After "Singin in the Rain", "The Music Man" is the best all family musical from 4 year olds to 44 yr olds to 104 yr olds. What makes a smile stay on your face for 2 hrs of movie watching and carry with you throughout the next 24 hours and gives you a joyful approach to the day better than humming or singing "76 Trombones"? Watching young Ron Howard and the legendary Robert Preston in the same movie is a real treat. The movie actually expands the show by dimension not change of story or format.
What can I say? I have loved this movie and show since it came out and found great joy in introducing it to my grandkids (instead of more animation and "made for kids" movies) and they (to my delight) loved it too.

I was not happy with the quality of this dvd. The duet between Shirley Jones and the barber shop quartet was a HUGH disappointment. You can only here the barber shop quartet singing and Shirley Jones voice is silent and only her lips move. This is one of the better songs in the movie and I was upset needless to say. I will think twice before buying from this setter again. Maybe I should have realized that a cheaper price does not insure a quality product.

Well, sorry to throw a monkey wrench into the praise party for the '62 film `The Music Man' but I have to be honest and say this is definitely not one of my favorite musicals. Yes there are moments of brilliance here; Robert Preston is magnificent as Professor Harold Hill and Shirley Jones is indeed lovely and sings beautifully, but I have decided to face the wrath of its legion of adoring fans and relate some of the reasons why this film bothers me.

The single most important aspect of a musical is the music itself and in my estimation it is here that the production fails. With the exception of the beautiful `Til There Was You' and the clever `Marian the Librarian' I don't find any of the other numbers either noteworthy or memorable. In fact I find a number of them to be quite annoying such as the opening number `The Traveling Salesman', `Piano Lessons' and `Shipoopi'. Worst of all, if I have to hear that inane and repetitious `Gary, Indiana' song one more time I think I'll scream.

On the other hand, maybe I just prefer musicals that are a little more melancholy and reflective rather than lighthearted and whimsical, something with less brass and more strings? Anyway I've said it. I may be the lone contrary but it's my opinion nevertheless. I feel better now.

After seeing this movie musical.. I ran out and booked a flight to
River City Iowa... Got my suspenders and my straw hat...dance shoes too!
Robert Preston is a Stitch.. however..Buddy Hackett sings awful.
and.. Ronny Howard.. OMG.. what happened to all that gorgeous red hair??
I bet he didnt see that comming ah??.. LOL
All the musical numbers are addicting...and if your a 60's child.. This DVD will take you back in time a spell.
Remember..
"We've got Trouble right here in River City ..with a capital "T" that rhyms with "P" and that stands for Pool."

Watch out for this DVD! The authoring needs to be vastly improved, as does the overall quality of the transfer. I tried four borrowed/rented copies of this edition in attempting to find a copy that my Coby DVD player wouldn't choke on. Finally I ordered a NEW copy, which looked somewhat suspect to me (bootleg? not sure). A big clue was that even though it played, initially the DVD player's display BLINKED continuously! The silk screen printed label on the DVD is also a little off. The picture seemed overly edge-enhanced as well as dull and in need of chroma correction. The second play registered better, and with a few tweaks the anamorphic picture improved, but it's still not up to today's DVD standards. Remember, this disc dates back to 1999 (with paper packaging to match)! Warner Brothers needs to issue a remastered Blu-Ray disc to get the full beauty of the original Techniscope (8 perf) negative, which was selected for preservation in 2005.
So if your copy isn't up to speed, I'd say return it for a full refund.

Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" is one of those classic musicals. Its plot is simple: con man Harold Hill comes to rural Iowa, saying he'll replace the pool hall with a family-friendly marching band. In the meantime, he woos the beautiful librarian Marian. As a live musical, "Music Man" is exuberant and energetic. Unfortunately, as a movie it seems to go on forever.

Robert Preston is stodgy as Harold Hill, and an unlikely suitor for Marian (Shirley Jones),unless she's a gold digger as well. There's a young Ron Howard, looong before his deadpan narration for "Arrested Development",singing "Gary,Indiana." "The Music Man" drags its feet. Too much exposition between songs. There's no energy to it. Is Iowa this boring? One hopes not.

"Music Man" is the All-American Boring Musical, unless one is fortunate enough to see a live production. Skip this movie; give Iowa a try instead!

This movie is fantastic, and hasn't lost anything over the years. I haven't checked out the other options, but the quality is awesome.

This is of course a classic big Broadway musical from the era of great tunes and great stars. What makes this film particularly delightful after all of these years is the direction. It is shot in such a way as to not just "open it up" as a film with songs (which it does), but it gives you the feeling of the stage show with the big numbers choreographed with an eye for the proscenium stage and even a curtain call and encore at the end. You can see why Robert Preston was such a great performer (especially in this role). Comedy buffs can get a renewed appreciation of Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold. We can be charmed by Ron Howard and what a terrific actor he was at such a tender age...and marvel that there was such a creation as Shirley Jones with such beauty and such a voice....can't go wrong...

I love how even a cold hearted con-man (played by Robert Preston) can fall in love. How, instead of slipping away in the night, he stays to face the cosequences of his actions - all because he is conflicted over leaving his new love. The new love (played by Shirley Jones)is also cold hearted because of the walls she built up to protect herself from men with one thing on their mind. The intermixing between the two, as Robert Preston tries to capture Shirley Jones' heart is very enjoyable. This "G" rated movie also has Buddy Hackett and shows the debut of Ronnie Howard, as a stuttering boy with a pained heart. Everyone plays their part well.

Filled with music and some dance numbers, this funny little small town romp is slow moving at times, but very ejoyable, and ofter very funny. I am happy that I finally purchased it

This is a movie you must see. They don't make many good movies nowdays. Buy it, and totally get wrapped up in this. The people --characters and the acting are perfect.You'll find yourself humming the songs for weeks after you watch it.

We are still replacing things we lost during Katrina. This movie is such a delight, we had to replace it. Over 2 years after the Hurricane and people are still replacing things. It may be a small thing, but it is just as important to us as any other.

This DVD was a gift for my husband and he loves it. The quality was perfect.

The Music Man wears its length more heavily than many Broadway-to-screen musicals, probably because Meredith Wilson's show boasts too many `samey' tunes and is built so comprehensively around Robert Preston's Howard Hill that you soon realize that it's made up of variations on the same scene played over and over. It is certainly too long, too many of the songs serve no purpose, Michael Da Costa's direction is occasionally over-literal (we don't need those cutaways of train wheels or chicks to sell the songs) and Pert Kelton's Oirish act is enough to make you throw stones at the screen, but it has a couple of great numbers and it still has enough fun left in it to make areturn trip to River City worthwhile.

I found the movie to be as advertised. It is a wonderful movie and the music is absolutely fabulous. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves music.

Delightful...saw the original on Broadway and this was almost as much fun as seeing it originally...we have watched it a number of times.Have it in the VCR and the CD as well.

just a great musical - one of the best ever produced by hollywood -
recommended for everyone

What a wonderful movie! The energy and staging of this movie captured the esssence of Music Man while setting it in a movie setting vs Broadway. I love the stage version also.

What a joy to be able to add this great musical to my library. Thanks so much for a great DVD and at great price.

This is a wonderful version of a wonderful movie. It is beautifully restored and is crisp as a Fall day in Iowa.

Meredith Wilson was responsible for some great music but he manages here to paint a beautiful picture of early 1900, Small Town America. He does this by skillful blending of dialect, story and, of course music that allows one to overlook a very improbable story line.

To an extent the production is stylized such that only Robert Preston could make the lead character believable. However, he had already lost much of the vitality the role required when the movie was made. And that is the productions weak point. The actors are clearly acting to support the interludes between the music. But the music is what makes the man.

This exuberant, energetic adaptation of Meredith Wilson's hit Broadway musical is a bona fide marvel thanks to Robert Preston's virtuosic turn as the ultra-charming swindler. Homing in on small-town America in 1912, "Music Man" mixes nostalgic sentiment with real-world woes, memorably in the person of Ron Howard, who plays Marian's sullen younger brother Winthrop. Comedian Buddy Hackett adds levity as Hill's goofy sidekick, while Jones is a perfectly prim counterweight to Preston's engaging rogue. And let's not forget the songs: "Till There Was You" and the rollicking "76 Trombones" will leave you humming long after the lights go up.

This is a classic musical film and I have nothing but glowing things to say about it, however on my 50" plasma television, the picture quality is sub par and I would love to see it remastered.

I always enjoy the show but especially with no commercials and watching the way they do the "Seventy-Six Trombones". Thanks. Kimberly.

This has always been one of my favorites. Great music, romance and an ever immportant lesson on life. Can never be replaced by the Disney version that came out a few years ago. Original is always good.

This musical simply had it all: Humor, drama, romance, great music, and final redemption/ultimate happiness for the con man!

An excellent classic movie musical with an excellent story line. There are significant comedic instances and areas of plot to make this interesting for any number of audiences. The score itself is worth owning this edition. It is an entertaining movie from start to finish and the rousing ending brings it all together.

This definately is a true classic. I think it's one of the best musicals ever produced. I love to watch it on screen or stage. We've been to many school productions of this musical and it's nice to know there will be generations to come that will be introduced to such great music.

If you are a fan of Broadway musical comedies and dramas, you will love this reissue of The Music Man. You do not need to be of a certain age to be thrilled with the performances by some of America's brightest stars of the 20th century. Some may find the plot and characters a bit thin by today's standards; but, they still play well for a large audience. This is not just an archive of ideal life in the 1800's. The Music Man is a real testament to the American musical theater. Robert Preston and Shirley Jones are wonderful; and, you'll love Ron Howard in his first movie.

This is a movie I am proud to own in my collection. I may be biased but it has a lot to do with the state that I live in and the person who wrote it. Meredith Wilson composed this classic based on his experiences growing up in Mason City, a community some 65 miles to the northeast where I live. This year marks 50 years when this musical came to the Broadway stage and 45 years when the movie first opened up. To this day, "76 Trombones","You Got Trouble", "Til There Was You", "Marian the Librarian" and the other tunes still stand out as the best around! Whenever I need a pick me up, I turn The Music Man on my DVD player! Loved every minute of it!!

I have watched at least 7 times. Great film to watch with your children

Until recently, this wasn't one of my favorites - don't know why! My husband bought it for me when we found out my daughter's HS choir was going to do the musical. I watched it numerous times both on my 'puter and the TV to get costume ideas (really helped with the middy blouses that the "pick-a-little" ladies wear for practice) and help with other parts of the production. Love Shirley Jones as Marian and Robert Preston IS the Music Man! Mrs. Shinn is just too funny for words!!! If you want a feel-good musical, get it! The music and orchestration are great and the dancing is wonderful!

Excellent movie. Unacceptable DVD quality. Had to return the first DVD. The replacement had the same defect as the first. Returned it for refund. Decided not to buy any more DVD's from Amazon.

The Movie has always been a favorite of mine. If you have a big screen TV, this movie on DVD will appear to be sloppy in some areas, but if you just follow the story and enoy the music, you'll over come the critical nit picking of your prefectionate self. Go look in the mirror by the way.

I recommend this product for purchase.

We are very happy with the DVD, not only with the quality, but the price for which we paid.

Robert Preston's version of The Music Man is the ONLY version - Matthew Broderick is NOT the Music Man!!