The Sound of Music (1965)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

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 | Convent | Nun

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 10 nominations

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:
Alan Callow	...	Nazi (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Extra (uncredited)
Bill Lee	...	Captain von Trapp (singing voice) (uncredited)
Margery McKay	...	Mother Abbess (singing voice) (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Party / Dance Extra (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
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 E. 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)

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)

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:

"Sixteen Going On Seventeen" was shot in the gazebo, one of the last to be done. On the first take, Charmian Carr (Liesl) slipped while leaping across a bench, and fell through a pane of glass. Although she was not badly injured, her ankle was hurt and the scene was later shot with her leg wrapped and makeup covering the bandages.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Maria capsized the rowboat full of children prior to meeting the Baroness, the rowboat turns sideways and nearly fills with water, sending two-thirds of the sinking boat under the waterline. Seconds later, the boat only contains about ten gallons of water and is floating safely again.

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 "Macken: (#1.3)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Maria

In My Personal Top-Ten of All Time

Has Julie Andrews ever appeared on film more beautifully than in this film? Has she ever sung with such richness and gusto as is captured here? As a big fan of hers, I can watch this musical over and over and just sigh.

Wise and his cinematographer have photographed Andrews in a manner that no other director has--even her husband. Watch the scene where Maria watches the Captain sing Edelweiss with the kids. Wise turns her into a gauzy angel. It is a fantastic moment among hundreds that this movie contains.

I am firmly in a camp that says Julie Andrews was completely, utterly, and regrettably robbed when the 1965 Oscars were handed out. She embodied Maria Von Trapp, wholly and with every fiber of her being (just watch the scene in which she races the boys in a segment of "Do-Re-Mi"; she runs at the camera with utter abandon here, no holding back. Or consider the shot at the end of this song, where she places her hand atop her head--it's as if even SHE can't believe she's hitting that note).

The Julie Christie performance that beat Andrews is now all but forgotton. "The Sound of Music," however, lives on and on.

"The Sound of Music" is a bit bittersweet for me, given that audiences tastes would soon turn away from big-budget musicals in general and Julie Andrews specifically. But what a legacy it (and she) have left!