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BETHB^GE
BETHPAGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ISLAND TREES
OLD BETHIKGE
also serving
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 14 NO. 8 Thursday, August 9, 1979 20 cents per copy
River City Con Artist Began Career In Bethpage
Meridith Wilson's Music Man, playing
nightly at Jones Beach Theatre, describes
fairly well the chronicles of Professor Harold
Hill as he duped the good citizens of River
City, Iowa in 1912. But the musical doesn't tell
all. It begins with Professor Harold Hill's
nefarious reputation already established. Mr.
Wilson does not tell the audience that
Professor Hill began his career in Bethpage
under his professed-mentor, Albert Guerin.
It was Albert Guerin who founded the
United States; first fife and drum corps in
Bethpage (then Central Park). Guerin also
started the tradition of a girl majorette
leading the corps.
Guerin, who also served as postmaster
organized 35 boys, plus the girl twirler for a
memorial day parade in Hicksville. He taught
the boys two tunes, and timed them so they
would alternate every two blocks. The band
was the hit of the parade.
Professor Harold Hill, observing the tremendous feat
that Guerin pulled off, realized that this could be a good
thing for him. Guerin had equipped the boy's band with
uniforms. Hill took the idea one step farther. He'd have
the parents pay exorbitant prices for these uniforms,
making himself rich - and scarce - in the process. Of
course Hill would have to promise to teach the boys how
to play musical instruments; a problem - Hill was tone
deaf. So he created the "think system" and made his way
to River City, Iowa. The rest is chronicaled in "The
Music Man". But Hill returned to Bethpage circa 1950 as
the above photo proves and foisted over 1,000 accordians
on the unwary citizens of the village.
In this rare photo, which The Tribune went to great
expense to gain, Professor Hill is seen with a number of
young Bethpage musicians along with a number of
midgets which the dastardly Professor Hill planted in the
band. By this time he had given up the uniform gambit
and switched to, as you can see, accordians. Much more
profit in accordians.
Behind the accordianist on the far right were two of
Hill's midgets who astounded audiences far and wide.
The trombonist and trumpeter, at a signal from Hill, both
blew High C, causing the trombone to become invisible.
This rare photo was taken at the precise time that High C
was blown and you can see the trombone beginning to
disappear. At this point the trumpeter was supposed to
sing out, "It's a gas, It's a gas," but for some reason he
yelled, It's Oil, It's Oil."
The bass player standing next to the professor, is today
the best dressed golfer on the Long Island PGA tour. The
drummer furthest to the right eventually opened a pantyhose
manufacturing plant.
Professor Hill was unable to teach the boy in uniform in
the back row any instrument even with his think system,
so he made the boy the band's official finger snapper.
Frank Sinatra, then in the doldrums of his up and down
career, observed the finger snapper and said to the
Professor, "I think I can use that."
Professor Hill, who looked suspiciously like Karl
Hupprich, was run out of town by residents on the verge
of insanity after hearing 1,000 accordion solos of Lady Of
Spain. He was not heard from again until 1959, when
looking like Robert Preston he appeared in Music Man on
Broadway. Now it is feared, he is plying his trade, nightly
at Jones Beach.
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Bethpage-Tribune_1979-08-09 |
| Subject | Newspaper |
| Description | This is a Newspaper distributed locally within Bethpage, Old Bethpage, Island Trees, Plainedge and Seaford. Florence Cullem |
| Creator | Florence Cullem |
| Publisher | Florence cullem |
| Contributors | Scanned and prepared by Hudson Microimaging, Port Ewen, New york 12466. |
| Date | 2010 |
| Type | Periodical |
| Format | PDF; TIFF |
| Source | Bethpage Public Library |
| Language | English |
| Coverage | United States |
| Rights | The Newspaper is in the public Domain and Digital Rights Held by Bethpage Public Library. |
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