VHS CASE/SIDE
MPPA Certifcate Number: 19903
Length of film: 151 Minutes
Rated: G
Genre: Comedy, Family, Musical
Director: Morton DaCosta
Starring: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford, Pert Kelton, Ron Howard
IMDB Rank: 7.7/10
Part 1 Time: 88 Minutes
Part 2 Time: 63 Minutes
Where does the first part end? Harold Hill (Robert Preston), Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones), and Winthrop (Ron Howard) speak to each other.
Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Ladies dance committee meets Tuesday nights at the high school. They will be counting on you.”
First line of dialogue on the second part: “La da dee la da da.” Winthrop hums as he goes to school.
How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Harold Hill (a salesman, impersonating a musical composer) has convinced the towns folk of Madison to invest in musical instruments for their youth. It is only a matter of time before the townsfolk find out of Harold’s true intentions.
Which part is better? With its memorable musical scores part one is significantly better than the second half.
Academy Awards: 1963; Best Music-Scoring of Music Adaptation or Treatment, Best Picture (Nominated), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Colour (Nominated), Best Costume Design Colour (Nominated), Best Sound (Nominated), Best Film Editing (Nominated).
National Film Registry: 2005
THEATRICAL POSTER
Hollywood Half-Time 