# Disney's Music Man with Matthew Broderick **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543 "2003-02-17T01:44:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/61 "2003-03-01T01:38:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrDeth \* > **But the question is “WHY”?! When they do some film, and get it down great, fantastic, and wonderful- WHY try again? I have heard they are going to re-do “Guys & Dolls”. Sinatra was great, and the whole cast- there is simply no way to make it better.** Please. I love the movie version of G&D… but part of that’s due to nostalgia, and part is due to my questionable taste. Many, many things could be done to make a better movie than that version. (“Marry the Man Today” & “Bushel and a Peck” for two.) Of course, many, many things could be done to make a much worse version - and that’s my fear… ---
**Author:** ![Canadagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Canadagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/62 "2003-03-01T03:31:50Z")
I’ve never seen the one with Robert Preston- amI missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/63 "2003-03-01T03:41:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Canadagirl \* > \*\*I’ve never seen the one with Robert Preston- amI missing something? \*\* YES. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/64 "2003-03-01T06:05:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Canadagirl \* > \*\*I’ve never seen the one with Robert Preston- amI missing something? \*\* **YES** (sense a trend? 😉 ) Fenris ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/65 "2003-03-01T07:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Canadagirl \* > \*\*I’ve never seen the one with Robert Preston- amI missing something? \*\* Only if you’re interested in seeing _The Music Man_ done with a Harold Hill that you could trust to con River City out of its collective britches. In other words, YES! Broderick looked like he might have been comfortable playing the role of Nancy’s boyfriend George in _Pollyanna_, but he simply can’t pull off a middle-aged predatory grifter, always looking over his shoulder for the whistle-blowing type who happens to remember him. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/66 "2003-03-01T07:30:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Canadagirl \* > \*\*I’ve never seen the one with Robert Preston- amI missing something? \*\* yes! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/67 "2003-03-01T19:19:01Z")
Ye Go-ods, yes. Not only are you missing Robert Preston in the definitive performance, you’re missing Hermione Gingold and Paul Ford as Mr. and Mrs. Shinn, Buddy Hackett as Marcellus, and Ronnie Howard’s screen debut as Winthrop. Any of the above are enough reason to watch. You’ll be humming “Seventy Six Trombones” for days afterward, too. It’s on DVD for US$16.99. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/68 "2003-03-01T20:39:59Z")
Okay, so _The Music Man_ with Matthew Broderick is not so great, if the comments here are anything to go by. I’m kind of sorry to hear that. We missed it when it was on TV recently; when is it coming out on DVD? The reason I ask is because the train scenes were filmed not far from where we live. The train itself is a heritage-tourist train that runs on weekends between Stouffville and Uxbridge, two little towns in Ontario. Anyway, my wife and I took it last year; we know a lot of people who volunteer their time and railroad expertise on it, and we finally got around to riding on their train. You can imagine our consternation when instead of boarding the York-Durham Heritage Railway in Stouffville, we got on the Rock Island Line. And when the train had travelled the twelve miles to the other end of the line, we were pulling into River City, Iowa; instead of Uxbridge, Ontario. Complete with all the crates and whatnot on the platform. Our railroad friends explained that their Uxbridge station and the train itself were being used as a location for a movie. Anyway, in spite of the not-so-great-reviews that it’s getting from the Dopers, it would be kind of fun to see it, just to see how the Uxbridge location looked in the final film. Will it be out on DVD, or is it already? Anybody know? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/69 "2003-03-01T23:24:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > \*\*Ye Go-ods, yes. \*\* You mind you phraseology! Mayor Fenris Shinn ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/70 "2003-03-01T23:41:28Z")
Great Honk! I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I’ll just curl up with my DVD and be quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/71 "2003-03-05T15:22:48Z")
I watched the 1962 movie the other night and thought of this thread. Disney should have hired someone who had experience in playing characters who got others to go along with him against their better judgment. Dan Ayckroyd comes to mind. Professor Harold Hill as an upbeat version of Elwood Blues would probably have been an improvement! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543/72 "2003-03-05T16:31:42Z")
I love Disney, but I have to admit…Disney should leave the musicals alone! Ne touche pas! (Do not touch!). And, as for Matthew Broderick, he’s just an overrated actor. He ranks up there with Michael J. Fox, another overrated, no-talent who’s ego is too big for this universe… although I regret to hear about his illness in recent years. When push comes to shove, Broderick’s no-talent abilities come shining through in his role as Prof. Hill. Anyone could play the lead in Wargames or Farris Bueller, etc. It just goes to prove that to play Professor Hill means you gotta have heart! …Miles and miles and miles of heart…oh, sorry! That’s a different musical…damn those Yankees! 😉 - Jinx [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disneys-music-man-with-matthew-broderick/155543.md?page=3)