Where Was The Sound Of Music Produced?

The Sound of Music is a 1965 musical drama film directed by Robert Wise, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical of the same name, which was based on Maria von Trapp's 1949 memoir, 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'. The film was produced in the United States, with filming locations in Los Angeles and Salzburg, Austria.

The film was produced in both Los Angeles and Salzburg

The Sound of Music was produced in both Los Angeles and Salzburg. Filming took place from March to September 1964, with locations including 20th Century-Fox studios in Los Angeles, and various sites in Salzburg, such as Mondsee Abbey, Nonnberg Abbey, Mirabell Palace Gardens, and Schloss Leopoldskron.

The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is based on Maria von Trapp's 1949 memoir, 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers', and is set in Salzburg, Austria. It recounts von Trapp's experiences as a governess to seven children, her marriage to their father, Captain Georg von Trapp, and their escape from Austria during the Anschluss in 1938.

The film's production in Salzburg was likely influenced by Wolfgang Reinhardt, who had contacts in the area after purchasing the film rights from Maria von Trapp in 1956. The city of Salzburg has since capitalised on the film's popularity, offering guided tours of filming locations and special packages at hotels.

The von Trapps only had to cross the railroad tracks to escape the Nazis, not the Alps

The von Trapp family's escape from the Nazis, as depicted in the 1965 film "The Sound of Music", shows the family hiking across the Alps to safety in Switzerland. However, in reality, the family's escape was much less dramatic. Instead of hiking over the mountains, the von Trapps simply crossed the railroad tracks behind their villa and boarded a train to Italy.

Captain Georg von Trapp, the family patriarch, was born in the city of Zadar, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. After World War I, Zadar became part of the Kingdom of Italy, which made von Trapp eligible for Italian citizenship. This proved crucial for the family's escape, as they were able to use their Italian papers to leave Austria and cross the border into Italy.

The von Trapps' departure from Austria was timely, as they left just before the Austrian borders were sealed. They travelled with suitcases, pretending to be going on a family vacation. The family had a contract with an American booking agent and contacted them from Italy to request fare to America. They first travelled to London before sailing to the United States, where they eventually settled in Vermont.

The von Trapps' story of escape and their subsequent musical career have captivated audiences worldwide. However, their real-life escape was much less treacherous than what was portrayed in the film. By crossing the railroad tracks and boarding a train, the von Trapps were able to safely flee Nazi-occupied Austria.

Maria was a tutor to one von Trapp child, not a governess to them all

The 1965 film The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the von Trapp family and their escape from Austria during World War II. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, which in turn was based on the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp.

The film and musical depict Maria von Trapp as a governess to all seven of Captain Georg von Trapp's children. However, in reality, Maria was a tutor to just one of the children, Maria Franziska von Trapp. Maria Franziska had contracted scarlet fever and was unable to attend school, so her father, a retired naval commander, sought a tutor for her. Maria, who was training to become a nun at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, was chosen due to her teaching qualifications and her own health issues. She was supposed to stay with the family for ten months before entering the convent.

During her time with the family, Maria developed a close relationship with all of the children and eventually married their father. She wrote in her autobiography that she was not in love with Georg but loved the children, and in a way, she married them. They wed in 1927, eleven years before the family fled Austria.

While the film and musical take some creative liberties with the story, it is clear that Maria von Trapp's role as a tutor to one child, rather than a governess to all, was an important part of the family's history and her eventual marriage to Captain von Trapp.

The von Trapps married over a decade before they fled Austria

The story of the von Trapp family has fascinated people worldwide since the film adaptation of "The Sound of Music" aired in 1965. The film is based on the 1949 memoir "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" by Maria von Trapp and is set in Salzburg, Austria.

The film depicts Maria von Trapp's experiences as a governess to seven children, her eventual marriage to their father, Captain Georg von Trapp, and their escape from Austria during the Anschluss in 1938. However, in reality, Maria and Georg von Trapp married over a decade before they fled Austria. They wed in 1927, eleven years before the family left Austria, not right before the Nazi takeover as shown in the film.

Maria came to the von Trapp family in 1926 as a tutor for one of the children, Maria, who was recovering from scarlet fever. Georg von Trapp's second-oldest daughter had contracted the same disease that took the life of his first wife, Agathe, four years earlier. Maria Augusta Kutschera, a 21-year-old novice at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, was hired for what was supposed to be a ten-month stint before she entered the convent.

During this time, Georg fell in love with Maria and asked her to stay and become a second mother to his children. Maria later recalled in her autobiography, "I really and truly was not in love. I liked him, but I didn't love him. However, I loved the children, so in a way, I really married the children." Maria and Georg married in 1927 and had three children together: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes.

The von Trapp family's decision to leave Austria was prompted by the Nazi annexation of the country in 1938. Georg von Trapp, a retired naval officer, was offered a commission in the German Navy, which he declined due to his opposition to the Nazi regime. The family also refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house and turned down a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party.

In the film, the von Trapps flee Salzburg under the cover of night and hike across the mountains to Switzerland. However, in reality, their escape was less dramatic. They exited the gate at the rear of their villa and crossed the railroad tracks behind it to board a train to Italy, where they had citizenship. They left just in time, as the Austrian borders were sealed the next day.

The von Trapp family's story, as depicted in "The Sound of Music," has captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide. However, it is important to note that some aspects of their story were fictionalized for the film, including the timing of Maria and Georg's marriage, which occurred over a decade before their escape from Austria.

The film's music includes world-famous songs like Do-Re-Mi and My Favorite Things

The music in the film *The Sound of Music* includes world-famous songs like "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things", composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The film's soundtrack spent 109 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart, turning these songs into household tunes.

"My Favourite Things" was first performed by Mary Martin in the original 1959 Broadway production. The song's simple lyrics were initially clunky, with an early draft featuring the line "Curling my fingers in warm woollen mittens". However, Oscar Hammerstein rewrote them to rhyme with his new title, "My Favourite Things".

The song's melody, however, is what gave it a life outside of the musical. Jazz musician John Coltrane recorded a 13-minute version of the song, which re-popularised the soprano saxophone in jazz music. Coltrane's version sold 50,000 units in its first year—a significant achievement for a jazz album.

In 1964, pop crooner Jack Jones was the first artist to include "My Favourite Things" on a Christmas album, and the song has since become a holiday staple. Major recording artists across genres and generations have covered the song, including The Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Kelly Clarkson, and Mary J. Blige.

"Do-Re-Mi", meanwhile, was originally a stagnant number in the play. However, screenwriter Ernest Lehman transformed it into a lively montage showcasing the beautiful sites of Salzburg and the growing bond between Maria and the children.

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