1.
First, Julie Andrews was all the time on the prime of the record for the function of Maria von Trapp. In keeping with The Sound of Music: The Making of America’s Favourite Musical, author Ernest Lehman mentioned, “So far as I am involved, there’s just one individual to play this function, and that is Julie Andrews.” On the time, Julie had filmed solely two films, they usually had not been launched but. Additionally, after Warner Bros. govt Jack Warner handed on her for My Truthful Woman, there was additionally a reported rumor that she was “not photogenic” sufficient for Hollywood. After seeing early footage of Mary Poppins, director Robert Clever mentioned, “Let’s go signal this woman earlier than any person else sees this movie and grabs her!”
2.
Julie Andrews reportedly signed on to The Sound of Music (and a second image for twentieth Century Fox) for less than $225,000, with no share in both movie’s earnings. On the time, Julie was a comparatively unknown star, and her main this film was a raffle. After the stage model of My Truthful Woman and Mary Poppins had been met with essential acclaim, Julie was then being provided a reported $1 million per movie.
3.
Christopher Plummer repeatedly turned down the function of Captain von Trapp due to the preliminary manner the character was written. Since Christopher stored turning down the function, the inventive crew auditioned quite a few different actors, together with Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Bing Crosby, and Yul Brynner. The one purpose Christopher signed onto the challenge was as a result of director Robert Clever and author Ernest Lehman agreed to work with him to enhance the character.
4.
As for the von Trapp youngsters, among the younger actors who reportedly auditioned for roles included Mia Farrow, Teri Garr, Patty Duke, Kurt Russell, and extra.
5.
Julie Andrews’s pure hair colour is brown, however for The Sound of Music, they wished so as to add some blonde highlights. Nevertheless, after they initially went to dye her hair, it turned out extra orange, and everybody was “mortified.” In the end, they dyed her hair utterly blonde. Daniel Truhitte, who performed Rolfe, additionally needed to have his hair bleached and dyed blonde. He mentioned, “My hair by no means grew again proper after that. I misplaced half my hair, and it thinned out loads.”
6.
Pre-production on The Sound of Music practically got here to a halt after Christopher Plummer reportedly threatened to give up after he discovered that his singing voice can be combined with an expert singer’s voice. Christopher took singing classes and tried to strengthen his voice sufficient, however in the end, the Captain’s closing singing voice is a mixture of the 2.
7.
One of many first scenes they filmed for The Sound of Music was when Liesl climbs into Maria’s bed room window soaking moist after she meets Rolf. It took 15 takes to get the scene excellent with the entire totally different angles required. With a purpose to make it appear to be Charmian Carr was simply caught in a torrential rainstorm, they used a sprayer they affectionately referred to as “Mr. Rainstorm,” which doused Charmian with chilly water in between takes.
8.
It rained for almost all of the movie’s shoot in Salzburg and Bavaria. Once they filmed “Do-Re-Mi” and “The Sound of Music,” it was pouring a lot that the solid and crew usually needed to spend hours ready out the rain in tents and a close-by barn. The bottom was so moist that after they needed to transport the digicam gear, solid, and crew up the mountain for the opening scene, the highway had washed away, so as an alternative of taking a Jeep, they needed to be transported by carts pulled by oxen.
9.
To attain the enduring second when Maria spins on the mountain singing “The Sound of Music,” a cameraman was strapped to the facet of a helicopter and flown in direction of Julie Andrews, who met it in the course of the sphere. As a result of helicopter being so loud, choreographer Marc Breaux was hidden in a bush and used a megaphone to inform Julie when to start out working and singing.
10.
The sphere the place “The Sound of Music” was filmed was owned by an area farmer that director Robert Clever paid. Once they scouted the placement, the crew was reportedly “impressed by the excessive hay and grass,” they usually requested the farmer “to not mow the hay.” Nevertheless, after they received to the highest of the mountain to movie, he had trimmed every little thing. The crew additionally created the brook, the place Maria skips stones by digging a ditch. The farmer was not happy.
11.
The actual Maria von Trapp makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look within the film. She may be seen strolling along with her daughter and granddaughter whereas Julie Andrews as Maria leaves the abbey and sings “I Have Confidence.” Director Robert Clever recalled filming the second, saying, “We received her a dressing up and every little thing, however like in each movie, we needed to do plenty of takes, and it took, I feel, three hours. She didn’t know you must do it repeatedly.”
12.
Julia Andrews’s stand-in, Larri Thomas, was solely used for one scene within the closing film. It is truly Larri who’s hanging from a tree when the Captain drives by and sees the entire youngsters. No doubles had been used for the kids as a result of they gladly wished to climb the timber.
13.
It took over 12 takes to movie the kiss between the Captain and Maria as a result of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer couldn’t cease laughing. Apparently, with a purpose to create the shaft of moonlight that lights the scene, enormous arc lights had been used that emitted a groan or “raspberry” sound when used. Each time the noise occurred, the duo would begin guffawing. Their laughter was so unhealthy director Robert Clever ended up filming the duo largely at the hours of darkness.
14.
In addition they did 4 takes of the second when Maria and the kids fall out of the boat and into the water. In truth, Kym Karath, who performed Gretl, could not swim on the time, so a crew member instructed Julie Andrews to try to “fall ahead from the boat and get to her as shortly as attainable.” In fact, Julie ended up falling backwards, so crew members rushed in to try to get Kym shortly.
15.
It took two months of rehearsal to get the second in “Do-Re-Mi” when Maria and the von Trapp youngsters experience their bicycles and sing excellent. In truth, earlier than they even traveled to Salzburg to movie the enduring scene, Julie Andrews and the kids would follow using their bikes down a road on the Fox lot so they may time the using with the music.
16.
The younger actors who performed the von Trapp youngsters grew up loads over the course of filming. For starters, Nicholas Hammond, who performed Friedrich, grew a reported “six inches” through the six months of filming, and due to this, he was now taller than Charmian Carr, who performed Liesl. So, they needed to put Charmian on bins so they might be across the identical peak. Additionally, Debbie Turner, who performed Marta, misplaced her two entrance tooth throughout filming, so the props division needed to make her two faux tooth.
17.
The puppets utilized by Maria and the von Trapp youngsters had been specifically designed for the movie. Invoice and Cora Baird, the puppeteers, labored hand-in-hand with choreographers Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wooden to verify the puppets might simply carry out the choreography. It took a reported three weeks of rehearsal for Julie Andrews and the kids to make it appear to be they had been working the puppets.
18.
In the course of the filming of “Sixteen Going On Seventeen,” Charmian Carr by chance danced by one of many plate-glass home windows within the gazebo. This was one of many closing sequences they filmed for the film, in order that they bandaged up her ankle, disguised it with make-up, and eliminated it as a lot as attainable throughout post-production.
19.
Whereas the entire music was the identical because it was within the authentic Broadway musical, one of many greatest adjustments was Julie Andrews including “an additional octave” to the very finish of “Do Re Mi.” She instructed Diane Sawyer in 2015 that she did it “as a result of [she] might, and so [she] did.”
20.
The town of Salzburg was reportedly “very cooperative” with the place within the metropolis the film wanted to movie, besides when it got here time to depict the Anschluss, the place Nazis marched throughout the Residenzplatz and took over Austria. The scene required the hanging of swastika banners from buildings and recreated a cheering crowd. The crew was initially instructed they could not try this as a result of “the individuals of Salzburg weren’t sympathizers.” Then, second unit director Maurice Zuberano mentioned they might use real-life footage of Hitler marching into Austria with crowds of sympathizers as an alternative, they usually modified their minds.
21.
And eventually, there have been reportedly solely three scenes that did not make it into the ultimate model of the film. One of many scenes that was lower got here through the “Do-Re-Mi” sequences. Leisel was initially going to identify Rolf delivering telegrams and invite him over to fulfill Maria. Nevertheless, the second was lower as a result of it “interrupted the circulate” of the montage. There was additionally going to be a scene the place the Captain sings “Edelweiss” whereas strolling across the backyard serious about Maria. The scene would then present Maria searching her window, considering of the Captain.
Is there one other The Sound of Music behind-the-scenes truth that you simply love that is not talked about above? Inform us about it within the feedback under!
And you should purchase the ebook The Sound of Music: The Making of America’s Favourite Film by Julia Antopol Hirsch right here.