A wee youngin' Opie Cunningham in The Music Man

Opie Cunningham's (a.k.a. Ronny a.k.a. Ron Howard's) Wells Fargo Wagon scene in the 1962 musical The Music Man.
Insufferably long movie with a great performance by Robert Preston, the lovely to look at Shirley Jones, A+ Ron Howard for his whole 10 minutes or less time on screen, not enough Buddy Hackett, no sight at all of the Mississippi River though this takes places in a place called "River City, Iowa" across the river from Illinois but filmed in Hollywood, and mediocre artistic vision for the dance scenes.

[@jakevanfan]

It was Opie Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham from Happy Days. Ron Howard was so cute when he was a little boy.

[@mrpetielicious5861]

I believe the post is either a joke/thought people would have had back in the 70s, or a specific reference to an Eddie Murphy skit on SNL from the 1984 season when the two of them were on Weekend Update, which is hilarious and should be looked up.

[@haybill3000]

On the SNL episode that Ron Howard hosted, Eddie Murphy called him Opie Cunningham!

[@amandadecaire8759]

This was a fun song but I always thought as a kid it was kind of silly having an entire song about the mail coming. But I still love it.

[@Christknight1991]

..oh the Amazon van is coming down the street

[@angelgolds]

I swear, he's so cute if I find a kid like him, I'll steal him

[@daftbeeswax4439]

Yeah, Ronny was a cute kid. And a hard worker! Did you notice he's counting the beats by nodding his head to keep time? And I wonder if the hug that Shirley Jones pulled him in for was scripted or spontanious? She sure was having a good time! Great scene. Always makes me smile.

[@moonharp]

Thankth tho much, all you thmartie panth. You thure thowed uth. Loves me some li'l Opie Cunningham! Thankee kindly, Zoomabooma! Don't you mind the zombietrolls - they got no brainzzz. And no Murphy.

[@Rudipolt]

Fine Song

[@twilightblue8566]

There is Opie singing his big solo and he gets to hug Shirley Jones! Andy must be so proud, oh wait a minute......

[@musicaltheatrefan2k226]

Oh, I can see the chemistry between Opie and Shirley Partridge

[@dixiedoll53]

That would OPIE TAYLOR from The Andy Griffith Show..... and RICHIE CUNNINGHAM from Happy Days.... duh! Either way, that's RON HOWARD

[@Sparkina]

Opie Taylor on Andy Griffith! Steve Bolander in American Graffiti! Walter Peterson on M*A*S*H! Richie Cunningham on Happy Days! Ron (formerly Ronnie) Howard!

[@tonybarde2572]

To do: Watch The Andy Griffith Show

[@evelineugalde]

It's arrested development.

[@WafflesandCiderXD]

did he actually have a lisp when he was a kid? lol

[@alexmeyer5260]

No, Ron Howard didn't really have a lisp as a kid. However, the role of Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man describes the character as having a lisp.

[@Sparkina]

He is plenty of cute here

[@moti304]

@wafflesandciderXD no the actor did not

[@j.a.2120]

It's NOT Opie Cunningham, it's Opie Taylor and richy Cunningham!! 😕

[@yooneeque1]

Ron Howard said that someone actually called him Opie Cunningham once - or more than once.

[@Sparkina]

That was a reference to a skit on SNL that Ron H hosted

[@moonharp]

@dixiedoll53 - silly wabbit

[@SkunkApe97]

@jakevanfan It's a joke

[@jasongrannell6100]

Corny americana that never was. Cute but dangerous.

[@RisaGreen]

?

[@jasongrannell6100]

Risa Green Meaning there isn't a single person in this entire movie who wasn't white and middle class. I know it is just a fluffy musical but still, it rankles.

[@metatron1970]

Jason Grannell it takes place in Iowa. Have you checked on the percentages of the racial diversity there, even nowadays? It's covered in white. There is also a song about Gary, Indiana, which, as history books show, didn't have a single black family living there until the Jackson family arrived.