- Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 12 nominations.
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Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Robert Preston | ... |
Harold Hill
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Shirley Jones | ... |
Marian Paroo
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Buddy Hackett | ... |
Marcellus Washburn
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Hermione Gingold | ... |
Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn
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Paul Ford | ... |
Mayor George Shinn
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Pert Kelton | ... |
Mrs. Paroo
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The Buffalo Bills | ... |
School Board
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Vern Reed | ... |
Jacey Squires
(as The Buffalo Bills)
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Ron Howard | ... |
Winthrop Paroo
(as Ronny Howard)
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Al Shea | ... |
Ewart Dunlop
(as The Buffalo Bills)
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Bill Spangenberg | ... |
Olin Britt
(as The Buffalo Bills)
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Wayne Ward | ... |
Oliver Hix
(as The Buffalo Bills)
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Timmy Everett | ... |
Tommy Djilas
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Susan Luckey | ... |
Zaneeta Shinn
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Harry Hickox | ... |
Charlie Cowell
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Charles Lane | ... |
Constable Locke
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Mary Wickes | ... |
Mrs. Squires
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Sara Seegar | ... |
Maud Dunlop
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Adnia Rice | ... |
Alma Hix
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Peggy Mondo | ... |
Ethel Toffelmier
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Jesslyn Fax | ... |
Avis Grubb
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Monique Vermont | ... |
Amaryllis
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
John Albright | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Fred Aldrich | ... |
Brighton Townsman (uncredited)
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Leon Alton | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Walter Bacon | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Al Bain | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Rand Barker | ... |
Duncan Shyball (uncredited)
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Brandon Beach | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Charles Alvin Bell | ... |
Police Officer (uncredited)
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John Bose | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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John Breen | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Jeannine Burnier | ... |
Jessie Shyball (uncredited)
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Mushy Callahan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Noble 'Kid' Chissell | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Beulah Christian | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Shirley Claire | ... |
Amy Dakin (uncredited)
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Natalie Core | ... |
Truthful Smith (uncredited)
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Bradford Craig | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Russell Custer | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Ronnie Dapo | ... |
Norbert Smith (uncredited)
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Roy Dean | ... |
Gilbert Hawthorne (uncredited)
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Harry Denny | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Eileen Diamond | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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William Fawcett | ... |
Lester Lonnergan (uncredited)
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Jack Gordon | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Duke Green | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Buck Harrington | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Ralph Hart | ... |
Student (uncredited)
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Percy Helton | ... |
Train Conductor (uncredited)
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Jack Henderson | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Patty Lee Hilka | ... |
Gracie Shinn (uncredited)
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George Hoagland | ... |
Train Passenger (uncredited)
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Jimmie Horan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Rance Howard | ... |
Oscar Jackson (uncredited)
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Bruce Hoy | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Delos Jewkes | ... |
Harley MacCauley (uncredited)
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Elaine Joyce | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Charles Karel | ... |
Salesman on the Train (uncredited)
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Ray Kellogg | ... |
Harry Joseph (uncredited)
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Colin Kenny | ... |
Brighton Townsman (uncredited)
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Anne Loos | ... |
Stella Jackson (uncredited)
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Therese Lyon | ... |
Dolly Higgins (uncredited)
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Robert Lyons | ... |
Band Member (uncredited)
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Ted Mapes | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Penelope Martin | ... |
Lila O'Brink (uncredited)
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Natalie Masters | ... |
Farmer's Wife (uncredited)
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Bert May | ... |
Student (uncredited)
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Mathew McCue | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Charles McQuary | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Gary Menteer | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Harold Miller | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Arthur Mills | ... |
Herbert Malthouse (uncredited)
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Milton Parsons | ... |
Farmer (uncredited)
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Barbara Pepper | ... |
Feril Hawkes (uncredited)
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Charles Percheskly | ... |
Salesman (uncredited)
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Jack Perrin | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Joe Phillips | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Gary Potter | ... |
Dewey Malthouse (uncredited)
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Larry Steven Randel | ... |
Band Member (uncredited)
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Jean Ransome | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Robert Robinson | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Douglas Ross | ... |
Young Drummer Boy (uncredited)
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Scott Seaton | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Sammy Shack | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Chick Sheridan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Max Showalter | ... |
Salesman on the Train (uncredited)
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Leslie Sketchley | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Cap Somers | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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David Swain | ... |
Chet Glanville (uncredited)
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Larri Thomas | ... |
High School Girl (uncredited)
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Sailor Vincent | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Jeffrey Mark Wood | ... |
Young Drummer Boy (uncredited)
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Hank Worden | ... |
Undertaker (uncredited)
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Peggy Wynne | ... |
Ada Nutting (uncredited)
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Directed by
Morton DaCosta |
Written by
Meredith Willson | ... | (based on: "The Music Man") |
Franklin Lacey | ... | (written in collaboration with) |
Marion Hargrove | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
Morton DaCosta | ... | producer |
Joel Freeman | ... | associate producer (uncredited) |
Music by
Ray Heindorf | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
Robert Burks | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
William H. Ziegler | ... | (as William Ziegler) |
Editorial Department
John F. Burnett | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Sam O'Steen | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
Paul Groesse |
Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins | ||
Phil A. Ankrom | ... | (uncredited) |
Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins | ... | (costume design) |
Makeup Department
Gordon Bau | ... | makeup supervisor |
Jean Burt Reilly | ... | supervising hair stylist |
Myrl Stoltz | ... | hair stylist: Miss Jones |
Robert J. Schiffer | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
Joel Freeman | ... | production supervisor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Llewellyn | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
Hub Braden | ... | scenic artist (uncredited) |
Bill Gold | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Tyrus Wong | ... | art department (uncredited) |
Sound Department
M.A. Merrick | ... | sound |
Dolph Thomas | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
Michael P. Joyce | ... | assistant camera |
Leonard J. South | ... | camera operator |
Bobby Greene | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fuca | ... | assistant set costumer (uncredited) |
Joan Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
Frank Comstock | ... | orchestrator |
Ashik Elahi | ... | musician |
Ray Heindorf | ... | music conductor / music supervisor / orchestrator |
Charles Henderson | ... | vocal arrangements |
Gus Levene | ... | orchestrator |
Vince De Rosa | ... | musician: french horn (uncredited) |
Herbert Greene | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
Kermit Bloomgarden | ... | stage producer |
Herbert Greene | ... | associate stage producer |
Tom Panko | ... | assistant choreographer |
Onna White | ... | choreographer |
Robert E. Blair | ... | animal trainer: dog (uncredited) |
Wayne Fitzgerald | ... | title designer (uncredited) |
Dennis Grisco | ... | animal trainer: dog (uncredited) |
Frank Inn | ... | animal trainer: dog (uncredited) |
Juanita Inn | ... | animal trainer: dog (uncredited) |
Kitty Malone | ... | dance (uncredited) |
Marc Wanamaker | ... | marching band musician (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Warner Bros. (presents)
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1962) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner-Pathé Distributors (1962) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. Film (1963) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. Pictures (1963) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1963) (Norway) (theatrical)
- CBS (1966) (United States) (tv) (pan/scan version)
- Warner Home Video (1986) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1989) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1991) (United States) (VHS) (pan and scan)
- Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Warner Home Video (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2013) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Artaire Films (2020) (Spain) (VOD)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Frank Productions (stage production in association with)
- RCA (sound recording)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
It's the early 20th-century American Midwest. A con man going by the assumed name Harold Hill has used several different schemes to bilk the unsuspecting, and now travels from town to town pretending to be a professor of music - from the Gary (Indiana) Conservatory of Music, class of '05 - who solves all the respective towns' youth problems by forming boys' marching bands. He takes money from the townsfolk to buy instruments, music, instructional materials, and uniforms for their sons. However, in reality, he has no degree and knows nothing about music, and after all the materials arrive and are distributed, he absconds with all the money, never to be seen again. Many of the traveling salesmen in the territory have been negatively impacted by him, as the townsfolk then become suspicious of any stranger trying to sell them something. For Harold's scheme to work, he must gain the trust of the local music teacher, usually by wooing her, regardless of her appearance. And if the town doesn't believe it has a youth problem needing to be fixed, he will manufacture one for them. That is the case when he arrives in River City, Iowa, population 2,212, where he will have some unexpected help from Marcellus Washburn, a friend and former grifter colleague who now lives in River City and has gone straight, but he still wants to make sure Harold survives his stay in town. River City's music teacher is spinster and town librarian Marian Paroo. He's able to impress all the other River Citizens with his fast-talking sales pitches, but not suspicious Marian, whose hard-as-nails exterior is unlike all the other River Citizens. Her exterior is partly due to her somewhat removed standing in the town, as all the gossipy housewives believe she is a smut peddler - encouraging the teenagers to read authors such as Chaucer and Balzac - and mistakenly believe that she got her position as librarian through less-than-scrupulous means. What Harold does not know is that one way to Marian is through her young adolescent brother, Winthrop Paroo, a sullen boy who has withdrawn from life since their father's death two years before, when he started to lisp. Harold starts to fall for Marian, something that never happened with any of the other music teachers. Further complications may ensue if any of those traveling salesmen who have been following his route through the territory catch up with and expose him. Written by Huggo |
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Taglines | It's just a bang-beat, bell-ringin', big-haul, great-go, neck-or-nothin', rip-roarin', ever'-time-a bull's-eye movie! See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
Budget | $4,240,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
Trivia | The two songs "76 Trombones" and "Good Night My Someone" are the same tune, played in different tempos. Meredith Willson used this technique to present a masculine and feminine slant on the on the events surrounding Harold Hill's arrival in River City and his budding relationship with Marian. See more » |
Goofs | Twice when Harold Hill first arrives in River City, mountains are seen in the background. There are no mountains like that in eastern Iowa where River City is supposed to be. See more » |
Movie Connections | Edited into Right Here in River City: The Making of Meredith Willson's 'The Music Man' (1998). See more » |
Soundtracks | Main Title See more » |
Crazy Credits | The closing credits appear in the style of a Broadway show's curtain call. First the minor characters are shown with the performers' names. The credits then progress through the cast ending with the lead. See more » |
Quotes |
Marian Paroo:
No, please, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Harold Hill: Oh, my dear little librarian. You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering. Marian Paroo: Oh, so would I. See more » |