'The Sound of Music' Original Movie Introduces the Von Trapp Family to Audiences Everywhere

The year is 1930, the country Austria. A young nun with a vibrant personality and spirit matched only by her God-given talent for singing leaves the confines of her convent. Her mission is to serve as governess for seven children of a by-the-book navy commander, Captain Georg von Trapp, who spends too much time away from his children.


'The Sound of Music' Movie Adaptation Introduces Julie Andrews' Maria to Adoring Audiences

Maria, a young novitiate trying to find her place in life, runs headlong into teen-aged rebellion, recalcitrant pre-teens, an almost dictatorial boss and at least two wars in addition to the one with Hitler, whose minions are swiftly swallowing up Europe's beloved cultures and traditions.

Her tug-of-war with her new charges and her not-to-be-quelled feelings for Captain von Trapp pale in comparison to her own inner emotional turmoil. Where does she belong? In the convent, giving service to God? At prayer? Teaching the children to whom she has been entrusted while compartmentalizing her feelings for the Captain, who, almost as a side note, is engaged to a wealthy baroness?

'The Sound of Music' Cast of Characters Joins Real-life Members of the Von Trapp Family on Oprah in 2010

Based upon a real-life Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music was adapted for the big screen in 1965 and will have warmed audiences for half a century in 2015. An Oprah Winfrey special in late October 2010 featured prominent members of the cast as well as members of the real von Trapp family, who still sing songs.

According to the Internet Movie Database, original cast members of The Sound of Music movie 1965

were:

Maria: Julie Andrews

Captain von Trapp: Christopher Plummer

Liesl: Charmian Carr

Louisa: Heather Menzies

Friedrich: Nicholas Hammond

Brigitta: Angela Cartwright

Marta: Debbie Turner

Gretyl: Kym Karath

Kurt: Duane Chase

Rolfe: Daniel Truhitte

Baroness Elsa Schraeder:

Max Detweiler: Richard Haydn

Frau Schmidt: Norma Varden

Mother Abbess: Peggy Wood

Sister Berthe: Portia Nelson

Sister Margaretta: Anna Lee

Herr Zeller: Ben Wright

The Baroness: Eleanor Parker

The Sound of Music movie, according to Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards, by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona, won the following Academy Awards for Best Picture 1965:

Best Picture 1965

Best Director (Robert Wise)

Best Sound

Best Film Editing

Best Adapted Score

Julie Andrews was nominated for Best Actress, along with Peggy Wood for Best Supporting Actress. Andrews did win a Golden Globe for Best Actress, but Julie Christie, having newly burst onto the scene, took home the Oscar for her performance in Darling.

Julie Andrews spent most of 1964 in the glow of her 1964 Best Actress Award for her title role in Mary Poppins. Considered a shoe-in for her role as Maria in The Sound of Music, Andrews was the talk of the year. She graced the covers of magazines, including Life, and full-page newspaper congratulatory ads sponsored by both Disney and Fox studios.

The Sound of Music movie adaptation of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein Broadway musical cost $8 million to produce in 1964. It has gone on to become one of the top-grossing films in history, and certainly one of the most beloved films of all time.

Resources:

Wiley, Mason and Damien Bona. Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards. New York: Ballantine Books, 1986

Internet Movie Database

Sydney Mason is a freelance writer who writes for a number of online websites.

Article Source: Sydney Mason