.gif)
The Sound of Music (film)
Encyclopedia
Rodgers and Hammerstein
's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film
directed by Robert Wise
and starring Julie Andrews
and Christopher Plummer
. The film is based on the Broadway musical
The Sound of Music
, with songs written by Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II
, and with the musical book written by the writing team of Howard Lindsay
and Russel Crouse
. Ernest Lehman
wrote the screenplay.
The musical originated with the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
by Maria von Trapp
. It contains many popular songs, including "Edelweiss
", "My Favorite Things
", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain
", "Do-Re-Mi
", "Sixteen Going on Seventeen
", and "The Lonely Goatherd
", as well as the title song
.
The movie version was filmed on location in Salzburg
, Austria
; Bavaria
in Southern Germany
; and at the 20th Century Fox
Studios in California. It was photographed in 70mm Todd-AO
by Ted D. McCord. It won a total of five Academy Awards
including Best Picture
in 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced. The cast album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year
.
Adjusted for inflation, it made $1.046 billion domestically (at 2010 prices), putting it third on the list of all-time inflation-adjusted box office hits, behind Gone with the Wind
and Star Wars
. In 2001, the United States Library of Congress
selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry
as it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
(Julie Andrews
) is found in a pasture, exulting in the musical inspiration she finds there (“The Sound of Music”). Maria is a postulant
in Nonnberg Abbey
, where she is constantly getting into mischief and is the nuns' despair ("Maria").
Maria's life suddenly changes when a widowed Austrian Navy
Captain, Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer
) writes to the abbey asking for a governess
for his seven children. Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood
) asks Maria to take the position on a probationary basis; previous governesses though, have not lasted long. She is worried about what awaits her at the von Trapp household, but is determined to succeed ("I Have Confidence").
Maria, upon arrival at the von Trapp estate, finds that the Captain keeps it in strict shipshape order, blows a whistle, issues orders, and dresses his children in sailor-suit uniforms. While they are initially hostile to her, they warm to her when she comforts them during a thunderstorm (“My Favorite Things”). Liesl (Charmian Carr
), the oldest, who is "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", sneaks into Maria's window after a secret meeting with a messenger boy, Rolfe (Daniel Truhitte
). At first she is adamant that she "doesn't need a governess", but Maria offers to be her friend, and she acquiesces. Maria teaches them how to sing ("Do-Re-Mi") and to play, sewing playclothes for them from discarded drapes in her room.
The Captain entertains a visit from a lady friend, Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker
), a wealthy socialite from Vienna
, along with mutual friend Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn
), who is intent on finding an obscure musical act to launch at the upcoming Salzburg Music Festival. The Captain becomes aware that Maria has been taking the children on picnics and bicycle rides, climbed trees with them, and taken them in a boat on the lake adjoining his estate. When the boat capsizes, Maria and all of the children (wearing their clothes made from the former curtains) fall into the water. The Captain turns his wrath on her and Maria begs him to pay attention to the children and love them, but he orders her to return to the abbey.
When he discovers the children performing a reprise of "The Sound of Music" for the Baroness, he changes his mind. Maria has brought music back into his home, and he begs her to stay. Things get better at the household. She and the children perform a puppet show ("The Lonely Goatherd") that Max gave to them. He announces that he has entered the children in the Salzburg Festival; the Captain, however, forbids their participation. Maria and the children insist that he sing a song, knowing that he used to play and sing with a guitar, and he agrees ("Edelweiss").
At a soiree thrown in Baroness Schraeder's honor, eleven-year-old Kurt observes guests dancing the Laendler, and asks Maria to teach him the steps. The Captain cuts in and partners her in a graceful performance, culminating in a close clinch. At that moment, she breaks off and blushes. The children perform "So Long, Farewell" to say goodnight to the guests, receiving enthusiastic applause. The Baroness, jealous of Maria, convinces her to return to Nonnberg.
Maria leaves the estate and returns to the abbey, where she keeps herself in seclusion until Mother Abbess gently confronts her, urging her to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in search of God's will for her. At this command, she returns to the von Trapp family, finding that the Captain is now engaged to the Baroness. However, he breaks off the engagement, realizing that he is in love with Maria. He meets Maria in his gazebo
and they declare their love for each other ("Something Good"). The two wed in an elaborate ceremony at the Salzburg Cathedral, with many of Austria's elite, as well as the nuns from Nonnberg Abbey, in attendance.
While the new couple is away on their honeymoon in Paris
, Max grooms the children to perform in the Salzburg Music Festival, against the Captain's wishes. At the same time, Austria is annexed into the Third Reich in the Anschluss
(actual date was March 12, 1938). When the Captain returns, he is informed that he must report as soon as possible to the Nazi Naval Headquarters in Bremerhaven
, to accept a commission in the German Navy. He is opposed to Nazism, and stalls by insisting he must perform with his family that night in the Salzburg Festival, now politicized and showcased as a Nazi event under the patronage of Hans Zeller (Ben Wright
), recently appointed as the Nazi Gauleiter
. Zeller agrees, but orders the Captain to depart immediately after the performance. The choreography of the final song, "So Long, Farewell", allows the family to leave slowly, a few at a time, and as the winners are announced, they flee. At first they hide in the abbey, but are discovered by Rolfe (who had joined the Nazi party) and flee again. The Nazis are unable to pursue them, as the nuns have stolen their spark plug wires and ignition coil. The final shot shows the von Trapps climbing over the Alps into Switzerland
, as "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", reprised by a choir, swells to a grand conclusion.
and Richard D. Zanuck
originally asked Robert Wise
to do the film, but he turned it down because it was "too saccharine". They then approached Stanley Donen
, Vincent Donehue
, Gene Kelly
, and George Roy Hill
, but they all turned it down. Zanuck next asked William Wyler
to direct the film. Because he was suffering from a loss of hearing that affected his ability to appreciate music fully, Wyler felt he was the wrong man for the job, but he agreed to fly to New York and see the Broadway
production. Feeling many of the songs did not evolve organically from the plot, he remained undecided and wrote to the producer of Die Trapp-Familie
, a 1956 non-musical film about the von Trapps starring famous German screen star Ruth Leuwerik
, to ask his advice. "This cannot fail," he responded, and Wyler accepted the assignment.
Wyler had seen the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady
and had been impressed by Julie Andrews
, who was in the process of filming Mary Poppins
. He met with her on the set and asked Walt Disney
if he could see some of the dailies. Convinced she was perfect for the role of Maria, he signed her to a contract.
Wyler returned to New York and met with Maria von Trapp, then he and screenwriter Ernest Lehman
and their wives flew to Austria to begin scouting locations in the Tyrolean Alps
. There they visited the convent where von Trapp had been a novice, and Wyler discussed the possibility of filming scenes there with the Mother Superior
. He then met with the mayor of Salzburg
. Wyler was concerned that the presence of a film crew shooting German troops parading before buildings draped with the Nazi flag would be a harsh reminder of the Anschluss for those who had experienced it. The mayor assured him the residents had managed to live through it the first time and would survive it again.
Wyler returned to Hollywood and began pre-production work on the film, but his wife realized his heart clearly was not in it. Then he was approached by Jud Kinberg and John Kohn, neophyte film producers who had purchased the rights to the John Fowles
novel The Collector
prior to its publication. They had a commitment from Terence Stamp
to star in the film and a first draft screenplay by Stanley Mann
. Wyler was impressed with the script and, feeling an affinity with the project he did not with The Sound of Music, he asked the Zanucks to release him from his contract. They agreed, and Robert Wise, who became available due to delays in production of The Sand Pebbles
, was hired to replace Wyler.
The following are examples of the dramatic license taken by the filmmakers:
The opening scene and aerial shots were filmed in Anif
(Anif Palace
), Mondsee
, and Salzkammergut
(Fuschl am See
, St. Gilgen
and Saint Wolfgang
).
Hohenwerfen Castle
served as the main backdrop for the song "Do-Re-Mi." At the Mirabell Gardens
in Salzburg, Maria and the children sing "Do-Re-Mi", dancing around the horse fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.
All songs have music by Richard Rodgers
and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
unless otherwise noted. Instrumental underscore passages were adapted by Irwin Kostal
.
"Edelweiss
", thought by some to be a traditional Austrian song or even the Austrian national anthem
, was written expressly for the musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Originally unknown in Austria, it has been promoted heavily there ever since, especially in Salzburg.
The songs "How Can Love Survive?", "An Ordinary Couple", and "No Way to Stop It" were not used in the film version. The omission of those songs had to be approved through Richard Rodgers.
There were four extra children singing with the main ones to add more effect to their voices, including Darleen Carr
, Charmian Carr's younger sister. However, these were uncredited. Darleen Carr sang Kurt's high voice, during the reprise and "sad" versions of the title song, as well as the high "Bye" in the song "So Long, Farewell", and later for Gretl in its reprise towards the end of the film.
as all-time champion. Adjusted for inflation, it made $1.046 billion at 2010 prices, putting it third on the list of all-time inflation-adjusted box office hits, behind Gone with the Wind and Star Wars
.
The soundtrack album on the RCA Victor
label has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, and has never been out of print. The soundtrack album was included in the stockpile of records held in 20 underground radio stations of Great Britain's Wartime Broadcasting Service
, designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack.
Despite the enormous popularity of the movie, most critics were unimpressed. Walter Kerr
of the New York Herald Tribune
had written the one negative review of the stage musical by calling it "not only too sweet for words but almost too sweet for music"; similarly, noted film critic Pauline Kael
blasted the film by calling it "the sugar-coated lie people seem to want to eat," and "we have been turned into emotional and aesthetic imbeciles when we hear ourselves humming the sickly, goody-goody songs." This review allegedly led to Kael's dismissal from McCall's
magazine.
Controversy surrounded the film's release in Germany and Austria, where the film had to compete with the much-loved "Die Trapp-Familie" (1956), which provided the original inspiration for the Broadway musical, and its sequel "Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika" (1958), which are regarded in German-speaking Europe as the authoritative von Trapp story. According to a 1994 documentary, From Fact to Phenomenon: The Real Story of the von Trapp Family Singers narrated by Claire Bloom
included on the 30th Anniversary laserdisc box set of the film "...the film's Nazi overtones brought about the unauthorized cutting of the entire third act," which begins directly after Maria's wedding to the Captain and contains images of post-Anschluss
Austria. This version, ending at the church altar, did passably well at the box office. But when the American studio forced the third act to be restored to the German release, audience attendance plummeted. Austrian filmgoers in particular resented the way Naziism in their country was depicted. Other offenses in the Austrians' eyes were the way the family's kindly manager, Father Wasner, was transformed into a sleazy huckster; changing the family's genre of music into show tunes; and a contrived (and fictional) climactic flight over the mountains to Switzerland, which does not border Salzburg. As a result, in Austria and Germany the movie is widely ignored.
Ten years later, Robert Wise would make another historical film known as The Hindenburg
which also used at least some of the film's plot keywords and settings.
The Sound of Music is credited as the film that saved 20th Century Fox
, after high production costs and low revenue for Cleopatra
nearly bankrupted the studio.
Rather than leaving the songs in English as was common practice at the time, soundtrack songs were carefully translated into seven languages and re-recorded by local talent in order to more closely identify with Spanish, Italian, French, German, Persian, Chinese and Japanese audiences. This effort helped the film achieve its massive international success.
The first American television airing was on ABC
on February 29, 1976 to record ratings. The film wasn't seen on TV again until NBC
acquired the broadcast rights. Their first telecast of the film was on February 11, 1979. NBC continued to air it annually for twenty years, often preempting regular programming. During most of its run on NBC, the film was heavily edited to fit a three-hour time slot (approximately 140 minutes without commercials). The 30 minutes of edits, which bewildered those familiar with the complete film included: 1. Portions of the "Morning Hymn/Alleluia", sung by the nuns. 2. part of dialogue scene in abbey between Mother Abbess and Maria. 3. part of Liesl and Rolf's dialogue preceding "Sixteen Going on Seventeen". 4. Liesl's verse of "Edelweiss" sung with the Captain, 5. The Captain and Baroness waltzing at the party, and many more dialogue cuts within existing scenes.
Starting in 1995, the movie aired in an uncut form on NBC (on April 9, 1995, minus the entr'acte). Julie Andrews hosted the four-hour telecast which presented the musical numbers in a letterbox
format. As the film's home video availability cut into its TV ratings, NBC let their contract lapse at the turn of the 21st century. In 2001 it had a one time airing on the Fox
network, again in its heavily-edited 140-minute version. Since 2002 it has aired on ABC (generally between Christmas and New Years), and periodically (generally around Easter
and other holidays) on its sister cable network, ABC Family
, where its most recent runs have been the full version in a four-hour time slot, complete with the entr'acte. ABC first broadcast an HD resolution version on December 28, 2008. Canada's CTV
also put the movie in a four hour time slot broadcast during the holidays.
In the UK, the first television airing was on BBC1, on Christmas Day, 1978 at 4.20pm.
The film has been released on VHS, Laserdisc
, and DVD numerous times. It made its DVD debut on August 29, 2000 in commemoration of its 35th Anniversary. The film is often included in box sets with other Rodgers & Hammerstein film adaptations. A 40th anniversary DVD, with "making of" documentaries and special features, was released in 2005. The film made its debut issue on Blu-Ray on November 2, 2010, for its 45th anniversary. For the Blu-Ray release the original 70mm negatives were rescanned at 8k resolution
, giving the most detailed copy of the film seen thus far.
including:
Every year starting in 2005, the Hollywood Bowl
in Los Angeles
holds an annual Sound of Music sing-a-long, where the film is played with lyrics underneath the screen. The real Von Trapp children and the actors who played them in the film have made appearances at this event. Called "The Rocky Horror Picture Show
on Prozac", it has sold out every year since its inception.
The song "The Sound of Music" was used in the movie Moulin Rouge!
, in the green fairy sequence featuring Kylie Minogue
, who later used the recording in her 2002 and 2009 tours.
On October 28, 2010, both Julie Andrews
and Christopher Plummer
who portrayed the Captain and Maria, and the seven former child stars from the film appeared together for the first time since the film's release on Oprah
on what is to be her last season, in honor of the film's 45th anniversary.
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
directed by Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Robert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
and starring Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
and Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
. The film is based on the Broadway musical
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, with songs written by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, and with the musical book written by the writing team of Howard Lindsay
Howard Lindsay
Howard Lindsay was an American theatrical producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse, and for his performance, with his wife Dorothy Stickney, in the long-running play Life with...
and Russel Crouse
Russel Crouse
Russel Crouse was an American playwright and librettist, best known for his work in the Broadway writing partnership of Lindsay and Crouse.-Life and career:...
. Ernest Lehman
Ernest Lehman
Ernest Lehman was an American screenwriter. He received 6 Academy Award nominations during his screenwriting career...
wrote the screenplay.
The musical originated with the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers is a memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was fictionalized in the musical The Sound of Music. The book was published in 1949 by J. B...
by Maria von Trapp
Maria von Trapp
Maria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
. It contains many popular songs, including "Edelweiss
Edelweiss (song)
"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps...
", "My Favorite Things
My Favorite Things (song)
"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain
Climb Ev'ry Mountain
"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess...
", "Do-Re-Mi
Do-Re-Mi
"Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used by Maria to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time, even though their father has disallowed frivolity after...
", "Sixteen Going on Seventeen
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
"Sixteen Going on Seventeen" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-Background:The lyrics of the song state that Liesl is a young girl at the beginning of her womanhood, and that she can depend on Rolf for guidance, because he is a good year older...
", and "The Lonely Goatherd
The Lonely Goatherd
"The Lonely Goatherd" is a show tune from the musical The Sound of Music that makes use of yodelling.This song tells the whimsical story of a goatherd whose yodelling is heard from far off and by passers-by, until he falls in love with a girl who wears a pale-pink coat, with her mother joining in...
", as well as the title song
The Sound of Music (song)
“The Sound of Music” is the title song from The Sound of Music, composed by Richard Rodgers to lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally sung by Mary Martin in the 1959 stage musical of the same name. It was sung by Julie Andrews in the 1961 film, with a reprise by the Von Trapp family...
.
The movie version was filmed on location in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in Southern Germany
Southern Germany
The term Southern Germany is used to describe a region in the south of Germany. There is no specific boundary to the region, but it usually includes all of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and the southern part of Hesse...
; and at the 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
Studios in California. It was photographed in 70mm Todd-AO
Todd-AO
Todd-AO is a post-production company founded in 1953, providing sound-related services to the motion picture and television industries. The company operates three facilities in the Los Angeles area.-History:...
by Ted D. McCord. It won a total of five Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
in 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced. The cast album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
.
Adjusted for inflation, it made $1.046 billion domestically (at 2010 prices), putting it third on the list of all-time inflation-adjusted box office hits, behind Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
and Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. In 2001, the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
as it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot
MariaMaria von Trapp
Maria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
(Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
) is found in a pasture, exulting in the musical inspiration she finds there (“The Sound of Music”). Maria is a postulant
Postulant
A postulant was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a monastery or a convent, both before actual admission and for the length of time preceding their admission into the novitiate...
in Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria.It was founded ca. 714 by Saint Rupert of Salzburg and is the oldest women's religious house in the German-speaking world...
, where she is constantly getting into mischief and is the nuns' despair ("Maria").
Maria's life suddenly changes when a widowed Austrian Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
Captain, Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
) writes to the abbey asking for a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
for his seven children. Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood
Peggy Wood
Peggy Wood was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early career:She was born Mary Margaret Wood in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eugene Wood, a journalist, and Mary Gardner, a telegraph operator. She was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone...
) asks Maria to take the position on a probationary basis; previous governesses though, have not lasted long. She is worried about what awaits her at the von Trapp household, but is determined to succeed ("I Have Confidence").
Maria, upon arrival at the von Trapp estate, finds that the Captain keeps it in strict shipshape order, blows a whistle, issues orders, and dresses his children in sailor-suit uniforms. While they are initially hostile to her, they warm to her when she comforts them during a thunderstorm (“My Favorite Things”). Liesl (Charmian Carr
Charmian Carr
Charmian Carr is an American actress and singer. She is mainly known for her role as Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter in The Sound of Music where she starred with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Nicholas Hammond, Heather Menzies, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, and Kym...
), the oldest, who is "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", sneaks into Maria's window after a secret meeting with a messenger boy, Rolfe (Daniel Truhitte
Daniel Truhitte
Daniel Truhitte is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Rolf Gruber, the young German officer who performed "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", in the film The Sound of Music...
). At first she is adamant that she "doesn't need a governess", but Maria offers to be her friend, and she acquiesces. Maria teaches them how to sing ("Do-Re-Mi") and to play, sewing playclothes for them from discarded drapes in her room.
The Captain entertains a visit from a lady friend, Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
), a wealthy socialite from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, along with mutual friend Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn
Richard Haydn was an English comic actor in radio, films and television.-Early life and career:Born George Richard Haydon in London, he was known for playing eccentric characters, such as Edwin Carp, Claud Curdle, Richard Rancyd and Stanley Stayle. Much of his stage delivery was done in a...
), who is intent on finding an obscure musical act to launch at the upcoming Salzburg Music Festival. The Captain becomes aware that Maria has been taking the children on picnics and bicycle rides, climbed trees with them, and taken them in a boat on the lake adjoining his estate. When the boat capsizes, Maria and all of the children (wearing their clothes made from the former curtains) fall into the water. The Captain turns his wrath on her and Maria begs him to pay attention to the children and love them, but he orders her to return to the abbey.
When he discovers the children performing a reprise of "The Sound of Music" for the Baroness, he changes his mind. Maria has brought music back into his home, and he begs her to stay. Things get better at the household. She and the children perform a puppet show ("The Lonely Goatherd") that Max gave to them. He announces that he has entered the children in the Salzburg Festival; the Captain, however, forbids their participation. Maria and the children insist that he sing a song, knowing that he used to play and sing with a guitar, and he agrees ("Edelweiss").
At a soiree thrown in Baroness Schraeder's honor, eleven-year-old Kurt observes guests dancing the Laendler, and asks Maria to teach him the steps. The Captain cuts in and partners her in a graceful performance, culminating in a close clinch. At that moment, she breaks off and blushes. The children perform "So Long, Farewell" to say goodnight to the guests, receiving enthusiastic applause. The Baroness, jealous of Maria, convinces her to return to Nonnberg.
Maria leaves the estate and returns to the abbey, where she keeps herself in seclusion until Mother Abbess gently confronts her, urging her to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in search of God's will for her. At this command, she returns to the von Trapp family, finding that the Captain is now engaged to the Baroness. However, he breaks off the engagement, realizing that he is in love with Maria. He meets Maria in his gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
and they declare their love for each other ("Something Good"). The two wed in an elaborate ceremony at the Salzburg Cathedral, with many of Austria's elite, as well as the nuns from Nonnberg Abbey, in attendance.
While the new couple is away on their honeymoon in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Max grooms the children to perform in the Salzburg Music Festival, against the Captain's wishes. At the same time, Austria is annexed into the Third Reich in the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
(actual date was March 12, 1938). When the Captain returns, he is informed that he must report as soon as possible to the Nazi Naval Headquarters in Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
, to accept a commission in the German Navy. He is opposed to Nazism, and stalls by insisting he must perform with his family that night in the Salzburg Festival, now politicized and showcased as a Nazi event under the patronage of Hans Zeller (Ben Wright
Ben Wright (actor)
Ben Wright was an English actor in radio, film and television. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Radio:...
), recently appointed as the Nazi Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
. Zeller agrees, but orders the Captain to depart immediately after the performance. The choreography of the final song, "So Long, Farewell", allows the family to leave slowly, a few at a time, and as the winners are announced, they flee. At first they hide in the abbey, but are discovered by Rolfe (who had joined the Nazi party) and flee again. The Nazis are unable to pursue them, as the nuns have stolen their spark plug wires and ignition coil. The final shot shows the von Trapps climbing over the Alps into Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, as "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", reprised by a choir, swells to a grand conclusion.
Cast
- Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
as Maria von TrappMaria von TrappMaria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
, a free-spirited young Austrian woman, studying to become a nun. Due to her often singing and seeming somewhat out of place in the abbey, Mother Abbess sends her to the nearby city of Salzburg to be governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp. Although initially hostile toward her, they come to love her through her introducing the joys of music and singing, and she develops a special relationship with Liesl, the eldest. Throughout the film, the Captain grows closer to both her and his children through the reintroduction of music, and she falls in love with him. Fearful of how returning his affections might seem in God's eyes (as she is the children's governess), she goes back to the abbey, but is convinced to return and see what her love might bring. Eventually, the Captain admits his feelings for her, and they marry. However, the Third Reich is taking power via the Anschluss, prompting her and her new family to leave Austria. Julie Andrews was famously nominated for the Academy Award for Best ActressAcademy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, however, she lost it to another Julie, Julie ChristieJulie ChristieJulie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
.
- Christopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
as Captain Georg von Trapp, a veteran Austrian navy captain whose wife died, leaving behind their seven children. He extends his military background into raising them, at first represented as a strict disciplinarian. However, his attitude toward both the children and Maria softens considerably after she reintroduces music into the family. He is courting Baroness Elsa Schraeder throughout the film, and becomes engaged to her, but they call it off, and he proclaims his love to Maria, marrying her instead. He firmly believes in Austrian independence, proudly displaying the Austrian flag and tearing down the Nazi one, as well as refusing to join them. He, Maria, and the children leave Austria at the end of the film by crossing the Alps to Switzerland. His singing voice was dubbed by Bill LeeBill Lee (singer)Bill Lee was an American playback singer who provided a voice or singing voice in many films, for actors in musicals and for many Disney characters. He was born in Johnson, Nebraska and died in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, of a brain tumor.Lee was part of a popular singing quartet known as The...
.
- Richard HaydnRichard HaydnRichard Haydn was an English comic actor in radio, films and television.-Early life and career:Born George Richard Haydon in London, he was known for playing eccentric characters, such as Edwin Carp, Claud Curdle, Richard Rancyd and Stanley Stayle. Much of his stage delivery was done in a...
as Max Detweiler, a good friend of both the Baroness and the Captain. He is one of the few to call him Georg. He seeks out talented musicians and singers, and reveals them to the public eye. In searching Salzburg for talented singers, he finds what he wants in the von Trapp family, and constantly tries to convince the Captain to let him enter the children in the Salzburg Music FestivalSalzburg FestivalThe Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
. He is also somewhat neutral when it comes to the Third Reich, seeking only to make a good and honest living regardless of who was in power. Although he doesn't like or approve of the Anschluss, he is more willing than the Captain to let it quietly take place. Nevertheless, due to their close friendship, he helps them escape during the festival at his own expense.
- Eleanor ParkerEleanor ParkerEleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
as Baroness Elsa Schraeder, the Captain's lady friend from ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and later fiancee for a short period. She becomes jealous of Maria's talent, and convinces her to leave during a grand party at the house by exploiting her inner conflict about becoming a nun and her discomfort at the Captain's obvious affection towards her. He announces their engagement to the children, but she doesn't go over well with them. After Maria's return, he confesses to her that he is being unfair to her. Seeing the marriage wouldn't work, she gives her blessings to him and Maria, parts on very friendly terms, and peacefully returns to Vienna.
- Charmian CarrCharmian CarrCharmian Carr is an American actress and singer. She is mainly known for her role as Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter in The Sound of Music where she starred with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Nicholas Hammond, Heather Menzies, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, and Kym...
as Liesl von Trapp, the first and eldest child, sixteen ("going on seventeen"). She believes she doesn't need a governess at first, but soon comes to trust Maria. She is in love with a messenger named Rolfe, who delivers their telegrams. However, he changes after joining the Nazis, no longer caring for her. She seeks advice from Maria about this, who tells her to "wait a year or two" to find love. She is shocked to see that he is one of the search party, and begs him to stop and let them escape.
- Nicholas HammondNicholas HammondNicholas Hammond is an American actor best known for his roles as Friedrich von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music, and as Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the CBS television series The Amazing Spider-Man...
as Friedrich von Trapp, the second child, fourteen. He is very quiet and is also something of a gentleman, despite his involvement in the tricks against the previous governesses, which the children confess were merely to get the Captain's attention. After Maria arrives, he tells her that he "is impossible" according to "Fraulein Josephine: four governesses ago".
- Heather MenziesHeather MenziesHeather Urich , born December 3, 1949 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a Canadian-born actress who moved to California via Florida at the age of 11. She enrolled at the Falcon Studio’s University of the Arts, in Hollywood. Her first professional role at the age of 13 was on My Three Sons...
as Louisa von Trapp, the third child, thirteen. She and Brigitta are often together, and she is a bit of a daydreamer. Her two favorite tricks on governesses are to fill their beds with spiders and pretend that she is one of the other girls, such as Brigitta.
- Duane ChaseDuane ChaseDuane Chase is an actor, best remembered as Kurt von Trapp in The Sound of Music. He played Danny Matthews in The Big Valley for one episode. He stopped acting after high school and went on to study for his Master's degree in geology.-Current status:Today, he lives in Seattle, Washington, and...
as Kurt von Trapp, the fourth child, eleven. He often tries to act manly and is outspoken against the previous governesses and often questions Maria about things, once trying to learn an Austrian folk dance.
- Angela CartwrightAngela CartwrightAngela Margaret Cartwright is an English-born American actress primarily known for her roles in movies and television...
as Brigitta von Trapp, the fifth child, ten. She is very sharp-witted, honest, somewhat nonconformist, and not afraid to speak her mind about things (e.g., Maria's dress being ugly).
- Debbie TurnerDebbie TurnerDebbie Turner is an American former child star who played the role of Marta von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music.-Life and career:...
as Marta von Trapp, the sixth child, seven. She gets along well with Maria, sharing her love of pink and being the first to like her. She once mentions a pink parasol as her birthday gift.
- Kym KarathKym KarathKimberly "Kym" Karath is an American actress, best known for her role as Gretl in The Sound of Music.- Career :...
as Gretl von Trapp, the seventh and youngest child, five. She speaks very little, and is often shy. As the other children tell Maria to adopt questionable behaviors and practices, she tells her, as her first phrase in the film, "Don't you believe a word they're saying, Fraulein Maria, because I like you." In real life, she could not swim. When the boat capsized in the water, she had to be lifted up by a couple of people that were hidden under it. During one rehearsal, she threw up after swallowing some of the water.
- Peggy WoodPeggy WoodPeggy Wood was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early career:She was born Mary Margaret Wood in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eugene Wood, a journalist, and Mary Gardner, a telegraph operator. She was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone...
as Mother Abbess, the head of Nonnberg Abbey, who convinces Maria to leave there and explore life as a governess for a while. When she returns, she has her explain why she left and realizes she is in love, and convinces her to return and face her problems, to see what might come of this love. This proves to be good advice, as she later marries the Captain. Mother Abbess also shelters her and her family while they are hiding from the Nazis and helps them escape to Switzerland. Peggy Wood was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her performance. Her singing voice was dubbed by Margery McKay. She is often referred to by the other nuns as 'The Reverend Mother'.
- Anna LeeAnna LeeAnna Lee, MBE was an English actress.-Career:Lee studied at the Royal Albert Hall, then debuted with a bit part in the film His Lordship...
as Sister Margaretta, a nun who looks fondly on Maria. She, as well as Sister Berthe, helps her to escape by sabotaging Gauleiter's car.
- Portia NelsonPortia NelsonPortia Nelson was an American popular singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was best known for her appearances in the most prestigious 1950s cabarets, where she sang an elegant repertoire in a soprano noted for its silvery tone, perfect diction, intimacy, and meticulous attention to words...
as Sister Berthe, a nun who doesn't believe Maria belongs in the abbey; she nevertheless helps her escape by sabotaging Gauleiter's car.
- Marni NixonMarni NixonMarni Nixon is an American soprano and playback singer for featured actresses in movie musicals. She has also spent much of her career performing in concerts with major symphony orchestras around the world and in operas and musicals throughout the United States.-Biography:Born Margaret Nixon...
as Sister Sophia. She appeared on screen first telling her opinion to the nuns about Maria and then singing for herself. She was cast in the role by director Robert WiseRobert WiseRobert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
. In the DVD commentary to the film, he comments that audiences were finally able to see the woman whose voice they knew so well.
- Daniel TruhitteDaniel TruhitteDaniel Truhitte is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Rolf Gruber, the young German officer who performed "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", in the film The Sound of Music...
as Rolfe, a messenger who is in love with Liesl. The two become estranged after he joins the Nazi Party, as he realizes that her father has no regard for him and does not support Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's Third ReichNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. He subtly warns the von Trapps about the danger they face for not obeying the summons of the Reich.
- Ben WrightBen Wright (actor)Ben Wright was an English actor in radio, film and television. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Radio:...
as Hans Zeller, GauleiterGauleiterA Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
, an enforcer of the Third Reich, and the main antagonist of the film. He is oppositional against the Captain as early on as the party held for the Baroness. He later returns to inform Max that he is to be escorted to his new position in the German Navy, personally meeting him himself. Through the intervention of the abbey and the festival, the von Trapps ultimately elude his grasp.
- The famous marionette puppet sequence for the song "The Lonely Goatherd" was produced and performed by the leading puppeteers of the day, Bil BairdBil BairdWilliam Britton Baird , professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American puppeteer of the mid- and late 20th century.One of his better known creations was Charlemane the lion...
and Cora Eisenberg-Baird.
Production
DarrylDarryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
and Richard D. Zanuck
Richard D. Zanuck
Richard Darryl Zanuck is an American film producer. He iscredited for producing famous movies of the 1970's, 80's, 90's and the 21 century.-Life and career:...
originally asked Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Robert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
to do the film, but he turned it down because it was "too saccharine". They then approached Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ; is an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are Singin' in the Rain and On the Town, both of which he co-directed with Gene Kelly. His other noteworthy films include Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Damn...
, Vincent Donehue
Vincent J. Donehue
Vincent Julian Donehue was an American director noted mainly for his theatre work, with occasional film and television credits....
, Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
, and George Roy Hill
George Roy Hill
George Roy Hill was an American film director. He is most noted for directing such films as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, which both starred the acting duo Paul Newman and Robert Redford...
, but they all turned it down. Zanuck next asked William Wyler
William Wyler
William Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
to direct the film. Because he was suffering from a loss of hearing that affected his ability to appreciate music fully, Wyler felt he was the wrong man for the job, but he agreed to fly to New York and see the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production. Feeling many of the songs did not evolve organically from the plot, he remained undecided and wrote to the producer of Die Trapp-Familie
The Trapp Family
The Trapp Family is a 1956 West German film. It is one of the most successful German films of the 1950s. Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner, the film is based on Maria von Trapp's memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, a 1956 non-musical film about the von Trapps starring famous German screen star Ruth Leuwerik
Ruth Leuwerik
Ruth Leuwerik is a German film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1950 and 1977. Leuwerik is probably best known for her portrayal of Maria von Trapp in the films The Trapp Family and The Trapp Family in America. In the 1950s she and Dieter Borsche were considered as the ideal couple of the...
, to ask his advice. "This cannot fail," he responded, and Wyler accepted the assignment.
Wyler had seen the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
and had been impressed by Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, who was in the process of filming Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
. He met with her on the set and asked Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
if he could see some of the dailies. Convinced she was perfect for the role of Maria, he signed her to a contract.
Wyler returned to New York and met with Maria von Trapp, then he and screenwriter Ernest Lehman
Ernest Lehman
Ernest Lehman was an American screenwriter. He received 6 Academy Award nominations during his screenwriting career...
and their wives flew to Austria to begin scouting locations in the Tyrolean Alps
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. There they visited the convent where von Trapp had been a novice, and Wyler discussed the possibility of filming scenes there with the Mother Superior
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
. He then met with the mayor of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. Wyler was concerned that the presence of a film crew shooting German troops parading before buildings draped with the Nazi flag would be a harsh reminder of the Anschluss for those who had experienced it. The mayor assured him the residents had managed to live through it the first time and would survive it again.
Wyler returned to Hollywood and began pre-production work on the film, but his wife realized his heart clearly was not in it. Then he was approached by Jud Kinberg and John Kohn, neophyte film producers who had purchased the rights to the John Fowles
John Fowles
John Robert Fowles was an English novelist and essayist. In 2008, The Times newspaper named Fowles among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Birth and family:...
novel The Collector
The Collector
The Collector is the title of a 1963 novel by John Fowles. It was made into a movie in 1965.- Plot summary :The novel is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk in a city hall, and collects butterflies in his spare time...
prior to its publication. They had a commitment from Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
to star in the film and a first draft screenplay by Stanley Mann
Stanley Mann
Stanley Mann is a Canadian-born film and television writer. He began his writing career in 1951, and was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the 1965 film The Collector, based on the John Fowles novel of the same title. In 1957 he penned an adaptation of Death of a Salesman for television...
. Wyler was impressed with the script and, feeling an affinity with the project he did not with The Sound of Music, he asked the Zanucks to release him from his contract. They agreed, and Robert Wise, who became available due to delays in production of The Sand Pebbles
The Sand Pebbles (film)
The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 American period war film directed by Robert Wise. It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy Machinist's Mate aboard the fictional gunboat USS San Pablo in 1920s China....
, was hired to replace Wyler.
Historical accuracy
Both the musical and the film present a history of the von Trapp family, albeit one that is not completely accurate.The following are examples of the dramatic license taken by the filmmakers:
- Georg Ludwig von Trapp was indeed anti-Nazi, and did in fact live with his family in a villa in a district of Salzburg called AigenAigenAigen is a district in the city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria and is known as one of the most expensive residential areas of the provincial capital.It is one of the 24 districts in which Salzburg is organized...
; however, the residence depicted in the film greatly exaggerated their standard of living. - Maria had been hired only to be a tutor to young Maria Franziska ("Louisa" in the movie), who had come down with scarlet fever and needed her lessons at home.
- MariaMaria von TrappMaria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
and Georg had been married 10 years before the Anschluss and had two of their three children before that time. - Georg had considered a position in the KriegsmarineKriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
but decided to emigrate with his family to Italy and begin another singing tour. He was 58 years old in 1938, had not been in a submarine since 1918, and was not being recruited by the Nazi government. - The Anschluss occurred in March, and the Salzburg Music Festival is held in June; therefore, the family could not have escaped after their festival performance before the borders closed.
- The bell cord on the real Nonnberg Abbey is strictly a prop and rings nothing. The nuns liked it anyway, and asked that it be left by the film crew.
- The film shows the von Trapp family hiking over the Alps from Austria to Switzerland, but from Salzburg this would be impossible. Salzburg is only a few kilometers away from the Austrian–German border and is much too far from either the Swiss or Italian borders for a family to reach by walking.
- Georg von Trapp was born in the Austrian city of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia), which was part of Italy after World War I. Therefore, he was an Italian citizen and so were all his family, including Maria. Therefore, they simply walked to the local train station and boarded a train to Italy. From there, they traveled to London and, ultimately, the United States.
- Friedrich (the second oldest child in the film version) was based on Rupert (the oldest of the real von Trapp children). Liesl (the oldest child in the film) was based on Agathe von Trapp, the second oldest in the real family. The names and ages of the children were changed, in part because the third child (who would be portrayed as "Louisa") was also named Maria.
- The film takes some liberties with the facts but much of it was filmed in the city and county of Salzburg and Upper AustriaUpper AustriaUpper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, including sites such as Nonnberg AbbeyNonnberg AbbeyNonnberg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria.It was founded ca. 714 by Saint Rupert of Salzburg and is the oldest women's religious house in the German-speaking world...
, and St. Peter Cemetery. Leopoldskron Palace, Frohnburg Palace, and Hellbrunn Palace were some of the locations used for the Trapp estate in the film.
The opening scene and aerial shots were filmed in Anif
Anif
Anif is a small municipality with 4,300 inhabitants, located south of Salzburg in the state of Salzburg, Austria.-History:The place was mentioned for the first time as "the church near Anif" in 788. In 1782, the Grimm brothers recorded in his Brixener Volksbuch a local tale about a peasant and a...
(Anif Palace
Anif Palace
The Anif Palace, also known as Water Palace Anif, stands beside an artificial pond within the Austrian county of Anif at the southern edge of the city of Salzburg...
), Mondsee
Mondsee (town)
Mondsee is an Austrian town in the Vöcklabruck district in Upper Austria located on the shore of the lake Mondsee. The length from north to south is 9.5 km, and width from east to west is 7.7 km...
, and Salzkammergut
Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
(Fuschl am See
Fuschl am See
Fuschl am See is an Austrian municipality in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung. in the state of Salzburg. It is located at the east end of the Fuschlsee, between Salzburg and Bad Ischl in the state of Salzburg. The community has 1,406 inhabitants....
, St. Gilgen
St. Gilgen
Sankt Gilgen is a picturesque village by the Wolfgangsee in the Austrian state of Salzburg, in the "Salzkammergut" region.-History:In the year 1376 Sankt Gilgen was first mentioned in documents. 1873 the shipping on the Wolfgangsee started and so did the tourism too. Also the construction of the...
and Saint Wolfgang
Wolfgang of Regensburg
Saint Wolfgang was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches...
).
Hohenwerfen Castle
Burg Hohenwerfen
Hohenwerfen Castle stands on a rock approximately 40 km south of the Austrian city of Salzburg. The castle is majestically surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennengebirge mountain range...
served as the main backdrop for the song "Do-Re-Mi." At the Mirabell Gardens
Palace of Mirabell
The Mirabell Palace is a historical building in Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria.-History:It was built in the Baroque style, with Italian and French models, by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau in 1606...
in Salzburg, Maria and the children sing "Do-Re-Mi", dancing around the horse fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.
Songs
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
unless otherwise noted. Instrumental underscore passages were adapted by Irwin Kostal
Irwin Kostal
Irwin Kostal was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kostal opted not to attend college, instead teaching himself musical arranging by studying the symphonic scores available at his local library...
.
- "Prelude and The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music (song)“The Sound of Music” is the title song from The Sound of Music, composed by Richard Rodgers to lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally sung by Mary Martin in the 1959 stage musical of the same name. It was sung by Julie Andrews in the 1961 film, with a reprise by the Von Trapp family...
" - "Overture" (Main Titles, consisting of "The Sound of Music", "Do-Re-Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Something Good" and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain") segué into the Preludium
- "Preludium: Dixit DominusDixit Dominus (Handel)Dixit Dominus is a psalm setting by George Friederic Handel . It uses the Latin text of Psalm 110 , which begins with the words Dixit Dominus ....
", "Morning Hymn" (Rex admirabilis and Alleluia, based on traditional songs) - "MariaMaria (1959 song)"Maria", sometimes known as "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music....
" - "I Have Confidence" (@ 18:04) (lyrics and music by Richard Rodgers)
- "Sixteen Going on SeventeenSixteen Going On Seventeen"Sixteen Going on Seventeen" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-Background:The lyrics of the song state that Liesl is a young girl at the beginning of her womanhood, and that she can depend on Rolf for guidance, because he is a good year older...
" (@ 37:22) - "My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things (song)"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
" (@ 47:42) - "Salzburg Montage" (instrumental underscore based on "My Favorite Things")
- "Do-Re-MiDo-Re-Mi"Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used by Maria to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time, even though their father has disallowed frivolity after...
" (@ 54:55) - "The Sound of Music" (reprise)
- "The Lonely GoatherdThe Lonely Goatherd"The Lonely Goatherd" is a show tune from the musical The Sound of Music that makes use of yodelling.This song tells the whimsical story of a goatherd whose yodelling is heard from far off and by passers-by, until he falls in love with a girl who wears a pale-pink coat, with her mother joining in...
" (@ 1:15:38) - "EdelweissEdelweiss (song)"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps...
" (@ 1:21:36) - "The Grand Waltz" (instrumental underscore, based on "My Favorite Things")
- "LändlerLändlerThe ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century.It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping...
" (instrumental based on "The Lonely Goatherd") - "So Long, Farewell" (@ 1:29:43)
- "Processional Waltz" (instrumental underscore)
- "Goodbye Maria/How Can Love Survive Waltz" (instrumental underscore, incorporating "Edelweiss" and the deleted song "How Can Love Survive?")
- "Edelweiss Waltz" (instrumental, Act 1 Finale, based on "Edelweiss")
- "Entr'acte" (instrumental, consisting of "I Have Confidence", "So Long, Farewell", "Do-Re-Mi", "Something Good" and "The Sound of Music")
- "The Sound of Music" (Sad Reprise Incomplete)
- "Climb Ev'ry MountainClimb Ev'ry Mountain"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess...
" - "My Favorite Things" (reprise)
- "Something Good" (lyrics and music by Rodgers)
- "Processional" (instrumental) and "Maria"
- "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" (reprise)
- "Do-Re-Mi" (Salzburg Folk Festival reprise)
- "EdelweissEdelweiss (song)"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps...
" (Salzburg Folk Festival reprise) - "So Long, Farewell" (Salzburg Folk Festival reprise)
- "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (reprise)
- "End Titles"
"Edelweiss
Edelweiss (song)
"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps...
", thought by some to be a traditional Austrian song or even the Austrian national anthem
Land der Berge, Land am Strome
Land der Berge, Land am Strome is the national anthem of Austria.Nineteen days before his death on December 5, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his last complete work, the Freimaurerkantate, K. 623. In parts of the printed edition of this cantata there appeared the song K. 623a ""...
, was written expressly for the musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Originally unknown in Austria, it has been promoted heavily there ever since, especially in Salzburg.
The songs "How Can Love Survive?", "An Ordinary Couple", and "No Way to Stop It" were not used in the film version. The omission of those songs had to be approved through Richard Rodgers.
There were four extra children singing with the main ones to add more effect to their voices, including Darleen Carr
Darleen Carr
Darleen Carr is an American actress best known for a recurring role in the 1981–82 television series Bret Maverick opposite James Garner...
, Charmian Carr's younger sister. However, these were uncredited. Darleen Carr sang Kurt's high voice, during the reprise and "sad" versions of the title song, as well as the high "Bye" in the song "So Long, Farewell", and later for Gretl in its reprise towards the end of the film.
Chart positions
| Chart | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1965 | 1 |
| 1966 | ||
| 1967 | ||
| 1968 |
Reception
The film premiered in the United States on March 2, 1965. It ultimately grossed over US$158 million at the U.S. and Canada box office, and displaced Gone with the WindGone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
as all-time champion. Adjusted for inflation, it made $1.046 billion at 2010 prices, putting it third on the list of all-time inflation-adjusted box office hits, behind Gone with the Wind and Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
The soundtrack album on the RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
label has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, and has never been out of print. The soundtrack album was included in the stockpile of records held in 20 underground radio stations of Great Britain's Wartime Broadcasting Service
Wartime Broadcasting Service
The Wartime Broadcasting Service was a service of the BBC that was intended to broadcast in the United Kingdom either after a nuclear attack or if conventional bombing destroyed regular BBC facilities in a conventional war ....
, designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack.
Despite the enormous popularity of the movie, most critics were unimpressed. Walter Kerr
Walter Kerr
For the RN admiral see Lord Walter KerrWalter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theater critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals.-Biography:...
of the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
had written the one negative review of the stage musical by calling it "not only too sweet for words but almost too sweet for music"; similarly, noted film critic Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
blasted the film by calling it "the sugar-coated lie people seem to want to eat," and "we have been turned into emotional and aesthetic imbeciles when we hear ourselves humming the sickly, goody-goody songs." This review allegedly led to Kael's dismissal from McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
magazine.
Controversy surrounded the film's release in Germany and Austria, where the film had to compete with the much-loved "Die Trapp-Familie" (1956), which provided the original inspiration for the Broadway musical, and its sequel "Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika" (1958), which are regarded in German-speaking Europe as the authoritative von Trapp story. According to a 1994 documentary, From Fact to Phenomenon: The Real Story of the von Trapp Family Singers narrated by Claire Bloom
Claire Bloom
Claire Bloom is an English film and stage actress.-Early life:Bloom was born in the North London suburb of Finchley, the daughter of Elizabeth and Edward Max Blume, who worked in sales...
included on the 30th Anniversary laserdisc box set of the film "...the film's Nazi overtones brought about the unauthorized cutting of the entire third act," which begins directly after Maria's wedding to the Captain and contains images of post-Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
Austria. This version, ending at the church altar, did passably well at the box office. But when the American studio forced the third act to be restored to the German release, audience attendance plummeted. Austrian filmgoers in particular resented the way Naziism in their country was depicted. Other offenses in the Austrians' eyes were the way the family's kindly manager, Father Wasner, was transformed into a sleazy huckster; changing the family's genre of music into show tunes; and a contrived (and fictional) climactic flight over the mountains to Switzerland, which does not border Salzburg. As a result, in Austria and Germany the movie is widely ignored.
Ten years later, Robert Wise would make another historical film known as The Hindenburg
The Hindenburg (film)
The Hindenburg is a 1975 American film based on the disaster of the German airship Hindenburg. The film stars George C. Scott. It was produced and directed by Robert Wise, and was written by Nelson Gidding, Richard Levinson and William Link based on the book of the same name by Michael M. Mooney .A.A...
which also used at least some of the film's plot keywords and settings.
The Sound of Music is credited as the film that saved 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, after high production costs and low revenue for Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
nearly bankrupted the studio.
Retitles
The film was adapted for other countries, including:- Brazil (A Noviça Rebelde, or The Rebel Novice)
- China (音乐之声, The Sound of Music)
- Estonia (Helisev muusika, The Sound of Music)
- France (La mélodie du bonheur, The Melody of Happiness)
- Germany (retitled Meine Lieder, Meine Träume, or My Songs, My Dreams)
- Greece (Η μελωδία της ευτυχίας,I melodia tis eftihias, The Melody of Happiness)
- Hong Kong (仙樂飄飄處處聞, Angelic Music Flies and Heard Everywhere)
- Hungary (A muzsika hangja, The Sound of Music)
- India (Santhi Nilayam 1969 by Gemini Pictures) & (Raja Chinna roja) this film's songs were used as a base by Ilayaraja for three films and by A.R.Rahman for LagaanLagaanLagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...
. ChandraboseChandrabose (composer)Chandrabose was an Indian Tamil language music composer and singer. He has composed music for more than 300 movies between late 80's and early 90's...
used this movie's song in Raja Chinna rojaRaja Chinna RojaRaja Chinna Roja is a 1989 Tamil film directed by SP. Muthuraman. is a based on the 1965 English musical The Sound of Music with a song of the English movie fully remade in Tamil.-Plot:... - Iran اشکها و لبخندها (Ashkha va labkhandha, Tears and Smiles)
- Israel (צלילי המוסיקה Tzeliley ha-musika, The Sounds of Music)
- Italy (Tutti insieme Appassionatamente, All Together with Passion)
- Japan (サウンド・オブ・ミュージック, Sound of Music)
- Korea (사운드 오브 뮤직,The Sound of Music)
- Latin America (La Novicia Rebelde, The Rebellious Novice)
- Lithuania (Muzikos garsai,The Sound of Music)
- Netherlands (De mooiste muziek, The Most Beautiful Music)
- Poland (Dźwięki muzyki, The sounds of music)
- Portugal (Música no Coração, or Music in the Heart)
- Russia (Звуки музыки, The Sounds of Music)
- Egypt (صوت الموسيقى Saut al-musiqa, Sound of the Music)
- Spain (Sonrisas y Lágrimas, Smiles and Tears)
- Turkey (Neşeli Günler, Happy days)
- Yugoslavia (Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian languageSerbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
: Moje p(j)esme, moji snovi, My Songs, My Dreams; Slovene: Moje pesmi, moje sanje, My Songs, My Dreams) - Taiwan (真善美, Truth, Kindness and Beauty)
- Thailand ( มนต์รักเพลงสวรรค์ , Love Spell, Heavenly Songs)
Rather than leaving the songs in English as was common practice at the time, soundtrack songs were carefully translated into seven languages and re-recorded by local talent in order to more closely identify with Spanish, Italian, French, German, Persian, Chinese and Japanese audiences. This effort helped the film achieve its massive international success.
Academy Awards
The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning in four categories.- Best PictureAcademy Award for Best PictureThe Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
(WINNER) - Best Director - Robert WiseRobert WiseRobert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
(WINNER) - Best Actress in a Leading RoleAcademy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
- Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
(Nomination) - Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAcademy Award for Best Supporting ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
- Peggy WoodPeggy WoodPeggy Wood was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early career:She was born Mary Margaret Wood in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eugene Wood, a journalist, and Mary Gardner, a telegraph operator. She was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone...
(Nomination) - Best Art DirectionAcademy Award for Best Art DirectionThe Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
(Nomination) - Best Costume Design (Nomination)
- Best Sound (James CorcoranJames Corcoran (sound engineer)James Corcoran was an American sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Sound Recording and was nominated for three more in the same category.-Selected filmography:Corcoran won an Academy Award and was nominated for three more:Won...
, Fred HynesFred HynesFred Hynes was an American sound engineer. He won five Academy Awards in the category Sound Recording and was nominated for two more in the same category.-Selected filmography:...
) (WINNER) - Best Scoring of Music-adaptation or treatmentAcademy Award for Best Original ScoreThe Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
(WINNER) - Best CinematographyAcademy Award for Best CinematographyThe Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
(Nomination) - Best Film Editing (WINNER)
Golden Globe Awards
- Best Picture - Musical or Comedy (WINNER)
- Best Director of a Motion Picture (Nomination)
- Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
(WINNER) - Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Peggy WoodPeggy WoodPeggy Wood was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early career:She was born Mary Margaret Wood in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eugene Wood, a journalist, and Mary Gardner, a telegraph operator. She was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone...
(Nomination)
Television and video releases
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on February 29, 1976 to record ratings. The film wasn't seen on TV again until NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
acquired the broadcast rights. Their first telecast of the film was on February 11, 1979. NBC continued to air it annually for twenty years, often preempting regular programming. During most of its run on NBC, the film was heavily edited to fit a three-hour time slot (approximately 140 minutes without commercials). The 30 minutes of edits, which bewildered those familiar with the complete film included: 1. Portions of the "Morning Hymn/Alleluia", sung by the nuns. 2. part of dialogue scene in abbey between Mother Abbess and Maria. 3. part of Liesl and Rolf's dialogue preceding "Sixteen Going on Seventeen". 4. Liesl's verse of "Edelweiss" sung with the Captain, 5. The Captain and Baroness waltzing at the party, and many more dialogue cuts within existing scenes.
Starting in 1995, the movie aired in an uncut form on NBC (on April 9, 1995, minus the entr'acte). Julie Andrews hosted the four-hour telecast which presented the musical numbers in a letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
format. As the film's home video availability cut into its TV ratings, NBC let their contract lapse at the turn of the 21st century. In 2001 it had a one time airing on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network, again in its heavily-edited 140-minute version. Since 2002 it has aired on ABC (generally between Christmas and New Years), and periodically (generally around Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
and other holidays) on its sister cable network, ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, where its most recent runs have been the full version in a four-hour time slot, complete with the entr'acte. ABC first broadcast an HD resolution version on December 28, 2008. Canada's CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
also put the movie in a four hour time slot broadcast during the holidays.
In the UK, the first television airing was on BBC1, on Christmas Day, 1978 at 4.20pm.
The film has been released on VHS, Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
, and DVD numerous times. It made its DVD debut on August 29, 2000 in commemoration of its 35th Anniversary. The film is often included in box sets with other Rodgers & Hammerstein film adaptations. A 40th anniversary DVD, with "making of" documentaries and special features, was released in 2005. The film made its debut issue on Blu-Ray on November 2, 2010, for its 45th anniversary. For the Blu-Ray release the original 70mm negatives were rescanned at 8k resolution
8K Video Format
8K is a digital video format standard. It is used as a master format for movies shot with digital cameras, or sometimes used for high quality master transfers from analog to digital....
, giving the most detailed copy of the film seen thus far.
Legacy
It has been in included in numerous "Top 100" lists from the American Film InstituteAmerican Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
including:
- 1998 AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies #55
- 2002 AFI's 100 Years…100 Passions #27
- 2004 AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs:
- "The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music (song)“The Sound of Music” is the title song from The Sound of Music, composed by Richard Rodgers to lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally sung by Mary Martin in the 1959 stage musical of the same name. It was sung by Julie Andrews in the 1961 film, with a reprise by the Von Trapp family...
," #10 - "My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things (song)"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.-The Sound of Music version:The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a...
," #64 - "Do-Re-MiDo-Re-Mi"Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used by Maria to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time, even though their father has disallowed frivolity after...
," #88
- "The Sound of Music
- 2006 AFI's 100 Years…100 Cheers #41
- 2006 AFI's 100 Years of MusicalsAFI's 100 Years of MusicalsPart of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals is a list of the top musicals in American cinema. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute at the Hollywood Bowl on September 3, 2006...
#4 - 2007 AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) #40
Every year starting in 2005, the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
holds an annual Sound of Music sing-a-long, where the film is played with lyrics underneath the screen. The real Von Trapp children and the actors who played them in the film have made appearances at this event. Called "The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
on Prozac", it has sold out every year since its inception.
The song "The Sound of Music" was used in the movie Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
, in the green fairy sequence featuring Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, who later used the recording in her 2002 and 2009 tours.
On October 28, 2010, both Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
and Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
who portrayed the Captain and Maria, and the seven former child stars from the film appeared together for the first time since the film's release on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
on what is to be her last season, in honor of the film's 45th anniversary.