The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie

Description

When The Sound of Music was released in 1965, it took the world by storm, capturing five Oscars (including Best Picture) and holding the number-one spot box-office record for five years. For millions of viewers, the film is a rare combination of a powerful and moving story, superb music, and breathtaking scenery. The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie is not only an unequalled tribute to this beloved movie musical but also the most complete behind-the-scenes account of the creation of this Hollywood classic. Through exclusive, in-depth interviews with Robert Wise, Ernest Lehman, Saul Chaplin, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Kym Karath, Johannes von Trapp, Richard Zanuck, and dozens of other cast and crew members; over 200 stills from the movie's most memorable scenes; rare snapshots from personal scrapbooks; and papers from the Fox Studio archives, Julia Antopol Hirsch has re-created the magic that is The Sound of Music: Julie Andrews's "first kiss" with Christopher Plummer, she recalls, was crazy, because neither of them could stop laughing. Plummer's after hours festivities with the nuns around the piano often went on way into the night. When she rushed up the mountain for the famous opening scene, Julie Andrews kept getting knocked to the ground by the downdraft from the cameraman's helicopter. Yul Brynner, Walter Matthau, and Sean Connery were all considered for the role of the Captain. Mia Farrow, Sharon Tate, and Richard Dreyfuss auditioned for juvenile roles. Director Robert Wise, under pressure from Fox's Richard Zanuck for being over budget, almost didn't finish the location shoot in Austria because it simply wouldn't stop raining. Now completely updated and in full color throughout, this engaging volume is both an insider's guide to and a delightful celebration of "the happiest sound in all the world!"

Julia Antopol Hirsch is a screenwriter and former story editor for Robert Wise Productions. She lives in Vancouver, Washington.