MovieChat Forums > The Music Man (1962) Discussion > The Buffalo Bills DID NOT PLAY 'THEMSELV...

The Buffalo Bills DID NOT PLAY 'THEMSELVES'!

posted 16 years ago by noizboy57
15 replies | jump to latest

If the Buffalo Bills actually played "themselves", then at some point in the film, they would be referred to as such, eg, "It's the Buffalo Bills!" or "There go the Buffalo Bills!". But this never happens. Even if this did happen, it would be a total anachronism - the story takes place in 1912, well before any one of them was born.

Collectively, the Buffalo Bills played the school board. Individually, they played the characters Olin Britt, Oliver Hix, Ewart Dunlop and Jacey Squires.

I have tried to get these corrections made, but to no avail.

[–] BoMar5353 16 years ago

I hear ya !! It took me almost 12 months of CONSTANT posting to get other BLATANTLY INCORRECT items changed on other boards here ! Keep fighting !

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

You are right. Somebody didn't his/her homework correctly. There is a board where you can ask IMDb staff to correct the wrong info, try here: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000042/threads/

Good luck.

[–] bari2525 15 years ago

Sorry to butt in, but I was looking for the place in the Music Man trivia section where this was located (about The Bills playing themselves), but I can't find it.

Maybe your correction finally took!

If I'm missing it, please advise me of it's location.

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway. John Wayne

[–] murph24 15 years ago

It's not in the trivia section, it's on the Music Man main page, under:

CAST (Cast overview, first billed only)

And it still says:

The Buffalo Bills........Themselves

[–] bari2525 15 years ago

Yep - I see what you mean.

'll try my hand at it, and maybe I can get someplace...I don't know.

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway. John Wayne

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] infinity8 15 years ago

Agreed. I just saw this movie, and the Buffalo Bills are listed as "themselves" in the credits. But I'm totally on board for a lost-cause campaign to get Warner to correct themselves. :-)

[–] murph24 15 years ago

Actually, the Buffalo Bills aren't listed as "themselves" in The Music Man's credits. The film's credits aren't like the ones that appear on the IMDb page, where the actor's name is listed and the character's name appears opposite. For example -

Robert Preston.......Harold Hill

Shirley Jones.......Marian Paroo

In the film's opening titles, we just see the names of the actors; in the closing titles, the actors appear onscreen with their names printed below (we never see the names of the characters they portray). So as far as credits are concerned, Warner Brothers hasn't made any mistakes.

However, I saw something on another page here that was inaccurate, so I contacted the website, told them specifically what the error was & what the correction should be, listed my source material - and it was taken care of.

I've linked the Wikipedia page for The Music Man, and it appears to have the names of characters played by The Buffalo Bills. If it's correct (I'm not an expert on the characters' names myself), you might want to link it as source material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Man_(1962_film)

Just click on the "Help" link above, and go to "Top Questions" - there you'll find another link that says "I Found An Error." Click on that, and take it from there.

(I'd do it myself, but like I said, I don't know enough about this particular issue. But I'm sure there are others who do. )

Apparently the OP had problems before, but it may be fixable now. Good luck!

[–] bkhasling 15 years ago

"The Buffalo Bills" did play themselves! My father-in-law was in the New Orleans
Barbershop Chorus when he met them at one of the barbershop conventions. When he met them they spoke of their appearance in "The Music Man". He bought a recording from that years' convention's performances; "The Buffalo Bills" were included. Plus, my mother-in-law verified his story; I've never heard her lie!

[–] DryToast 15 years ago

"The Buffalo Bills" did play themselves!

I think you're a little confused about what is being discussed here. Unless you believe that Vern Reed, Al Shea, Bill Spangenberg and Wayne Ward were themselves members of the school board in River City, Iowa in 1912, then you really don't mean what you've posted. No one is denying that the Buffalo Bills are in the movie.

"Please! You're not at home!"

[–] PapaMouse 15 years ago

As I read the credits today (February 7, 2010) The Buffalo Bills are listed as:

Vern Reed ... Jacey Squires (as The Buffallo Bills)
Al Shea ... Ewart Dunlop (as The Buffalo Bills)
Bill Spangenberg ... Olin Britt (as The Buffalo Bills)
Wayne Ward ... Oliver Hix (as The Buffalo Bills)

It amuses me, though, that Jacey Squires is listed as having been part of "The Buffallo (sic) Bills". With two L's.

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

[–] gribfritz2 13 years ago

I just attempted to update the "Buffallo." Amusing if 1.5 years later, I'm the first person to actually attempt to correct the error. Even more amusing if people have been trying to update it continually for 1.5 years.

edited to say:
I must have been because I just checked 45 days later and the correction was made.

[–] tmf_scipio 15 years ago

You might be able to change it on IMDB, but they are listed in the credits of the movie as Themselves. I don't think you'll be changing that.

[–] david-879 13 years ago

I've just checked the end credits on You Tube, and they are listed as stated above: as the group name "The Buffalo Bills", no individual names, no character names. They were not playing Themselves, nor is this suggested in the credits, as no-one's character name appears.

[–] bradford-1 13 years ago

Movie credits in the "good old days" were a lot sparer than they are now. Modern films list practically everyone from "Hamlet"....Ashton Kutcher to "Third Spearcarrier"....John Jones.
"May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?"