My Favorite Movies -- The Music Man (1962)

This movie holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first I ever grew to love. It was a favorite of my grandmother's and I learned the soundtrack front to back. It stands out from other classical musicals in that it both praises the values of small-town America while holding a critical and cynical eye to it. Very unusual indeed. It is full of great songs that have become standards.... 76 Trombones, Trouble, Goodnight My Someone, Marian the Librarian, Gary Indiana. It boasts Robert Preston as the conman out to rob from the children/families of River City and Shirley Jones as Marian the suspicious and single librarian that the conman pretends to woo. Oh, did I mention a very young Ronnie Howard lisping his way through the movie? If you've only seen bits and pieces of this movie on tv and you have any love of musicals... then rent the dvd and see it in widescreen technicolor glory.

Trouble http://youtube.com/watch?v=GKH9fkSHuH0&feature=related

Marian the Librarian http://youtube.com/watch?v=AnFv29iPACc&feature=related