The Music Man
Traveling con artist Harold Hill targets the naïve residents of a small town in 1910s Iowa by posing as a boys' bandleader to raise money before he can skip town.
Critics Sentiment
The boys transform into a perfect marching band in townspeople's imagination
The angry townspeople capture Harold Hill for tar and feathers
The film drops significantly when Hill faces the angry mob seeking tar and feathers, then soars dramatically in the magical finale where the boys transform into a perfect band.
Critics consistently praised Robert Preston's tour-de-force performance and the memorable musical numbers, particularly Trouble in River City and the Wells Fargo Wagon sequence. While some found flaws in the romantic development and directorial choices, most reviewers celebrated the film's nostalgic charm and magical ending. The sentiment builds from strong musical moments, dips during the mob confrontation, then reaches its peak with the transformative finale that critics found genuinely moving.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 32
Robert Preston
Harold Hill
Shirley Jones
Marian Paroo
Buddy Hackett
Marcellus Washburn
Ron Howard
Winthrop Paroo
Hermione Gingold
Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn
Paul Ford
Mayor George Shinn
Pert Kelton
Mrs. Paroo
Timmy Everett
Tommy Djilas
Susan Luckey
Zaneeta Shinn
Peggy Mondo
Ethel
Harry Hickox
Charlie Cowell
Jesslyn Fax
Avis Grubb
Mary Wickes
Mrs. Squires
Monique Vermont
Amaryllis
Charles Lane
Constable
William Fawcett
Lester Lonnergan
Barbara Pepper
Mrs. Hawkes
Max Showalter
Salesman On Train (uncredited)
Hank Worden
Undertaker
Sarah Seegar
Townswoman
Crew
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