Little Ron Howard played & sang a precocious—but very wobbly—rendition of “Gary, Indiana” in the 1962 film The Music Man.
At just eight years old, Howard appeared as Winthrop Paroo, the shy, lisping boy who warms up to Professor Harold Hill. His solo on “Gary, Indiana” became one of the film’s most charming moments. (The movie itself was a Warner Bros. release, directed by Morton DaCosta, adapted from Meredith Willson’s Broadway smash.)
Howard’s performance foreshadowed the career to come: from child star on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days to Oscar-winning director of A Beautiful Mind and blockbuster helmer of Apollo 13.
Dig out the rare footage of an upcoming future director and actor extraordinaire, Sir Ron Howard.
