18. The Music Man (1962)

There are great stories, great actors and great music, but they seldom all come together. When they do you get incredible results. The Music Man is definitely one of them. From the very first I was caught up in the flim flam of the incomparable Robert Preston. As Professor Harold Hill, the sometimes salesman, sometimes conman and sometimes band director he is nothing but a smooth talking miracle.

Shirley Jones on the other hand is the exact opposite. The quintessential school marm: repressed, scared of change and finally Harold Hill’s biggest defender. She is almost too good for the role and it shows, but opposite Preston she has to be! The chemistry between them is magic, and The Music Man is a “watch any time to cheer” up type film. Oops, I almost forgot the music. Music Man is certainly one of the best musicals but the music is almost secondary to the wonderful characters and great story. What stands out is 76 Trombones and You Got Trouble (Right Here in River City). If you can listen to those tunes with out tapping your foot, there’s something wrong with you. Oh, and check out little Ron Howard and his, almost to cute for words, lisp.