I hope a whole load of you tuned in tonight to watch the adorable Carrie Underwood and a whole cast of talented folks performed “The Sound of Music” live on NBC. It’s good. I mean, it’s not Julie Andrews…but it’s really good nonetheless.
As I sat watching, I got thinking about the real Von Trapp family. If you’ve ever watched a movie with me, you know I have a specific routine. I pull up IMDB and read all the trivia. Then throughout the movie I spout off random facts. I like to think it enriches the viewing experience.
So tonight I did a little research and made this list of 10 thing you didn’t know about the Von Trapps {or the Sound of Music.}
1. You know that classic aerial shot of Julie Andrews {Maria} at the beginning of the original movie? It was shot from a helicopter. Ms. Andrews later stated that every take ended with her falling over due to the high wind produced by the helicopter.
2. Captain Von Trapp was not the stern, harsh man he seems to be in the musical and movie. His children describe him as a warm, musically inclined man who was a good parent. The actual Von Trapp family was upset by his portrayal, but writers insisted that it was a better character choice for him to be a stereotypical “military man.”
3. Maria Von Trapp was 33 when this whole thing went down.
4. The Von Trapp family didn’t actually walk out of the country. They walked to the train and the train took them away for an American tour. They did not leave in secrecy. However, they did make it just in time…only a day before Austria closed its borders.
5. You can stay at the Von Trapp home. The Von Trapp clan eventually migrated to the US. They settled in Stowe, Vermont. As early as 1950, the family began welcoming guests to stay at their large family lodge. After a fire, the lodge renovated into a beautiful 96 room lodge that is still open today!
6. The family toured in Europe then in America as a singing group. While most of the original gang have hung up their performing shoes…the great grandchildren of Captain and Maria Von Trapp are now in the business of making music. You can even see them in concert.
7. Georg Von Trapp really did get to be on thin ice with the Nazi party. He refused to fly the Nazi flag and even turned down an invitation to sing at Hitler’s birthday party.
8. This is the real Maria Von Trapp
9. In the original movie Charmian Carr, who played Liesl, was not 16 going on 17. Rather she was 22 and performed the iconic song and dance on an injured ankle.
10. The Sound of Music held the title of Most Popular Movie Musical until it was surpassed by Grease 13 years later. It was a good run, and if you ask me…it’s still number on in a lot of our hearts.
Amy
