song but a short list would include 'Trouble', '76 Trombones', 'Marian the Librarian' and 'The Sadder But Wiser Girl'.
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