The Sound of Music (1965)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Howard Lindsay (book) &
Russel Crouse (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 March 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family | Musical

Tagline:

...the more you see it, the more it becomes one of your favorite things!

Plot:

A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to a Naval officer widower.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Governess | Austria | Nun | Convent

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 10 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 27

7:00 PM

ABC

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Maria
Christopher Plummer	...	Captain Von Trapp
Eleanor Parker	...	The Baroness
Richard Haydn	...	Max Detweiler
Peggy Wood	...	Mother Abbess
Charmian Carr	...	Liesl
Heather Menzies	...	Louisa
Nicholas Hammond	...	Friedrich
Duane Chase	...	Kurt
Angela Cartwright	...	Brigitta
Debbie Turner	...	Marta
Kym Karath	...	Gretl
Anna Lee	...	Sister Margaretta
Portia Nelson	...	Sister Berthe
Ben Wright	...	Herr Zeller
Daniel Truhitte	...	Rolfe
Norma Varden	...	Frau Schmidt
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Franz (as Gil Stuart)
Marni Nixon	...	Sister Sophia
Evadne Baker	...	Sister Bernice
Doris Lloyd	...	Baroness Ebberfeld
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gertrude Astor	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Alan Callow	...	Nazi (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Bill Lee	...	Captain von Trapp (singing voice) (uncredited)
Margery McKay	...	Mother Abbess (singing voice) (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Doreen Tryden	...	Sister Agatha (uncredited)
Maria von Trapp	...	Extra during 'I Have Confidence' number (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Howard Lindsay		(book) &
Russel Crouse		(book)
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)
Maria von Trapp		(book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers") uncredited

Produced by
Saul Chaplin	....	associate producer
Robert Wise	....	producer
Peter Levathes	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Richard D. Zanuck	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ted D. McCord		(director of photography) (as Ted McCord)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Casting by
Lee Wallace		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Margaret Donovan	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Willard Buell	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Ray Forman	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Saul Wurtzel	....	unit production manager
Pia Arnold	....	assistant production manager: Bavaria (uncredited)
Laci von Ronay	....	assistant production manager: Austria (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director
Richard Lang	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Maurice Zuberano	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Don B. Greenwood	....	second unit property master
Glenn 'Skippy' Delfino	....	property master (uncredited)
Al Gaynor	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Ben Greenberg	....	second assistant property master (uncredited)
Leon Harris	....	art illustrator (uncredited)
Ed Jones	....	property master (uncredited)
Harry Kemm	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Paul Vale	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Corcoran	....	sound recording supervisor
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Fred Hynes	....	sound recording supervisor
Murray Spivack	....	sound
Orrick Barrett	....	boom operator (uncredited)
William Buffinger	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Jesse Long	....	cable operator (uncredited)
Don Stern	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Beeson	....	additional photographer
Frank Bez	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jack Brown	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Jack Dimmack	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Walter Fitchman	....	key grip (uncredited)
Dave Friedman	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Douglas Kirkland	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Paul Lockwood	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James Mitchell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Fred Richter	....	best boy (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Roger Shearman	....	camera technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Josephine Brown	....	costumer: women (uncredited)
Dick James	....	costumer: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Larry Allen	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Irwin Kostal	....	conductor
Irwin Kostal	....	music arranger
Irwin Kostal	....	music supervisor
Robert Mayer	....	music editor
Robert Tucker	....	vocal supervisor
John Norman	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)
Neely Plumb	....	music producer (uncredited)
Douglas O. Williams	....	music recordist (uncredited)

Other crew
Bil Baird	....	puppeteer
Cora Baird	....	puppeteer
Marc Breaux	....	choreographer
Richard Halliday	....	producer: original stage production
Oscar Hammerstein II	....	producer: original stage production
Leland Hayward	....	producer: original stage production
Pamela Matthews	....	dialogue coach (as Pamela Danova)
Richard Rodgers	....	producer: original stage production
Dee Dee Wood	....	choreographer
Maurice Zuberano	....	second unit supervisor
Alan Callow	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Darleen Carr	....	additional voice (uncredited)
Gilbert Chomat	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Uta Herzog	....	publicity assistant (uncredited)
Mike Kaplan	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Frances Klamt	....	location teacher (uncredited)
Ralph M. Leo	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Betty Levin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Howard Liebling	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Harper MacKay	....	rehearsal accompanist (uncredited)
Lynn McKee	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Jean Seaman	....	studio teacher (uncredited)
Carol Shapiro	....	publicity assistant (uncredited)
Larri Thomas	....	stand-in: Julie Andrews (uncredited)

Thanks
George Hurdalek	....	acknowledgment: with the partial use of ideas by (as Georg Hurdalek)

Production Companies

• Robert Wise Productions (for)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presented by)
• Argyle Enterprises

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Centfox (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (Argentina)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Magnetic Video (USA) (VHS)
• Magnetic Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• American Optical Company  development of Todd-AO
• BMG/RCA Victor Records  soundtrack released by (original LP and all CD editions) (uncredited)
• Fersenreitschule, Salzburg  theater (uncredited)
• Magna Corporation  development of Todd-AO

Also Known As:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

174 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints) | Stereo (some 35 mm prints) | DTS 70 mm (70mm re-release)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Iceland:L | Ireland:G | Spain:T | Germany:6 | West Germany:6 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | USA:Approved (certificate #20734) (original rating) | Canada:G (video rating) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Norway:7 (original rating) | Norway:A (DVD rating) | Peru:PT | Singapore:G | South Korea:All | Sweden:11 | Sweden:Btl (re-release) | UK:U | USA:G (re-rating) (1969)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Robert Wise Productions

Trivia:

The film sets its story "in the last golden days of the thirties", when in actual fact Maria became governess to the Von Trapp family in 1927 and married the Captain in November of that year

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The claim that an orange crate says "Product of Israel" despite Israel not existing at the time the film is set is false. Though the crate and its label are clearly visible in a publicity still taken during the filming of that sequence, the crate is not visible in the completed film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Maria: [singing] The hills are alive with the sound of music / With songs they have sung for a thousand years. / The hills fill my heart with the sound of music. / My heart wants to sing every song it hears.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Roseanne: This Old House (#4.18)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Maria

Sometimes saccharine can be a good substitute.

1965's "The Sound of Music" is everything a bad musical should be. Providing more sap than a forest full of Vermont maples, it has coy, silly songs, an inane, innocuous script, and unbelievably sugary characters. So why is it one of my favorite musicals? OK, go ahead. Shoot me at twenty paces. But after all this time, it still remains a guilty pleasure. I find myself going for a tub of rocky road ice cream and Rodgers & Hammerstein's immortal classic whenever the real world gets to be too much. I seem to play it a lot around tax time.

And I'm not alone. Why is it still considered the most popular musical of all time? Well, first of all they spared no expense. The extremely well-produced blockbuster has gorgeous, eye-popping scenery. From the first moment Julie Andrews flails her arms and circles around on that beautiful sunny hillside singing the rousing title song, I know I'm being swept away to another world. I'm not in Kansas anymore...or L.A., anyway. The panoramic Salzburg background complements and never intimidates or takes away from the characters or their story (like the other R & H extravaganza "South Pacific.") That in itself is an incredible feat.

Now about those songs. Almost every one of them is absolute drivel. So what makes them work? Easy. The utter joy and sincerity of the cast who sings the infectious, hummable tunes, which are backed by extremely moving orchestrations and an exceptionally beautiful score. It's hard to resist Maria prancing about, pillow-fighting with a bunch of knee-highs and gushing about her most favorite things. Or the austere Captain Von Trapp (the meticulous Christopher Plummer) turning to butter after hearing his brood sing in perfect harmony for the first time (with no prior lessons even) and joining right in. Or the Mother Superior's soaring number that unknowingly forewarns Maria to head for the hills (I mean, mountains) before the Nazis escort them elsewhere. Or the 16-year-old going on 17 squealing with delight after receiving her first kiss. Or the kids working up a clever little ditty to leave their formal party guests when its time for bed. Or two people declaring their love in a moonlit gazebo. The songs work because they come straight from and aim for the heart, not the head, which is exactly the place the viewer should be coming from when watching this movie. If the songs don't transcend the script (which they didn't prior to the 70s), they certainly transcend the mood.

The script is undeniably trite and probably the film's weakest link. But again, the characters play it straight all the way. Not one actor looks embarrassed. Every scene is done with total enthusiasm and total commitment, and the performers who are telling the story are pitch-perfect and picture perfect.

And as for the characters. Try and think of anybody better than jubilant, crop-haired Julie Andrews as a postulant nun who has gorgeous pipes, can make play clothes out of curtains, can set up and operate marionette shows at the drop of a hat, and is confident enough to convince a man that a failed nun is ideal marriage material. I certainly can't. Thank heavens for her Oscar-winning "Mary Poppins" the year before or we might have gotten Julie LONDON instead! After all, Andrews did lose out on "My Fair Lady" the year before. But now certifiably bankable, she proved she could handle this dream role. Andrews is cutely silly, cutely stubborn, cutely astute, cutely shattered and cutely...well, cute. She gives the most wholesomely appealing musical perf since Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz." To actually make you forget Mary Martin in the Broadway role takes some doing and she does it effortlessly. Christopher Plummer is all seriousness, handsomely patrician, and quite a catch for anybody...much less a nun. I can't think of anyone more suitable for this role either. As for the Seven Little Foys, I mean the Von Trapp children, they are adorable and perfect in their own ways too, whether they are marching or singing, creating their own individual personalities by film's end.

Richard Haydn as Max and Eleanor Parker as the flamboyant, haughty Baroness provide wonderful catty relief. Despite having their musical numbers snatched away from them, they make up for it with droll, sophisticated humor. The elegant, perfectly coiffed Parker is particularly delicious as Maria's chief romantic rival, getting some of the film's best zingers and delivering them with biting understatement. Parker developed a devout cult following after this role. Peggy Wood's Mother Superior is suitably reverent and inspiring.

For those who tear "The Sound of Music" apart for its shameless, sugar-coated manipulations, well, I can respect that. But to attack it for its political and historical inaccuracies is like attacking "Peter Pan" for being a subversive plot that encourages young children to run away from home. It's ludicrous. Despite the fact that it's based on a true story, we're not watching "The Sound of Music" for stark realism. Like a sparkling and lavish Ernst Lubitsch operetta, we want a feel-good movie, with feel-good songs, with a feel-good story, and a feel-good ending. Nothing more. If you want a movie that presents a potent depiction of pre-war Austria or anti-Nazi sentiment, rent "Holocaust" or "Schindler's List." Here, we want to believe that a group of nuns can tear out an automobile carburetor and save the world! Period.

I suppose the reality-based MTV generation cannot truly respect or relate to the relative innocence and pure escapism like "The Sound of Music." If this movie was made today I'm afraid the Von Trapp children would not be dangling out of trees for fear of drive-by shooters. It's a tough new world today, sad to say. The 50s and 60s are looking better all the time.

Anyway, for what it's worth, "The Sound of Music" is indeed schmaltz, but its QUALITY schmaltz at its very, very best.