Life imitated art on the set of The Sound of Music, the beloved musical that debuted in movie theaters on March 2, 1965.
In the adaptation of the Broadway hit, Julie Andrews starred as kindly governess Maria, who looked after the seven von Trapp children in Austria at the dawn of World War II. Andrews, then 29 and an up-and-coming actress, also took a motherly role off camera when it came to the young actors who played the children.
“She was kind of a nanny for us,” recalls Duane Chase, who played mischievous Kurt von Trapp. “She helped, I wouldn’t say, keep us in line but corralled us.”
Kym Karath, aka Gretl von Trapp, the youngest sibling, remembers Andrews, now 89, teaching them to sing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” a tune from her upcoming movie Mary Poppins, before that film was even released. “She amused us a lot,” says Karath.
To mark the milestone anniversary of The Sound of Music — which went on to win the Best Picture Oscar — 20th Century Fox unearthed archival photos from behind the scenes. Though six decades have passed since the cast (some of whom have died, including Christopher Plummer, who played the stern von Trapp patriarch) spent a magical few months together on the sets in L.A. and Europe, it’s clear it was a special time for all involved.
Says Chase, “I am incredibly blessed to have been part of that.”
The Hill Are Alive with … Clouds
Poor weather forced Heather Menzies (Louisa von Trapp), Andrews, Chase, Karath and Charmian Carr (Liesl von Trapp) to take a break while filming the “Do-Re-Mi” picnic scene in Werfen, Austria. “We were waiting out the overcast,” recalls Chase.
A Perfect Match
“They were both very witty,” Karath says of Andrews and Plummer, pictured practicing his performance of “Edelweiss” during a rehearsal. “I think that was one of the sources of their wonderful chemistry.”
A Few of Their Favorite Things
Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich von Trapp) and onscreen brother Chase (right, pictured on the Fox lot in L.A.) were gifted “fancy” skateboards by the son of a crew member, Chase says.
No Problems with Maria
“She was really warm and congenial, and loving, patient and very sweet,” Karath says of Andrews, pictured juggling during some downtime on set.
Pulling Strings
Professional puppeteers (above) rehearsing “The Lonely Goatherd” scene with Angela Cartwright (Brigitta von Trapp), Menzies, Hammond, Debbie Turner (Marta von Trapp) and Chase.
Keeping Warm
“I don’t know why anybody thought it wasn’t going to be kind of chilly or rainy, but I think they sort of miscalculated,” Karath says of the young castmates bundling up in blankets at one point while filming in Salzburg, Austria.
A Team Effort
“I think no more than two weeks will go by that we haven’t been in touch,” Karath, pictured above (L) with Turner and a crew member on set, says of herself and the surviving von Trapp child actors.
In the Habit
The women playing the nuns in the film — from left to right, Ada Beth Lee, Peggy Wood, Anna Lee, Portia Nelson, Doreen Tryden and Marni Nixon — strike a pose on set in Los Angeles.
A Serious Joker
Chase remembers a joke the serious-on-screen Plummer, pictured above in his dressing room, told him on set — and a photographer capturing their laughter.
“He signed on the back of it, ‘To the two laughing boys, your friend, Chris,’ ” Chase says. “That is one of the few items I have from the movie that I really cherish.”
Like Riding a Bike
The cast wave at the camera while practicing their bike riding for the “Do-Re-Mi” sequence with choreographer Mark Breaux. From L: Cartwright, Hammond, Carr, Andrews, Breaux, Chase and Turner.
Lunch Break
From L: Chase, Hammond, Menzies, Cartwright and Turner enjoyed some much-deserved downtime on set, complete with burgers and milk. “I remember us all enjoying pretty much everything,” Karath says of the kids’ set experience.
So Long, Farewell
Andrews, Plummer and director Robert Wise are pictured above, between takes of filming the final scene of the movie — the family’s escape over the Austrian mountains — in Ahornbüchsenkopf, Bavaria.
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