Coming along in the summer of 1962, four and a half years after the Broadway opening, the film version of
The Music Man
appeared in an era when Hollywood was more likely to be faithful to stage
musicals
, rather than dramatically altering them, as had been the practice in the past.
found
Robert Preston
re-creating his starring role as conman
Professor Harold Hill
, intent on swindling the good people of River City, IA, by selling them on a fictitious boys' band, and some minor roles were also filled by the Broadway originals. More important,
Meredith Willson
's score was rendered intact, the only change being a revision of the song
"My White Knight"
into
"Being in Love."
The major casting change was the substitution of
Shirley Jones
, who had a box-office track record, for
Barbara Cook
, who did not, in the role of
Marian
the librarian.
Cook
may have been preferable, but
Jones
handled the part well, too. Musically, the big change had to do with scale; the Broadway pit orchestra and original cast were replaced by a vast Hollywood orchestra and chorus, and
musical
director
Ray Heindorf
made the most of the larger effects on songs like
"Seventy Six Trombones."
Still, the music fan who already owned a copy of the original Broadway cast recording didn't really need to plump for the original motion picture soundtrack, which didn't keep the album from racing up the charts and going gold as the film became one of the year's top grossers. But it remains true; unless you are a
fan or want to hear future
Andy Griffith Show
co-star and film director
Ronnie Howard
sing
"Gary, Indiana"
with a lisp, stick to the Broadway version. ~ William Ruhlmann