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| I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: StageManager 04:42 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: I was re-watching "The Music Man" last night on TCM - question about the con - PlayWiz 11:24 am EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| that he took their money and then skipped town without ever delivering uniforms OR instruments. But in River City he gets to enamored of Mariam that he stays too long |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 05:45 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: I always thought the Con was - StageManager 04:42 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| That would make more sense, but the instruments and uniforms do arrive in River City, so he must have actually sent the money somewhere at some point to purchase them and has been hanging around town ever since waiting for them to arrive. So he made the decision to send the money at a point, at least, several weeks prior to the end of the show, depending on how long it would take for the order and the money to arrive wherever it was sent and for that company to fill the order and send the merchandise to River City. Maybe the scam is that he's overcharging them for these things and pocketing the difference? That's very much not what he says to Marcellus though. |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: Delvino 10:02 am EDT 03/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - JereNYC 05:45 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I always assumed it was another era's version of money laundering, overcharging for uniforms and instruments, leaving without instruction. A snakeoil salesman does sell actual snake oil; when it does work, he's gone. When Hill isn't around to teach lessons, only sell band outfits, the profits are his. | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 05:24 pm EDT 03/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - Delvino 10:02 am EDT 03/20/22 | |
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| Does Harold Hill ever actually sell that he’s a music instructor? I don’t think so. | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 01:21 am EDT 03/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - KingSpeed 05:24 pm EDT 03/21/22 | |
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| In the verse to 76 Trombones, he claims he's there to "organize" a boy's band. I don't know if he ever says anything further than that. But most people would easily expect that "organize" includes instruction in a case like this. Especially because he never mentions needing any help with the actual rehearsing, etc. | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:24 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - JereNYC 05:45 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I haven't seen MM in a long time (though i love it)... but am i crazy to think the instruments arrive as a sort of miracle or perhaps community-hallucination and/or manifestation, against Hill's original intentions and actual actions? Or does he have a change of heart and use the money he was given by the River City people to send away from the instruments after all? And do they answer this question or leave to us to decide? Or is it clear cut that he did buy them? | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 05:23 pm EDT 03/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - Chazwaza 08:24 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I believe the instruments arrive during “Wells Fargo Wagon”? | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 04:14 am EDT 03/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - KingSpeed 05:23 pm EDT 03/21/22 | |
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| That makes sense. I really need to re-watch it! | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:08 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - JereNYC 05:45 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I suspect that Hill's margin would have been pretty hefty, at least 25%. A good salesman sells himself, not necessarily his merchandise alone. The scam is that he's a total fraud. He doesn't know one note from another. He claims to be an experienced musician and promises the kids and parents that he is going to organize a boys' band and obviously give them lessons so that they can become a band. Of course, he plans on skipping town (with his profit, which is probably considerable) without giving any lessons and without organizing the band. That's the scam. | |
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| re: I always thought the Con was | |
| Posted by: mikem 08:53 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I always thought the Con was - BroadwayTonyJ 06:08 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| If I am remembering correctly, he says to Marcellus that he is going to deliver the instruments so that the townspeople will get excited and cough up the money for the uniforms. As I said below, I don't know why he buys the uniforms, though. By delivering them, he makes it harder to press charges against him, so maybe that's why. | |
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