Gregory Peck won for To Kill a Mockingbird. Also nominated, Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, Marcello Mastroianni, and Peter O’Toole. So … at least some schlub didn’t win over him. But yeah, he was awesome and deserved an Oscar for it … if not the 1963 best actor Oscar. TMM was nominated for Best Picture (Lawrence of Arabia won.) And guess who was nominated for best supporting actor? Telly Savalas! But your comment is a very good one. Preston’s performance buoys you for days after seeing TMM in the movie theatre. And he doesn’t just act but sings and dances! So what’s that worth?
It's absolutely perfect the way he lowers his voice confidentially when he says "Now I know all you folks are the RIGHT kind of parents." That's when he's got the hook firmly set.
One of my favorite memories: I’m shooting pool by myself in a bar at like 3:00 pm on a Thursday or something like that. Out of nowhere some man who was at least infinity years old comes up to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. Then he says to me, “Son, I can tell by the way you work that cue that you have not led a clean and virtuous life.” Best compliment ever.
My dear old dad, who passed away today, used to sing this to me when I was a little boy. Mainly when he took me down the pub in Newcastle on a Sunday and bought me beer and played pool with me! True story. God bless you dad.
The whole spiel is a lesson in looking carefully at *any* fast talker who's trying to sell you something, be it a boys band, stocks, the Brooklyn Bridge or some political idea.
When they were casting this movie, they originally wanted a bigger star than Robert Preston as box office insurance. Reportedly, they even approached Cary Grant, who promptly refused the role because he felt no one could do it better than Preston could.
@@oddish4352 Correct. Warner Bros. brass originally wanted to cast Frank Sinatra in the title role -- but when Meredith Willson (i.e. the writer and music composer) heard of this, he immediately told the senior management the following, according to Shirley Jones who played the librarian "Marian Paroo": "You WILL NOT make my movie without Robert Preston in the title role!" 😎
Preston's Hill is a perfect combination of fast talking con man and evangelistic revival preacher. He gets you on his side and you never leave it. Such a great actor.
The songs in this musical fascinate me because they reflect the rhythm of a small, early-twentieth century town in the midwest. This one is part auctioneer/square dance caller/backwoods preacher. The first number brilliantly mimics a train, the Wells Fargo Wagon has a galloping sound, the music lesson song mimics playing piano scales, and Pick-A-Little Talk-A-Little is all fussy, clucking hens. Meredith Wilson was a genius, and yes, this was one precursor to rap, although it had probably been around for eons before that.
Andy Porter Today, it seems more applicable to a liberal message rather than a wholly conservative one. There are politicians the exact opposite of Harold Hill in the worst ways today.
This is one of the all-time great musicals. Wish they would show “The Music Man” on TV once in a while. The original, not the remake. Nobody can hold a candle to Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. They were superb!
Sorry to say the Matthew Broderick remake left much to be desired; a very lukewarm performance by that actor. The hundreds of Broadway performances by Preston couldn't help but make him the #1 actor for the Harold HIll role. Will be interesting to see what verve and energy Hugh Jackman will be able to inject in an upcoming movie version of this almost-perfect-material musical.
@@artbagley1406 Best review i saw of the "new" Music Man is that Jackman "spends so much time trying to NOT be Robert Preston that he never figures out who his character is."
As a man of the theater, I consider Robert Preston's performance in this film to be one of the glories of the art of acting that we have on record. (The only other actor who ever played Harold Hill with comparable brilliance was Hugh Jackman, who is the same type of performer as Preston). Look at how light on his feet he is when he runs around the circle of spectators! Or his razor-sharp diction as he articulates those intricate lyrics! He easily fulfills the essence of any performer who plays a con artist: he leaves you, the audience member, unshakably convinced that you yourself would fall for his pitch if you were in that crowd. WHAT an actor!
@@heatherkelly2580 this song is arguably the first broadway rap song, which is rather interesting, fundamentally rap is just rhythmic speech over music or a beat, and given who relatively monotone this performance is from Preston it does feel more like a rap than a typical broadway song
@@heatherkelly2580 Yeah, actually this song 100% meets all the requirements to be considered a rap song. Any good rapper should know this absolute banger.
@@gispel7058 I've seen a bunch of people do this bit, and while most of them recite it well, even reverently (Matthew Broderick and Seth McFarlane both come to mind here), none of them run around, wave their arms, or bug their eyes out when they should. Has Jack Black ever done this? He might well pull off the physicality of this thing.
He is not singing it he is acting it. That is what most other actors fail to understand. It is not a song, it is a monologue. He is totally in character.
My middle school music teacher had us watch this and i been looking for it ever since then. I finally found after all these years!!!! So grateful i grew up with awesome elementary, middle, highschool music teachers that exposed us to many different cultures!!! Bring back our music and art programs please!!!
Amen to that! One that stuck with me into modern times is Don Gato by Margaret Marks. That nugget of creepy weird 70s elementary school awesomeness was introduced to me by Mrs. Lackey in Mauldin, SC. She also got me to realize that reading was a thing worth doing. She was one of the greats.
Yep. We had music class to learn instruments, mine was the French horn, singing class where we learned classic folk songs, wood working for the boys, plus the standard 3 R's. There was no special ed classes since there was no jabbing going on. In high school, it was a continuation of grade school with the addition of gym classes. Compared to today, it was like we lived in a golden era where people were honest and hard working without interference from the medical mafia and government dictates.
I remember Robert Preston most for his role in "The Last Starfighter". Where he portrayed an alien huckster out to recruit "Starfighters". "Yes we got trouble! Bad trouble! Right here in Alpha Centauri!"
Makes me so sad is I didn’t know about this man or his legendary talent until last week! I WILL MAKE UP FOR THIS BY PRAISING HIM EVERYWHERE I GO! 😫🎶 What an underrated legend! 👏
He's awesome. One of his later roles was in 'The Last Starfighter'. It's worth a watch. The CGI is an early attempt and a bit cheesy but it's a solid story and Robert is awesome as always.
Except that there over a million people sneaking over the border every year to line up for bennies or take jobs or run drugs and there's a law against that which congress passed but politicians refuse to enforce. I call THEM con artists.
Gotta be honest, not my favorite musical, but I never get tired of this number, and mad respect for the late Robert Preston who was a great singer and actor, and also probably would have made a succuessful con man in real life.
Love this movie. First watched it on a small b&w television on Independence Day and it's been an annual tradition since (along with 1776). And Robert Preston broke the mold. So far no one has equaled his performance in the role.
I just recently got into acting and my grandpa informed me that Robert Preston is related to me somewhere down the lines and this is just amazing. I've never seen him before but it's crazy how good he is. I got to see his Tony's too they're in a cabinet at my grandpa's house. I have so much respect for him now.
Robert Preston did the stage production of The Music Man for 40 months before leaving to do the movie. Hard did so much in his career, so many other projects, from 1938 to until 1986 he was in movies, stage and TV. Preston was prolific talent! What I would have to given to see him on stage, before my time. He passed away in 1987 from lung cancer at 68.
You know what's amazing about this song? Given that it's a song about how easily parents can be convinced that totally innocuous things they don't understand are corrupting the youth, it only gets more hilarious the more dated everything becomes, but _for the same reasons it was hilarious before._ This song ages like fine fucking wine.
And to think that Jack Warner wanted to cast Frank Sinatra as Harold Hill. I was a great fan of Mr. Sinatra, but he could not have pulled it off like Robert Preston.
Sinatra would have done a good job, because Sinatra would never do a bad job, but he would not have done a great job. The movie is memorable because of Preston. And apparently Meredith Willson (the composer) agreed, because there are reports he told Jack Warner that Robert Preston got the lead, or the film wouldn't be made.
So the movie was released in 1962. In 1968, I entered my senior year of high school. And that year, we had an assembly, part of which was to announce a high school play based on this movie...one I had never heard of. And it was a classmate I had known since, oh Lord, going back to grade three or so. And David Akers performed this very song. After graduation I would indeed soon see this wonderful movie. And all I can say is Mr. Preston would have been proud, maybe even a bit envious, of just how remarkable David's performance had been. I learned recently that David passed away years ago. So to Mr. Preson and David, thank you both for some of the happiest memories of my life.
Fast, flawless and fiercely entertaining. Try reciting this word for word if you ever need to stop being depressed. He was no spring chicken when this was filmed. Preston and Astair were hoofers first and formost. Love the way he looks, really looks at his cast and really tries to convince them. He made everyone up their game.
Patter songs had been used in musicals for quite a while. Gilbert and Sullivan used them, most notably 'I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.'
@@GrainneMhaol I do take your point, but Gilbert and Sullivan did assign actual notes to each syllable whereas there are a number of phrases uttered by Robert Preston that have no association with any musical notes, they're just utterances, rhythmic though they may be.
@@DavidWilsoninnefl His performance choices don't change the nature of the song. I chose Burn from Hamilton as my showcase performance in a musical theatre class. My teacher told me to speak, not sing several lines, 'Do you know what Angelica said?' etc. Didn't make the song a rap number.
@@DavidWilsoninnefl each syllable still has a pitch, though --- even when you speak normally. so it's a matter of whether you wish to write it down on a score sheet or not
When Robert Preston first signed a film contract with Paramount in the early 1940s he alternated between playing heavies and co-starring roles. So, whe he got the role of Prof. Harold Hill in the Broadway production of "The Music Man," it was considered a surprise. It was a happy surprise for all of us.
They would not know how to react, I think. Some of our "bad words" are hundreds of years old, and spelled the same way then as we spell them now. However, some words did not even exist until the 20th century, and first appeared between the two world wars.
One of the most catchy tunes in all of musicals. Did Robert Preston get any awards for this movie? Because he should have he was magnificent. Also catch the scene where he is trying to get the band kids to play Minuet in G. All classic stuff.
The story, the songs, the lyrics, the cast and the humor all combine to create a spectacular show from start to finish! For my money, the best musical ever conceived!
There will only ever be ONE "Music Man," and Robert Preston is it. The sad thing is that today's kids will watch this and not know half of what he's talking about. I'm guessing most of them have no idea what Sen-Sen was, or what a cistern was and why it was important that it not be empty on a Saturday night.
There's been a few recently that have my hopes up we might have a revival of great musicals coming... "Mama Mia" and "The Greatest Showman" for live action, and "Moana" and "Encanto" on the animated side of things. And several big-name Broadway musicals have film adaptations in the works. That's where many of our favorite classic musical movies came from, so I'm hopeful at least some of these new ones and remakes of old classics will be good. Broadway IS pretty much the only place for "triple threat" actors to find steady work these days.
A pool table, don't you understand? Friend, either you're closing your eyes To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated By the presence of a pool table in your community Well, ya got trouble my friend, right here I say, trouble right in River City, why sure, I'm a billiard player Certainly, mighty proud I say, I'm always mighty proud to say it I consider that the hours I spend with a cue in my hand are golden Help you cultivate horse sense and a cool head and a keen eye Did you ever take and try to find and iron-clad leave for yourself From a three-rail billiard shot? But just as I say It takes judgement, brains and maturity to score In a balkline game, I say that any boob Can take and shove a ball in a pocket And I call that sloth the first big step on the road To the depths of deg-ra-day I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon Then beer from a bottle And the next thing you know Your son is playing for money in a pinch-back suit And listenin' to some big outta town jasper Hearin' him tell about horse race gamblin' Not a wholesome trottin' race, no But a race where they set down right on the horse Like to see some stuck-up jockey boy Settin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil Well I should say Now friends, let me tell you what I mean You got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table Pockets that mark the difference between a gentleman and a bum With a capital "B" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool And all week long your River City youth'll be fritterin' away I say, your young men will be fritterin' Fritterin' away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too Get the ball in the pocket, never mind gettin' dandelions pulled Or the screen door patched or the beef steak pounded Never mind pumpin' any water 'Til your parents are caught with the cistern empty On a Saturday night and that's trouble Yes you got lots and lots of trouble I'm thinkin' of the kids in the knickerbockers Shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the pool hall window after school You got trouble, folks Right here in River City, trouble with a capital "T" And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool Now I know all you folks are the right kind of parents I'm gonna be perfectly frank Would you like to know what kinda conversation goes on While they're loafing around that hall? They be tryin' out Bevo, tryin' out cubebs Tryin' out Tailor Mades like cigarette fiends And braggin' all about how they're gonna cover up A tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen One fine night, they leave the pool hall Heading for the dance at the Arm'ry Libertine men and scarlet women, and ragtime, shameless music That'll grab your son, your daught with the arms of a jungle, animal instinct Mass-staria Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground Trouble (oh we got trouble) Right here in River City (right here in River City) With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool (That stands for pool) We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble) Right here in River City (right here) Gotta figure out a way to keep the young ones moral after school (Our children's children gonna have trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...) Mothers of River City, heed that warning before it's too late Watch for the the tell-tale signs of corruption The minute your son leaves the house Does he re-buckle his knickerbockers below the knee? Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger? A dime novel hidden in the corn crib? Is he starting to memorise jokes from Cap'n Billy's Whiz Bang? Are certain words creeping into his conversation Words like, like "swell"? (Trouble, trouble, trouble) And "so's your old man? (Trouble, trouble, trouble) Well if so, my friends, you got trouble (oh we got trouble) Right here in River City (right here in River City) With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool (That stands for pool) We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble) Right here in River City (right here) Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule (Our children's children gonna have trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...) Oh we got trouble, we're in terrible, terrible trouble That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool (devil's tool) Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble (Oh yes we got trouble here, we got big, big trouble) With a "T" (with a capital "T") Gotta rhyme it with "P" (gotta rhyme with "P") And that stands for pool (that stands for pool)
Apparently one of the stars the studio wanted to play Harold Hill was Cary Grant, who told them something to the effect of “if you don’t cast Robert Preston in the role I won’t even watch the movie!”.
The same thing happened two years later at the same studio (Warner Bros.) when studio head Jack Warner tried to talk Grant into playing Prof. Henry Higgins instead of Rex Harrison for "My Fair Lady." Must be that Warner didn't understand professors.
+BlackOut1962 "We got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, pockets in a table. Pockets that mark the difference.....between a gentleman and a bum, with a capital B and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool!"
A genius scene. Robert Preston, the songwriter and director knocked it out of the park. I can't help but think of the hours Preston spent learning this part.
I was wondering what movie or tv show I wanted to rewatch and RUclips answered me. I’ve adored the music man ever since my mother exposed me to it when I was much, much younger. I didn’t quite understand a lot of the stuff going on, so a rewatch is in order!
A friend who went to Dakota Wesleyan used to sing "We got trouble, right here in Mitchel City. It starts with P and Rhymes with T and it stands for POT !!!
This is a Brilliant score reflecting the musical roots at the turn of the last Century (Jazz, Ragtime, Gospel, Honky Tonk) a Brilliant performance (the Late Robert Preston) to quote the words of another Brilliant artist "who can ask for anything more"
My favorite music of all time. It helped me to buckle down on my trumpet lessons and kept me out of the pool hall 😅. Very true. One of Shirley Jones finest roles and in my opinion, Robert Preston at his best.
It's not Liberty men, he says, Libertine men. It's hard to understand I know. In fact the song is filled with words, products and activities that are no longer used.
I heard a parody of this song somewhere and abodolutepy fell in love with it. My dad listened to it and immediately identified it as a parody of this. I'm glad I found the original. I could dance all day to this.
So glad that Warner Bros cast Robert Preston for the Tony Award-winning role he did on Broadway. Warner Bros was going to cast Frank Sinatra. What a BIG mistake that would have been. Meredith Willson demanded Preston to re-create his award-winning role or else he will cancel the movie production. Wilson won out.
He's like media since always. It's just now, there's a whole lot of it coming from all sides, and you can't keep your nose out of it even if you wanted to.
Matthew did the best he could playing Harold I thought he did a good job. I don't think anyone did better at this song than one another. One of my best friends played Harold in a school play and he did just as good as Robert and Matthew so everyone who plays Harold is good in their own way.
I have to agree with Michael Mullis on is that No One can do this song like Robert Preston. The music and songs that Robert Preston did in the Music Man were written for him. Matthew Broddrick destroyed this song in the version he did, when they remade the Music Man that they should either got someone better that could sing long Robert Preston or should have just left the movie alone. I couldn't even watch the one with Matthew because of the songs were way off, not only the version that Matthew was in didn't flow as well.
Preston lived the role. I mean, he did it for years, perfecting it endlessly. A con man needs to reach out and grab people, and Preston did it beautifully. Mathew on the other hand cruised in, read the script, slept walked through the filming, and moved on. Thats how it appears to me anyway. His energy level seemed almost purposefully low, like it wouldn't have been cool to act overly excited. But how can you con anyone that way? I like Mathew in his other movies, but casting him here was nonsensical. In the early 60's, Hollywood could still convince you it understood Americana because at least many of the actors grew up knowing it. The Music Man, with Preston, is the perfect tribute to Americana. With Mathew, it is just a tribute to the ubiquitous Hollywood remake scam.
How did Robert Preston NOT win an Oscar this? Because he wasn't even nominated. One the greatest overlooked performances ever.
He was amazing and under appreciated
Gregory Peck won for To Kill a Mockingbird. Also nominated, Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, Marcello Mastroianni, and Peter O’Toole. So … at least some schlub didn’t win over him. But yeah, he was awesome and deserved an Oscar for it … if not the 1963 best actor Oscar.
TMM was nominated for Best Picture (Lawrence of Arabia won.)
And guess who was nominated for best supporting actor? Telly Savalas!
But your comment is a very good one. Preston’s performance buoys you for days after seeing TMM in the movie theatre. And he doesn’t just act but sings and dances! So what’s that worth?
Omg I know if you were walking behind him you would slip and fall on the confidence that is dripping off him
Same way Austin Butler didn’t win the Oscar for Elvis. It’s crazy because both os them are geniuses
1963 was a very competitive year for Best Actor.
with sick rhymes like these he could absolutely sell me on investing in a monorail
Monorail....monorail....monorail....monorail....monorail....monorail....
@@MercuryChild MONORAIL!
@@Marcusml333 But Main Street's still all cracked and broken!
As mayor of North Haverbrook, I, for one, am intrigued.
Is there a chance the track will bend?
He's literally the outta town jasper in the pinch back suit talking about horse race gambling that he's warning them against
it really is a great musical in many aspects, that is but one
that's the joke
@Roy G Biv nope it was the last pres..thank god he's gone.
Eric B Looks like someone’s brainwashed
Attention Eric and Roy you are wrong. You are the problem.
It's absolutely perfect the way he lowers his voice confidentially when he says "Now I know all you folks are the RIGHT kind of parents." That's when he's got the hook firmly set.
I think it's hilarious he basically told his old sales buddy Mars what he was gonna do but Mars got fooled, too.
One of my favorite memories: I’m shooting pool by myself in a bar at like 3:00 pm on a Thursday or something like that. Out of nowhere some man who was at least infinity years old comes up to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. Then he says to me, “Son, I can tell by the way you work that cue that you have not led a clean and virtuous life.”
Best compliment ever.
Lemme guess?.. You were playing one pocket for $500 a game?..
My dear old dad, who passed away today, used to sing this to me when I was a little boy. Mainly when he took me down the pub in Newcastle on a Sunday and bought me beer and played pool with me! True story. God bless you dad.
Yay! Newcastle!
He bought u beer when u were a little boy?
@@uglygymrat6024 I mean it is Newcastle
Hope that 2 years later, what you have now is good memories
What a great memory
"The city ain't in any trouble".... "then we'll have to create some" LMAO!!!! He should have run for president.
He'd be worlds better than what we've got.
The whole spiel is a lesson in looking carefully at *any* fast talker who's trying to sell you something, be it a boys band, stocks, the Brooklyn Bridge or some political idea.
Must be a Democrat.
too bad we can't use the "Think Method" right now! Right?!!! Think ourselves right out of this mess!!!!!!!
Let's go fill Moominvalley with crime.
Many people have played this part, but no one does this song like Robert Preston. A truly legendary performance from a true artist.
When they were casting this movie, they originally wanted a bigger star than Robert Preston as box office insurance. Reportedly, they even approached Cary Grant, who promptly refused the role because he felt no one could do it better than Preston could.
@@oddish4352 Correct. Warner Bros. brass originally wanted to cast Frank Sinatra in the title role -- but when Meredith Willson (i.e. the writer and music composer) heard of this, he immediately told the senior management the following, according to Shirley Jones who played the librarian "Marian Paroo":
"You WILL NOT make my movie without Robert Preston in the title role!"
😎
Robert Preston was the original Professor Harold Hill. He was the first person to ever play the part. And he does an awesome job!
@@Wesley_Peter_Redmond The original and the best.
Seth MacFarlane did amazing
This guy is unbelievable. Crushed it.
ikr
Thumper17 Ikr. Wish I could talk/sing that fast and that confidently.
He starred in the original stage play.
Yes, and he did this on Broadway for over 880 performances.
Thumper17 So are these lyrics. Whoever wrote these lines is/are fucking brilliant as well
Brilliance of Conan O’Brien is that he took this, distilled it into two minutes, and gave it to Phil Hartman, who elevated even further.
Why does my town never break out into showtunes?
Because they don't have trouble with a capital T
Masaz Which rhymes with P and stands for Pool ;D
+DublH And also Porn.
YEP
I've been thinking about doing this all of a sudden in a crowd. I learned the words to it.
Preston's Hill is a perfect combination of fast talking con man and evangelistic revival preacher. He gets you on his side and you never leave it. Such a great actor.
The songs in this musical fascinate me because they reflect the rhythm of a small, early-twentieth century town in the midwest. This one is part auctioneer/square dance caller/backwoods preacher. The first number brilliantly mimics a train, the Wells Fargo Wagon has a galloping sound, the music lesson song mimics playing piano scales, and Pick-A-Little Talk-A-Little is all fussy, clucking hens. Meredith Wilson was a genius, and yes, this was one precursor to rap, although it had probably been around for eons before that.
It's a patter song: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patter_song
@@error.418 re: Gilbert and Sullivan 75 years before.
@@johnprovince5304 Yep, G&S were great at patter songs. And they date back well before G&S.
yes i guess your correct.
Willson!
Just a mesmerising performance. Every movement is so precise. And still so relevant. Beware the politician who creates fear and has the solution.
Andy Porter Today, it seems more applicable to a liberal message rather than a wholly conservative one. There are politicians the exact opposite of Harold Hill in the worst ways today.
This is one of the all-time great musicals. Wish they would show “The Music Man” on TV once in a while. The original, not the remake. Nobody can hold a candle to Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. They were superb!
GOATS
Sorry to say the Matthew Broderick remake left much to be desired; a very lukewarm performance by that actor. The hundreds of Broadway performances by Preston couldn't help but make him the #1 actor for the Harold HIll role. Will be interesting to see what verve and energy Hugh Jackman will be able to inject in an upcoming movie version of this almost-perfect-material musical.
@@artbagley1406 Best review i saw of the "new" Music Man is that Jackman "spends so much time trying to NOT be Robert Preston that he never figures out who his character is."
I agree, but Ferris Bueller did a much better Harold than I anticipated.
NBC shows the original every summer.
Fearmongering has never sounded so catchy!
As a man of the theater, I consider Robert Preston's performance in this film to be one of the glories of the art of acting that we have on record. (The only other actor who ever played Harold Hill with comparable brilliance was Hugh Jackman, who is the same type of performer as Preston). Look at how light on his feet he is when he runs around the circle of spectators! Or his razor-sharp diction as he articulates those intricate lyrics! He easily fulfills the essence of any performer who plays a con artist: he leaves you, the audience member, unshakably convinced that you yourself would fall for his pitch if you were in that crowd. WHAT an actor!
I did not see Hugh Jackman but I'm delighted to hear he did a comparable job to Mr. Preston - some great American Theater performances !!
Don’t think I can ever be duped again
That actor has such an announcer voice lol.
That's the late Robert Preston.
SiliconDogwoods The fabulous Robert Preston.
barbaro267 MERLIN 😍😍😍😍👍
Robert Preston was the best thing in almost every movie he appeared in.
Centauri!
Don’t call yourself a rap music fan unless you know this classic.
I hope Lin Manual Miranda is a fan of this oldie but a goodie
"RAP"? YOU ARE KIDDING AE YOU NOT?
@@heatherkelly2580 this song is arguably the first broadway rap song, which is rather interesting, fundamentally rap is just rhythmic speech over music or a beat, and given who relatively monotone this performance is from Preston it does feel more like a rap than a typical broadway song
@@heatherkelly2580 Yeah, actually this song 100% meets all the requirements to be considered a rap song. Any good rapper should know this absolute banger.
@@tomhemming9236There is a piece in Porgy and Bess that beat this by a few decades. However, I love them both.
I can’t see anyone but Robert Preston doing justice to this song.
Phil Hartman maybe
Seth MacFarlane does a very nice job of it.
Seen many versions ... Robert Preston is, was, and always will be the Gold Standard for Professor Harold Hill
Saw John Davidson do the Hill role on stage. Ho hum.
@@gispel7058 I've seen a bunch of people do this bit, and while most of them recite it well, even reverently (Matthew Broderick and Seth McFarlane both come to mind here), none of them run around, wave their arms, or bug their eyes out when they should. Has Jack Black ever done this? He might well pull off the physicality of this thing.
@@BrutishYetDelightful some interesting possibilities there Brutish.
No one can compare Robert will own this role for all time
HOW does he talk that fast!?!? Can you say TALENT!?!?
He is not singing it he is acting it. That is what most other actors fail to understand. It is not a song, it is a monologue. He is totally in character.
Laceykat66 they didn’t even call him a singer in this comment crazy lady.. calm your tits down please :/ nobody cares
TALENT! Right here in River City-
Because it's rhythmic monologue, the hardest part is mesmerizing the words I can do it too. Literally it's easy when you know the whole monologue
@@theretep6494 he is but this is just rhythmic talking, it's easy
Really, who was even half as charming as Robert Preston? Always connected to his audience in a way that made you wish he were a member of your family.
Ikr
He was GREAT. Perfect.
Yeah and Hugh Jackman is gonna do great on Broadway
I saw Robert Preston perform this role live on stage in Philadelphia in the 80's. He was in his 60's and still had it. Phenomenal performance!
Wow!
Good for you.
In that same era, I got to see The King And I onstage with Yul Brynner, in Boston.
Got to grab those chances.
My middle school music teacher had us watch this and i been looking for it ever since then. I finally found after all these years!!!! So grateful i grew up with awesome elementary, middle, highschool music teachers that exposed us to many different cultures!!! Bring back our music and art programs please!!!
Amen to that! One that stuck with me into modern times is Don Gato by Margaret Marks. That nugget of creepy weird 70s elementary school awesomeness was introduced to me by Mrs. Lackey in Mauldin, SC. She also got me to realize that reading was a thing worth doing. She was one of the greats.
Yes please, art classes getting straight A's was the only thing that kept my grade point average up in high school. Math was a close second.
Had to add this quote on my frig. THE EARTH WITHOUT ART IS JUST EH!!!!
The only thing that lasts the test of time.
Yep. We had music class to learn instruments, mine was the French horn, singing class where we learned classic folk songs, wood working for the boys, plus the standard 3 R's. There was no special ed classes since there was no jabbing going on. In high school, it was a continuation of grade school with the addition of gym classes. Compared to today, it was like we lived in a golden era where people were honest and hard working without interference from the medical mafia and government dictates.
Good music teachers are golden.
1910s:
_"so's your old man"_
2010s:
_"ur mom"_
Lolllll
2020’s:
“Yo.”
I keep thinking about this
That makes way too much sense...
@@MissPopuri
'literally'
I remember Robert Preston most for his role in "The Last Starfighter". Where he portrayed an alien huckster out to recruit "Starfighters". "Yes we got trouble! Bad trouble! Right here in Alpha Centauri!"
Oh, ya got trouble. Right here in Rylos City. With a capital T, and that sounds like Z, and that stands for Xur.
I love that movie
This always was my favorite song from this movie.
Mine: Til there was you.
Gary indiana
Gee Trieste the feel when your foot gets caught in the door
Derric awright Love that I myself.
Mine too
Robert Preston was absolutely SPLENDID in this role!! Cheers
Might even say he was…. SWELL! 😂
Robert Preston was the absolute best.......RIP to the master
of the Music man.
Makes me so sad is I didn’t know about this man or his legendary talent until last week! I WILL MAKE UP FOR THIS BY PRAISING HIM EVERYWHERE I GO! 😫🎶
What an underrated legend! 👏
He's awesome. One of his later roles was in 'The Last Starfighter'. It's worth a watch. The CGI is an early attempt and a bit cheesy but it's a solid story and Robert is awesome as always.
every political campaign ever
"You got a Crook folks, right here in DC."
"Crook with a capital 'C' and that rhymes with 'E' that stands for Emails!"
***** :-))
Wedgewood Productions More like C and that rhymes with T and that stands for Trump.
Timeless!
Except that there over a million people sneaking over the border every year to line up for bennies or take jobs or run drugs and there's a law against that which congress passed but politicians refuse to enforce. I call THEM con artists.
Absolutely brilliant. Preston is magical.
Gotta be honest, not my favorite musical, but I never get tired of this number, and mad respect for the late Robert Preston who was a great singer and actor, and also probably would have made a succuessful con man in real life.
ha. all successful actors are con men gone straight.
Except for the fact that he was extremely honest 🤭
@@Rune789 no doubt, but if he had wanted to be a con man, he could’ve pulled it off.
Harold Hill: With a capital B and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool!!
Me: Well, I can’t argue with that logic.
Salesmanship...pure salesmanship...
Love this movie. First watched it on a small b&w television on Independence Day and it's been an annual tradition since (along with 1776). And Robert Preston broke the mold. So far no one has equaled his performance in the role.
It's saddening that this rethoric is still used today in politics and people keep falling for it.
exactly why democracy doesn't work
I just recently got into acting and my grandpa informed me that Robert Preston is related to me somewhere down the lines and this is just amazing. I've never seen him before but it's crazy how good he is. I got to see his Tony's too they're in a cabinet at my grandpa's house. I have so much respect for him now.
@RDeV wtf you're right that's actually insane. Yes I heard about Catherine too but I didn't know her name, that's so cool!
Robert Preston did the stage production of The Music Man for 40 months before leaving to do the movie. Hard did so much in his career, so many other projects, from 1938 to until 1986 he was in movies, stage and TV. Preston was prolific talent! What I would have to given to see him on stage, before my time. He passed away in 1987 from lung cancer at 68.
You know what's amazing about this song? Given that it's a song about how easily parents can be convinced that totally innocuous things they don't understand are corrupting the youth, it only gets more hilarious the more dated everything becomes, but _for the same reasons it was hilarious before._
This song ages like fine fucking wine.
MONORAIL.
MONORAIL.
wait
Mono!
+Zulu Romeo doh!
homer and bart: monorail monorail monorail
sorry mom the mob has spoken
Monorail
I've rarely seen a performance so perfect ! I bought that movie after seeing it the first time because I was so impressed by his talent.
And remember that he did it on stage, too...!
And to think that Jack Warner wanted to cast Frank Sinatra as Harold Hill. I was a great fan of Mr. Sinatra, but he could not have pulled it off like Robert Preston.
No way way Sinatra does this, just doesn't fit. Frank was great in Man with the Golden Arm around the same time though.
Sinatra would have done a good job, because Sinatra would never do a bad job, but he would not have done a great job. The movie is memorable because of Preston. And apparently Meredith Willson (the composer) agreed, because there are reports he told Jack Warner that Robert Preston got the lead, or the film wouldn't be made.
@@nancypine9952 good thing Rober
Preston got this part. This part just suits him so well!!
Sinatra was available but, to his credit, he turned the role down.
@@eroupopper He played basically the same character in the eighties in 'The Last Starfighter'.
So the movie was released in 1962. In 1968, I entered my senior year of high school. And that year, we had an assembly, part of which was to announce a high school play based on this movie...one I had never heard of. And it was a classmate I had known since, oh Lord, going back to grade three or so. And David Akers performed this very song.
After graduation I would indeed soon see this wonderful movie.
And all I can say is Mr. Preston would have been proud, maybe even a bit envious, of just how remarkable David's performance had been.
I learned recently that David passed away years ago.
So to Mr. Preson and David, thank you both for some of the happiest memories of my life.
Fast, flawless and fiercely entertaining. Try reciting this word for word if you ever need to stop being depressed. He was no spring chicken when this was filmed. Preston and Astair were hoofers first and formost. Love the way he looks, really looks at his cast and really tries to convince them. He made everyone up their game.
This man is brilliant ! I never get tired of this, I always get goosebumps when he " ad libs " at the end. Marvelous !
The first example of rapping in musical history! 😁
Patter songs had been used in musicals for quite a while. Gilbert and Sullivan used them, most notably 'I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.'
@@GrainneMhaol I do take your point, but Gilbert and Sullivan did assign actual notes to each syllable whereas there are a number of phrases uttered by Robert Preston that have no association with any musical notes, they're just utterances, rhythmic though they may be.
@@DavidWilsoninnefl His performance choices don't change the nature of the song. I chose Burn from Hamilton as my showcase performance in a musical theatre class. My teacher told me to speak, not sing several lines, 'Do you know what Angelica said?' etc. Didn't make the song a rap number.
Actually there's an older example of rap in a song called Rock Island. About 20 minutes older to be precise (it's at the beginning of the movie).
@@DavidWilsoninnefl each syllable still has a pitch, though --- even when you speak normally. so it's a matter of whether you wish to write it down on a score sheet or not
This scene is the pinnacle of Robert Preston's entire career, IMO.
His dancing with Jones in Shipoopi is choreographic genius!
When Robert Preston first signed a film contract with Paramount in the early 1940s he alternated between playing heavies and co-starring roles. So, whe he got the role of Prof. Harold Hill in the Broadway production of "The Music Man," it was considered a surprise. It was a happy surprise for all of us.
"Swell" and "so's your old man!" Boy, better not show them a typical 10-year-old's facebook page! Popped heads and heart attacks all around! :D
Why the hell would the parents let them go there in the first place lol
@@beansforsalewahoo morons just shove an ipad in front of their kids and expect it to raise them
These people would die if they heard what people said today ef
They would not know how to react, I think. Some of our "bad words" are hundreds of years old, and spelled the same way then as we spell them now. However, some words did not even exist until the 20th century, and first appeared between the two world wars.
The uncouth words of Chaucer! Rabelais! Bal-zac!
I play pool almost everyday, and I even bowl as well.
DancingMockingjay Or laugh. Just like we would probably be confused if we heard how they swear fifty years from now.
***** "bastard" and "shit" sound nice but are swears...
One of the most catchy tunes in all of musicals. Did Robert Preston get any awards for this movie? Because he should have he was magnificent. Also catch the scene where he is trying to get the band kids to play Minuet in G. All classic stuff.
NONE
One of the finest performances, no one can touch it, he owns it. Brilliant!
Robert Preston is a national treasure.
One of the greatest, if not THE greatest, showstopping number in all of U.S. musical theater, masterfully delivered.
For sure. Masterful. Preston was a gem.
What a great show and Robert Preston was fabulous.
Robert Preston was magical in this movie. This is my favorite song in the musical, so seamless and so sharp.
The story, the songs, the lyrics, the cast and the humor all combine to create a spectacular show from start to finish! For my money, the best musical ever conceived!
My mom hasn't seen this movie in over 40 years and can still recite this whole bit!!
It's so sad how few people remember who Robert Preston was, let alone what a talented actor he was - and singer.
My first glimpse of his talent was the Last Starfighter
There will only ever be ONE "Music Man," and Robert Preston is it.
The sad thing is that today's kids will watch this and not know half of what he's talking about. I'm guessing most of them have no idea what Sen-Sen was, or what a cistern was and why it was important that it not be empty on a Saturday night.
They really don't make them like this anymore, old musicals have such a great production quality
There's been a few recently that have my hopes up we might have a revival of great musicals coming... "Mama Mia" and "The Greatest Showman" for live action, and "Moana" and "Encanto" on the animated side of things.
And several big-name Broadway musicals have film adaptations in the works. That's where many of our favorite classic musical movies came from, so I'm hopeful at least some of these new ones and remakes of old classics will be good. Broadway IS pretty much the only place for "triple threat" actors to find steady work these days.
@@HumbleWooperNo doubt about it. I didn’t expect to be amazed by the Greatest Showman, Encanto or Moana. And I’m really hyped for the Wicked 2 parter
A pool table, don't you understand?
Friend, either you're closing your eyes
To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge
Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of a pool table in your community
Well, ya got trouble my friend, right here
I say, trouble right in River City, why sure, I'm a billiard player
Certainly, mighty proud I say, I'm always mighty proud to say it
I consider that the hours I spend with a cue in my hand are golden
Help you cultivate horse sense and a cool head and a keen eye
Did you ever take and try to find and iron-clad leave for yourself
From a three-rail billiard shot?
But just as I say
It takes judgement, brains and maturity to score
In a balkline game, I say that any boob
Can take and shove a ball in a pocket
And I call that sloth the first big step on the road
To the depths of deg-ra-day
I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon
Then beer from a bottle
And the next thing you know
Your son is playing for money in a pinch-back suit
And listenin' to some big outta town jasper
Hearin' him tell about horse race gamblin'
Not a wholesome trottin' race, no
But a race where they set down right on the horse
Like to see some stuck-up jockey boy
Settin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil
Well I should say
Now friends, let me tell you what I mean
You got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table
Pockets that mark the difference between a gentleman and a bum
With a capital "B" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool
And all week long your River City youth'll be fritterin' away
I say, your young men will be fritterin'
Fritterin' away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too
Get the ball in the pocket, never mind gettin' dandelions pulled
Or the screen door patched or the beef steak pounded
Never mind pumpin' any water
'Til your parents are caught with the cistern empty
On a Saturday night and that's trouble
Yes you got lots and lots of trouble
I'm thinkin' of the kids in the knickerbockers
Shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the pool hall window after school
You got trouble, folks
Right here in River City, trouble with a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool
Now I know all you folks are the right kind of parents
I'm gonna be perfectly frank
Would you like to know what kinda conversation goes on
While they're loafing around that hall?
They be tryin' out Bevo, tryin' out cubebs
Tryin' out Tailor Mades like cigarette fiends
And braggin' all about how they're gonna cover up
A tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen
One fine night, they leave the pool hall
Heading for the dance at the Arm'ry
Libertine men and scarlet women, and ragtime, shameless music
That'll grab your son, your daught with the arms of a jungle, animal instinct
Mass-staria
Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground
Trouble (oh we got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here in River City)
With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool
(That stands for pool)
We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here)
Gotta figure out a way to keep the young ones moral after school
(Our children's children gonna have trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...)
Mothers of River City, heed that warning before it's too late
Watch for the the tell-tale signs of corruption
The minute your son leaves the house
Does he re-buckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorise jokes from Cap'n Billy's Whiz Bang?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation
Words like, like "swell"? (Trouble, trouble, trouble)
And "so's your old man? (Trouble, trouble, trouble)
Well if so, my friends, you got trouble (oh we got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here in River City)
With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool
(That stands for pool)
We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here)
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule
(Our children's children gonna have trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...)
Oh we got trouble, we're in terrible, terrible trouble
That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool (devil's tool)
Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble
(Oh yes we got trouble here, we got big, big trouble)
With a "T" (with a capital "T")
Gotta rhyme it with "P" (gotta rhyme with "P")
And that stands for pool (that stands for pool)
Robert Preston was fantastic in this scene from The Music Man.., this was my favourite highlight , what talent!
Apparently one of the stars the studio wanted to play Harold Hill was Cary Grant, who told them something to the effect of “if you don’t cast Robert Preston in the role I won’t even watch the movie!”.
The same thing happened two years later at the same studio (Warner Bros.) when studio head Jack Warner tried to talk Grant into playing Prof. Henry Higgins instead of Rex Harrison for "My Fair Lady." Must be that Warner didn't understand professors.
o am now trying to picture Cary Grant as Harold Hill, and it just doesn't wash. I keep getting the giggles.
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock, and the Golden Rule!
+BlackOut1962 "We got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, pockets in a table. Pockets that mark the difference.....between a gentleman and a bum, with a capital B and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool!"
He was the best
A genius scene. Robert Preston, the songwriter and director knocked it out of the park. I can't help but think of the hours Preston spent learning this part.
Agreed. Amazing talent.
nice quality....the proformace itself is historic.
Still, without a doubt, one of my favorite movies ever.
Robert Preston was incredible.
He is one of the most talented men ever. My favorite performance of his is this and Victor/Victoria.
I don't care about high school or college or broadway attempts... This was THE ONLY performance that ever worked.
I was wondering what movie or tv show I wanted to rewatch and RUclips answered me. I’ve adored the music man ever since my mother exposed me to it when I was much, much younger. I didn’t quite understand a lot of the stuff going on, so a rewatch is in order!
Seth MacFarlane made a valiant effort, I liked it, but you can't beat perfect.
Martin White I thought I was the only one who came here because of his version. I think he did just as well 😊
@@goodnewsgeek42 I wonder if he would play a Harold if they ever do a remake? He got the look and voice. But what about charisma and charm
eroupopper oh he's got more than enough, he's wonderful
A friend who went to Dakota Wesleyan used to sing "We got trouble, right here in Mitchel City. It starts with P and Rhymes with T and it stands for POT !!!
The town square reminds me of the SImpsons.
Recognize this town square (updated) used in Back to the Future series?
+Forensource Except for the lack of jaundice.
And freaks with five fingers.
That's small town USA my friend.
An ISO-standard American town square. Lovely.
This is a Brilliant score reflecting the musical roots at the turn of the last Century (Jazz, Ragtime, Gospel, Honky Tonk) a Brilliant performance (the Late Robert Preston) to quote the words of another Brilliant artist "who can ask for anything more"
Someone saw some opportunity in this community.
It took me a minute but I got it xD
Ha! Exactly why I'm here.
Precisely why I'm a brony. Also why AJ is best pony.
Cider!Cider!Cider!Cider!Cider!Cider!
I've seen this a million times, but the Jazz hands after 2:58 still slay me every time I see them
Robert Preston is brilliant!
0:46 - You can hear the transition between his normal voice and his 'politician' voice. Hilarious!
What kills me is none of the politicians we have now are anywhere near as slick as this guy. Could you imagine if they were? Yeesh.
That's where the soundtrack switches from the on-set dialogue to the song in the recording studio.
Always loved Mr. Preston's voice.
My favorite music of all time. It helped me to buckle down on my trumpet lessons and kept me out of the pool hall 😅. Very true. One of Shirley Jones finest roles and in my opinion, Robert Preston at his best.
One if not the best scene in the genre of Musicals
using words like swell and so's your old man. harsh, vulgar language. tsk tsk tsk. for shame....
Back in those days it was
+richard courchene That was the real innocent beauty of those days.
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libertine
It's not Liberty men, he says, Libertine men. It's hard to understand I know. In fact the song is filled with words, products and activities that are no longer used.
IS A WHITE GANGSTA RAPPER of the old times!
I heard a parody of this song somewhere and abodolutepy fell in love with it. My dad listened to it and immediately identified it as a parody of this. I'm glad I found the original. I could dance all day to this.
This is the parody I heard: geekenders.bandcamp.com/track/trouble
Maybe The FlimFlam Bros. Song?
+Chesterson Jack You might be thinking of the Monorail Song from the Simpsons.
The tv show Crazy ex-Girlfriend referenced this slightly in their number about cold showers and crack cocaine.
Allie McBeal. John did a closing arguement to this music.
We will never have good movies like this ever again and it’s sad
Without a doubt the original “RAP”” song!
Rossinni, Gilbert, and Sullivan would disagree.
I love this song
So glad that Warner Bros cast Robert Preston for the Tony Award-winning role he did on Broadway. Warner Bros was going to cast Frank Sinatra. What a BIG mistake that would have been. Meredith Willson demanded Preston to re-create his award-winning role or else he will cancel the movie production. Wilson won out.
Robert Preston IS Harold Hill. Nobody could ever hope to match his portrayal of this role
A great lesson in the use of fear to manipulate the masses.
probably the best freestyle of all time
This guy is like the media nowadays.
He's like media since always.
It's just now, there's a whole lot of it coming from all sides, and you can't keep your nose out of it even if you wanted to.
You mean Fox News.
Yeah except he didn't kill 1 million Iraqi's.
It's the oldest trick in history, trick people into worrying about the youth to keep them from worrying about the real issues.
Orange man bad, no new wars, peace in the Middle East, now that’s trouble!
I absolutely love this! Who knew it was golden? 😮
Forever stuck in my head all day every day
I searched up Music Man and found this, I am not disappointed.
Nobody. NOBODY did it like Robert Preston. I couldn't even finish watching Matthew Brodderick do his best to butcher this song.
You should listen to some real Gilbert & Sullivan patter songs. You'll hear people that put Robert Preston to shame.
Give Mandy Patinkin's version a shot and see what you think.
Matthew did the best he could playing Harold I thought he did a good job. I don't think anyone did better at this song than one another. One of my best friends played Harold in a school play and he did just as good as Robert and Matthew so everyone who plays Harold is good in their own way.
I have to agree with Michael Mullis on is that No One can do this song like Robert Preston. The music and songs that Robert Preston did in the Music Man were written for him. Matthew Broddrick destroyed this song in the version he did, when they remade the Music Man that they should either got someone better that could sing long Robert Preston or should have just left the movie alone. I couldn't even watch the one with Matthew because of the songs were way off, not only the version that Matthew was in didn't flow as well.
Preston lived the role. I mean, he did it for years, perfecting it endlessly. A con man needs to reach out and grab people, and Preston did it beautifully.
Mathew on the other hand cruised in, read the script, slept walked through the filming, and moved on. Thats how it appears to me anyway. His energy level seemed almost purposefully low, like it wouldn't have been cool to act overly excited. But how can you con anyone that way? I like Mathew in his other movies, but casting him here was nonsensical.
In the early 60's, Hollywood could still convince you it understood Americana because at least many of the actors grew up knowing it. The Music Man, with Preston, is the perfect tribute to Americana. With Mathew, it is just a tribute to the ubiquitous Hollywood remake scam.
"The idle brain is the devil's playground ...".
Robert Preston set an impossibly high bar.