The Music Man; 1962; Studio: Warner Brothers; Director: Morton DaCosta; Cast: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford. When author and composer Meredith Wilson wrote a story about his childhood in a marching band and composed nearly 40 songs to go with it, the result was the 1957 stage hit The Music Man, one of the most successful Broadway musicals in history. The show’s director, Morton DaCosta, brought it to the silver screen for Warner Brothers in 1962, also acting as producer, ensuring the film would be faithful to the Broadway musical. The story follows the exploits of con man Harold Hill as he brings his marching band scam to a small mid-Western town, eventually ending on the straight and narrow after he redeems himself through love. Though Warner Brothers execs wanted a well-known movie actor to play the lead character Hill, considering Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Carey Grant, Wilson, who had contractual decision-making regarding actors, ultimately chose Robert Preston, who performed the role on Broadway for 883 of the show’s 1,375 performances. Shirley Jones, a veteran musical film actress with credits in movies such as Oklahoma! (1955) and Carousel (1956), was cast opposite Preston as the town’s librarian and Hill’s love interest. Only one song from the Broadway original was changed for the film, the tune “My White Knight,” which Wilson replaced with “Being In Love” to better fit Jones’ vocal range. Musical numbers in the film were also performed by the Buffalo Bills barbershop quartet, and the marching bands of the University of California and the University of Southern California, supplemented by many middle and high school students. The Music Man premiered in Wilson’s hometown of Mason City, Iowa and was a box office smash. Critics and audience members vindicated Wilson’s choice of Preston as the star, praising his energetic performance and seamless transition to the big screen. The film inspired countless children to pick up an instrument. Its optimistic message and small-town charm continue to resonate with audiences today, solidifying its place as a beloved American classic.