"Montgomery Ward" is the name of the world's first mail order business, founded in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001.
Robert Preston, who had played the lead role on Broadway, wasn't even offered the film until Cary Grant had turned it down, famously replying, "Not only will I not play it, but if Robert Preston doesn't do it, I won't even see the picture."
Shirley Jones learned she was pregnant with her son Patrick once the filming of had begun. She met with director Morton DaCosta over lunch to inform him of the situation. Her concern was that she would begin "showing" during its filming. He assured her that they could work through it with costumes and also by filming her from the waist up, if necessary. He did have one request, that she tell no one about it. Robert Preston did figure it out before filming had concluded, when Shirley's character, Marion, and his character, Professor Hill, kissed for the first time in the romantic footbridge scene. He leaned in for the kiss and jumped back, asking her, "What was that?" to which she replied, "That is Patrick Cassidy! Say, 'Hello!' " Years later, her son Patrick had the opportunity to meet Preston. He walked up and introduced himself saying, "Hello. I'm Patrick Cassidy." Preston replied, "Yes, I know. We've already met."
The Buffalo Bills were the 1950 International Champion Medalist Quartet of the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America. They were Al Shea (lead), Vern Reed (tenor), Wayne {Scotty} Ward (baritone) and Bill Spangenberg (bass).
All the musical instruments in the film were made specially by the Olds Instrument Company in Fullerton, California. After filming, Olds refurbished them and sold them on.
Before starring in the musical The Music Man, Robert Preston had not only never appeared in a musical before, he had never sung a note before.
During the "Lida Rose"/"Will I Ever Tell You" duet both Mrs. Paroo (Pert Kelton) and the lead singer of The Buffalo Bills (Vern Reed) are in rocking chairs. They are synchronized throughout much of the song, starting, stopping and rocking together. This is only visible in the wide screen version.
Even though Robert Preston had played the role of Harold Hill on Broadway, Frank Sinatra was Warner Bros' personal choice to play the role in the movie. However, Meredith Willson told them, "No Robert Preston, no movie".
In one episode of the TV series Happy Days, Marion Cunningham commented that the little boy in The Music Man looked "so much like Richie when he was little." The teenager Richie Cunningham on "Happy Days" and the young boy Winthrop Paroo in "The Music Man" were both played, of course, by Ron Howard.
Just prior to the "Lida Rose" number, Harold mentions a bassoon player named Madame Rini. Rini was the name of Meredith Willson's wife.
Mrs Shinn says "Tempus fugit " several times. This is Latin for "Time flies".
River City was based on Meredith Willson's home town of Mason City, Iowa. The movie had its world premiere there.
The DAR is the "Daughters of the American Revolution", a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and preserving American history
The first film to sell for over $1 million to TV.
The marching bands of the University of California and the University of Southern California were drafted in for the final parade scene.
The original Broadway production of "The Music Man" opened at the Majestic Theater on December 19, 1957, ran for 1375 performances and won the1958 Tony Award for Best Musical. Robert Preston, Pert Kelton and The Buffalo Bills reprise their roles in the movie. Robert Preston won the 1958 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
The songs "76 Trombones" and "Goodnight My Someone" are the same tune arranged in different time signatures.
When Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn (Hermione Gingold) is performing in the "spectacle" with her schoolchildren, she says "Now count to twenty in the Indian tongue..." and proceeds to count in nonsense words ("Een! Teen! Tether mether fip!..."). It seems her counting is some form of traditional British sheep-counting.
Zaneeta has a meeting of the Epworth League. This organization was formed by combining young people's organizations of the Methodist Episcopal church, with its purpose being to promote intelligent and vital piety among the young people of the church.