The Story Archive

The Music Man

Morton DaCosta · 1962 CE · Film · Modern / American · Contemporary

A salesman with no musical training steps off a train into an Iowa town in 1912, convinces the parents that the new pool table is corrupting their sons, and takes deposits for band instruments nobody will be taught to use. The town librarian sees through him at once; her withdrawn younger brother speaks to him anyway. Meredith Willson's stage hit arrived almost intact, its opening number spoken in the rhythm of a carriage.

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Attributes

Genre
ComedyRomance
Theme
Appearance vs RealityLoveRedemptionTradition
Archetype (Jung / Campbell)
TricksterLoverEveryman
Plot structure
Comic ResolutionIronic ReversalMistaken Identity
Symbol / motif
MusicThe Fair / CarnivalThe Train
Conflict
vs Societyvs Self
Mode / tone
ComicRomanticSatirical
Culture / tradition
Modern / American

Closest analogues