The Fate of Harold Hill

[beamjockey]

Recently at a flea market, I picked up The Music Man: A Novel by Meredith Willson, Pyramid Books paperback #R-736. It was published in 1962 as a tie-in to the movie version of the hit Fifties musical. Here's a glimpse of the cover.

I love The Music Man, and so do daisy_knotwise and brotherguy and scarfman and minnehaha K. It is my favorite musical. I've read Willson's account of its creation, But He Doesn't Know the Territory. So for a buck, I knew this belonged in my library.

The book has some nice extras, such as numerous stills from the film, and a listing of all the song lyrics in the back. Nevertheless, it is a weird experience to read a novelized version of a story where you know the characters are supposed to break out into song. Paperbacks can't do that. I suppose there might be some hope for the Kindle. Or one could always turn to the lyrical appendix at the appropriate point in the story, and sing.

I would expect a book like this to be ghostwritten. However, a few things make me suspect it might really have come from Willson's typewriter.

First, it is dedicated "to Rini and Rosalie," an unnecessary touch for a ghostwriter and an insincere thing for the celebrity author to do if he didn't really write it.

Second, in But He Doesn't Know the Territory, Willson makes a big deal about speech-as-music, arranging words in rhythmic chants that seem like music. The most celebrated example is probably the number "Trouble," which is mostly talk and hardly any singing. In a moment, I'll give you an example from the novel.

Anyway, for all those who love this story, and wonder about the fate of the characters, the final page of the novel offers a veiled glimpse of the future. I thought you might like me to share. Naturally, there are spoilers.


The River City Band, having performed together for the first time, has left the school to parade through the street, with an excited crowd of citizens in tow. Marian Paroo, librarian, and Harold Hill, confidence man and salesman extroarodinaire, remain behind.

And Professor Hill. What about that big-haul, great-go, neck-or-nothing, rip-roaring ev'ry time a bull's-eye salesman? How unbalanced would he feel dropping the Professor off the front end of his name? And sharing the rest of it? For life?

He certainly wouldn't try to justify the Professor part, would he? Or, now that he'd actually led a band for the first time in his life, would he? Well, as we used to say back in River City, that's for him to know and for us to find out. We do know that, in his way, he had waited for Marian a long, long time and if "happily-ever-after" ever had, or ever was to have, a chance on this earth it would certainly seem to be with these two-- still locked in each other's arms there in River City's empty assembly room.

The first sentence of the passage sounds like authentic Willson to my ear.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think that first line is spoken by Charlie the anvil salesman on the train at the beginning.

K.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Did I ever tell you that my father saw the musical in DC with Forrest Tucker as Prof. Hill?

K.

[scarfman]

I saw it in Chicago with Dick Van Dyke. And my mother saw the original, I think.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

IHNC, IJLS "rack jobbers."

K.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Meaning, it could have been a handy line of dialogue for a ghostwriter to recycle. Probably we'll never know. Unless we encounter someone who was working on the editorial side of Pyramid circa 1962.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I would think the opening "song" on the train is a better example of "arranging words in rhythmic chants that seem like music."

The Music Man is the final show of the 2010 season at Marriott. Elaine and I already have our tickets.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

I would think the opening "song" on the train is a better example of "arranging words in rhythmic chants that seem like music."

For sure, and it is Willson's favorite example, but I mentioned "Trouble" because it's more famous.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

The Music Man movie is when Robert Preston looked most like my dad.

[carbonel]

I can't remember if I've asked if you've ever heard "Chicken Fat." It was part of my elementary school experience (and rather a fond memory, since it was an occasional treat instead of an everyday thing), but I was surprised to find out it was written by Meredith Willson and performed by Robert Preston.

From Wikipedia:

"In 1961, Preston was asked to make a recording as part of a program by the President's Council on Physical Fitness to get schoolchildren to do more daily exercise. The song, 'Chicken Fat,' written by Meredith Willson and performed by Preston with full orchestral accompaniment, was distributed to schools across the nation and played for students in calisthenics every morning. The song later became a surprise novelty hit and a part of many baby-boomers' childhood memories."

It's available here.

[acmespaceship.livejournal.com]

Chicken Fat!! Gym class, 1968, 6th grade, Canton, OH. Better than running laps, not as good as getting out the parachute or playing basketball. I bet you could scare some people to death slipping that song into a DJ set at a convention dance.

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Chicken Fat?!!! You, too??? Carbonel has an MP3! So do I, somewhere...

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

I don't think we've discussed it orally, but I remember you and kipw corresponding about it on Usenet in 2003.

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, the University of Minnesota Press just reprinted But He Doesn't Know the Territory, ISBN-10: 0816667705. And the Minneapolis Public Library has it.

I saw the musical as a kid and absolutely loved it. I may have even seen that production with Forrest Tucker. (I grew up in DC)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

My dad would have seen it between 1960 and 1966, most likely. When we lived just outside the District.

K.

[acmespaceship.livejournal.com]

Just to facilitate the conversation:
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/themusicman/rockisland.htm

As a proud mom I am obligated to say my son kicked ass as Salesman #1 a few years back... but I'm glad I didn't have to listen to all the rehearsals. Nor when the choir did The Geographical Fugue ("Popocatepetl is not in Canada rather in Mexico Mexico Mexico...")

And thanks to your kindly-offered Billboard link I now have an album to search for (in the running for Best Album Title Ever):
http://sapmusic.blogspot.com/2008/08/david-rose-stripper-and-other-fun-songs.html

Wow, 1962 was an interesting year in popular music. And a great year for soundtracks. Everybody ought to have a maid...

[rono-60103.livejournal.com]

A few weeks ago I saw the movie remake (with Matthew Brodrick and Kristen Chenoworth).

At the end of that version, they cut to a scene clearly a year or two later, with Harold Hill leading a larger band, and Marian sitting in the doorway of a shop labeled "Hill's Music Emporium."

Of course, like any adaptation after the original creator is no longer around to advise, this is the supposition of the new writers.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I was sent the soundtrack of the Broderick version to review. I found both the soundtrack and the remake sorely lacking.

[scarfman]

I think I've read this book, years and years ago, perhaps from my high school library.

[charlie-meadows.livejournal.com]

The second time I saw the '62 film, I was (old enough to be) able to recognize a (very) early appearance of Ron Howard...

I knew most of the songs by heart as a kid, since I heard a *lot* of cast recordings of musicals at home.