Meredith Willson

Composer, Librettist, Lyricist

About

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Also Known As

Maj. Meredith Willson

Birth Place

Mason City, Iowa, USA

Born

May 18, 1902

Died

June 15, 1984

Biography

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Meredith Willson brought his musical talents to a variety of films over the course of his career. Willson worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" with Nancy Allen (1978). In the eighties and the early 2000s, Willson devoted his time to various credits, such as "A Grand Night: The Performing Arts Salute Public Television" (...

Filmography

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The Music Man (2003)

From Musical ("The Music Man")

The Music Man (2003)

The Music Man (2003)

First Man (2018)

The Music Never Stopped (2011)

Photos & Videos

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Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Till There Was You

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Wells Fargo

Family & Companions

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Elizabeth Willson

Wife

Had two sons.

Elizabeth Willson

Wife

Married in 1920; divorced.

Rini Ralina Zarova

Wife

Had two; survived him.

Rini Ralina Zarova

Wife

Married from 1949 until her death in 1966.

Notes

One of Willson's first published songs was "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You", written as a tribute to his Sunday school teacher mother.

Biography

Meredith Willson brought his musical talents to a variety of films over the course of his career. Willson worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" with Nancy Allen (1978). In the eighties and the early 2000s, Willson devoted his time to various credits, such as "A Grand Night: The Performing Arts Salute Public Television" (PBS, 1987-88), "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997), "The Other Sister" (1999) starring Juliette Lewis, "Duplex" (2003) and "Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin" (2004) starring Sydney Pollack. In the early 2000s and the 2010s, Willson lent his talents to projects like the Tom Hanks and Michael Jeter blockbuster "The Polar Express" (2004), the Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon box office smash "Four Christmases" (2008), "Sex and the City 2" with Sarah Jessica Parker (2010) and "A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas" (2011). Willson last provided music for the dramatic adaptation "The Music Never Stopped" (2011) with Lou Taylor Pucci. Willson was married to Elizabeth Willson. Meredith Willson passed away in June 1984 at the age of 82.

Filmography

Writer (Feature Film)

The Music Man (2003)

From Musical ("The Music Man")

The Music Man (2003)

The Music Man (2003)

Music (Feature Film)

First Man (2018)

The Music Never Stopped (2011)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas (2011)

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Four Christmases (2008)

The Polar Express (2004)

The Music Man (2003)

The Music Man (2003)

The Other Sister (1999)

Romy & Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)

The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)

The Music Man (1962)

The Negro Soldier (1944)

Music Composition

The Great Dictator (1941)

The Little Foxes (1941)

Music (Special)

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

A Grand Night: The Performing Arts Salute Public Television (1988)

Life Events

1929

Was appointed conductor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra

1939

Became the musical director for NBC

1940

Earned an Academy Award nomination for the score for Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"

1957

Composed his first Broadway hit, "The Music Man"

Videos

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Till There Was You Librarian Marian (Shirley Jones) is magnanimous in her praise of huckster Professor Hill (Robert Preston), with one of composer Meredith Willson's most famous tunes from The Music Man, 1962.

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Wells Fargo The company starts on Meredith's Willson's tune, an interlude with Mayor and Mrs. Shinn (Paul Ford, Hermione Gingold) and Marian (Shirley Jones), and her brother Winthrop (Ronnie "Ron" Howard) getting his trumpet from Professor Hill (Robert Preston), in The Music Man, 1962.

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Trouble Robert Preston as fake Professor Harold Hill, introducing himself to River City, Iowa, with Meredith Willson's famous tune "with a capital T," his first big number in Warner Bros' The Music Man, 1962.

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Iowa Stubborn Just arrived on the train from Illinois, after an opening number confirming the disdain of other traveling salesmen for his scorched-earth methods, un-credentialed music professor Henry Hill (Robert Preston) hears from the folk of River City, Io-way about their own predisposition, in the hit Warner Bros. adaptation of the Meredith Willson musical, with Timmy Everett, and Paul Ford as the Mayor, in The Music Man, 1962.

Music Man, The (1962) -- (Movie Clip) Shipoopi Buddy Hackett never played the part on Broadway, and was a regular on NBC’s Tonight Show at the time, but his one number as Marcellus, friend of the title character, is one of the more remembered and parodied from the landmark Meredith Willson musical, The Music Man, 1962, starring Robert Preston.

Unsinkable Molly Brown, The -- (Movie Clip) I Ain't Down Yet Late 19th century Colorado, tomboy Molly (Debbie Reynolds) at home tangling some neighbor boys, her first number, by Meredith Willson, in the 1964 MGM production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, also starring Harve Presnell.

Unsinkable Molly Brown, The -- (Movie Clip) Belly Up To The Bar Just hired at Christmas Morgan's saloon in Leadville, Molly (Debbie Reynolds), without experience but expected to sing, discovers one of the signature tunes by Meredith Willson, choreography by Peter Gennaro, early in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1964.

Family

John Willson

Father

US Congressman.

John Willson

Father

Businessman.

Rosalie Willson

Mother

Survived him.

Cedric Willson

Brother

Businessman, musician. Played the baritone horn in the John Philip Sousa Band; died in 1975.

Cedric Willson

Brother

Has one.

Dixie Willson

Sister

Had four, survived him.

Dixie Willson

Sister

Author. Wrote children's books; died in 1974.

Companions

Elizabeth Willson

Wife

Had two sons.

Elizabeth Willson

Wife

Married in 1920; divorced.

Rini Ralina Zarova

Wife

Had two; survived him.

Rini Ralina Zarova

Wife

Married from 1949 until her death in 1966.

Rosemary Patricia Sullivan

Wife

Norwegian.

Rosemary Patricia Sullivan

Wife

Former secretary. Married from 1969 until his death.

Bibliography

Notes

One of Willson's first published songs was "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You", written as a tribute to his Sunday school teacher mother.

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