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Applewhite
Aug 16, 2014

by vyelkin
Nap Ghost
In the 1962 musical The Music Man starring Robert Preston as Prof. Harold Hill, the conman Harold Hill (an alias of "Greg," last name unknown) claims to be from the town of Gary, Indiana and graduated in the "class of aught five" (1905). He sings of Gary, Indiana as his "home sweet home" with apparent sincerity.

Later, Marian the Librarian discovers Harold was lying about graduating in '05 because the town wasn't even founded until 1906. Does this mean that Harold Hill never lived there AT ALL or simply that he didn't go to school there? If the latter, how could he make such an easy mistake about the town where he grew up? If the former, it seems to be a needless deception, as he could have easily used his real hometown and graduating class, or the hometown and graduating class of someone he knew to be telling the truth. Cutting an origin story from whole cloth seems like needless effort and risk.

Maybe there's an explanation in the stage version?

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Applewhite
Aug 16, 2014

by vyelkin
Nap Ghost

my dog died im sad posted:

He'd already written the song before checking when the town was incorporated.

Classic mistake.

Applewhite
Aug 16, 2014

by vyelkin
Nap Ghost
Speaking of songwriting, in the song where the other traveling salesmen complain about Harold Hill, one loudly declares "he can't tell one note from another!" Yet Harold is obviously a really good singer?

Applewhite
Aug 16, 2014

by vyelkin
Nap Ghost
Although perhaps this only refers to Hill's inability to read sheet music.

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