This is a five-star DVD release of a four-and-a-half-star movie. Meredith Willson's The Music Man was something of a miraculous release in its own era, coming at a time when studios were pulling back from doing big-budget productions of this kind. Not only did Warner Bros. spend nine months making The Music Man but, after flirting with the notion of using Frank Sinatra in the title role, they went with Robert Preston, who had originated the role on Broadway, and also lined up the original director and choreographer and many of the other principal cast members from the theatrical version to make the movie. In the process of expanding the play from the stage to the screen, director Morton Da Costa did an unexpectedly fine job, considering that he'd hardly done any film work at all. The DVD is worth the measure of the film. The main virtue of the disc release is an impeccable transfer from a restored edition of the movie, displaying wonderful luster and clarity and deep, rich color. Not only has the image been captured perfectly, but the sound has been remixed for stereo, which adds to the spaciousness inherent in watching it, even on a small screen. The film is accompanied by a 1998-vintage documentary, "Right Here In River City," in which most of the key players who are still around (Ron Howard was the only one who didn't make it) discuss how the movie was made. Shirley Jones (who replaced Barbara Cook from the Broadway show), Susan Luckey, Buddy Hackett, and choreographer Onna White give warm, thorough accounts of various aspects of the production. The menu pops up manually, and is easy to read and navigate, and the film opens with a short introduction by Jones.

Special Features

"Right Here in River City: The Making of Meredith Willson's The Magic Man"; Introduction by Shirley Jones; Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1; Interactive menus; Production notes; 2 theatrical trailers; Scene access; Subtitles: English, Français

  • Release Date: 2/23/1999
  • UPC: 085391676829
  • Original Release: 1962

    • Rating:

  • Source: Warner Home Video
  • Region Code: 1
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Language: English
  • Time: 3:01:00
  • Format: DVD