Ranjib Mazumder
The Sound of Music, one of the most beloved musicals ever, came out today, 50 years ago. Robert Wise made a film based on the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp that broke office records, clinched five Oscars, and most importantly, has kept people entertained for generations with glee. On the occasion of the film completing 50 years, we take you down memory lane to reveal some fun facts behind the classic.
1. The Sound of Music had a long, turbulent road to finally appear on screen. Initially, Hollywood producers were interested only in the title of Maria von Trapp’s memoir which Maria refused, which in turn led to a West German adaptation, Die Trapp-Familie in 1956. A sequel Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika (1958) followed, together both the films were highly successful in Europe and South America. The success didn’t escape the notice of Hollywood, and in 1956, Paramount Pictures purchased the US film rights which somehow ran into troubled waters again. The studio dropped the idea, but one of its directors, Vincent J. Donehue, proposed the story as a stage musical which opened in 1959. Finally, in June 1960, 20th Century Fox purchased the film adaptation rights to the stage musical which eventually became the legendary Hollywood musical.
2. During its initial release, the film received mixed reviews, but broke box office history, becoming one of the biggest hits of all time, while saving 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy after the debacle of Cleopatra (1963). It was dubbed in major foreign languages, and opened to full houses in every country it opened, except the two countries where the story originated, Austria and Germany, where the West German versions are considered the authoritative von Trapp story.
3. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman’s first and only choice for Maria was Julie Andrews. But many other actors were considered for the role, such as Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Grace Kelly, Shirley Jones among others. Director Wise had a tough time choosing the Captain. Before choosing Plummer, he did consider Bing Crosby, Yul Brynner, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton for the role. Interestingly, some child-actors who were rejected included Mia Farrow, Patty Duke, Lesley-Anne Down, Geraldine Chaplin, Shelley Fabares, Teri Garr, Kurt Russell, and The Osmonds.
4. The opening sequence of the film, where Julie Andrews is running through the hills, was mainly tricky to film. She tried digging her heels into the ground and bracing herself during every take, but she was constantly getting knocked over from the down draft of the helicopter that was shooting the scene. After more than a dozen takes, she attempted to hand-signal to director Robert Wise to have the chopper make a wider pass, but the answer she got was a thumbs-up. He was finally happy with the shot.
5. At the beginning of filming, Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich) had to wear heel lifts so he could appear taller than Heather Menzies-Urich (Louisa), but by the end of filming, he had grown several inches (5’3” to 5’9”). So, he had to film with no shoes and Charmian Carr (Liesl) had to stand on a box in certain scenes to keep their heights consistent! All of the Von Trapp children grew a lot during filming, so heel lifts and various camera tricks were used to keep their heights steady.
6. In the “”I Have Confidence” track, Maria runs through the courtyard to the Von Trapp house and trips. This was not in the script. It was completely accidental, and not choreographed. But director Robert Wise liked this happy accident so much that he retained it in the film. According to him, it added to the nervousness of Maria’s character and the song.
7. Charmian Carr who played Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter and was 21 at the time, wrote in her autobiography that she was attracted to the 35 year old Christopher Plummer, who played her father. Plummer also admitted that the feeling was mutual, but insisted that it didn’t get beyond mere flirtation.
8. Though the film raised Plummer’s profile, he mocked it for years afterward, alternately calling it “the sound of mucus” and “S&M.” He also admitted that he ate and drank like mad during shooting to drown out his discontent with making the picture, and found plenty of occasions to do both in Austria. He was drunk during the shooting of the music festival sequence. Eventually, his costume had to be refitted for his extra kilos.
9. During the shooting of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” song, where Charmian Carr (Liesl) dances from bench to bench, she actually went through one of the panes of glass on the first jump and injured her ankle. The earlier version of the film showed the bandage wrapped around her foot. Subsequently, in the remastered version, the bandage was removed. Later, Carr admitted that because of it, people hardly believe her when she says she danced on a hurt foot.
10. In the last scene when the family is climbing over the hills to safety, it is not really Gretl (Kym Karath) on Captain Von Trapp’s (Christopher Plummer) shoulders, but a stunt child. During shooting, Kym Karath gained too much weight, so Plummer requested an easier-to-carry substitute.
(The writer is a journalist and screenwriter who believes in the insanity of words, in print or otherwise)