The Sound of Music

[fireftr18]

My family and I are watching the movie and a question came up. We know that VonTrapp was a real person and sure the whole family was real. How much of the movie is true?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by fireftr18

My family and I are watching the movie and a question came up. We know that VonTrapp was a real person and sure the whole family was real. How much of the movie is true?

A lot was changed for the movie version. You can find a fairly decent bio of Maria here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_von_Trapp

One notable difference is that the marriage (at least initially) was not the romantic love match portrayed in the movie. Maria wanted to be a nun more than anything but married the Captain for the sake of the children and because the abbess told her it was "God's will" that she do so. They were also married for over a decade prior to fleeing Austria, and Maria had two children by the Captain during that time (another would follow after they fled the country).

They also fled to Italy (and then the US), not Switzerland, and I've read that if they'd done what they are portrayed as doing in the movie geography-wise they would've ended up even deeper in the heart of Nazi country, not neutral Switzerland, so the whole "escape over the mountains" thing was a dramatic invention.

They did get it right that Captain von Trapp had served with some renown in WWI, for his bio check here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Johannes_von_Trapp

He also wrote a book about his naval service in that war which I haven't read but I've been told it's quite good.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Salute-Me...nnes+von+Trapp

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

They also fled to Italy (and then the US), not Switzerland, and I've read that if they'd done what they are portrayed as doing in the movie geography-wise they would've ended up even deeper in the heart of Nazi country, not neutral Switzerland, so the whole "escape over the mountains" thing was a dramatic invention.

I haven't seen the movie, but I remember seeing a cartoon in a history classroom at my school that showed the family in the middle of a Nuremburg rally

[fireftr18]

Thanks for the replies. In other searching, I found this:
http://www.trappfamily.com/activities/historytours

Further looking, I found this:
http://www.archives.gov/publications...on-trapps.html

So the basic story is true. There are some big detail changes, mostly for entertainment purposes.

[Jimbuna]

Despite the artistic licence (heaven forbid) it was always one of my favourite movies as a kid and Julie Andrews was stunning

An excellent response frau if I may say so.

[Sailor Steve]

Never seen it.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Never seen it.

Not too late yet Steve

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Vendor

Not too late yet Steve

Yes, everyone deserves to have those songs running around in their head.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Never seen it.

The tracks:

Originally Posted by em2nought

Yes, everyone deserves to have those songs running around in their head.

LOL

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Never seen it.

I envy you! This film is always a constant here on national television on Xmas day! Some comedy shows already got the sketch of a the "old person" living on the hill or something, that only knows that is Xmas when on TV The Sound Of Music airs or/and it's new year eve, because Home Alone 1 or 2 airs (since that was the "traditional movie for that time here on TV)! And when those films will air on June or July, poor "mr. something" would be confuse!
Abouth the thread original question, a few years back, the history channel had a documentary/biography about the Von Trapp family and the film. Almost every thing of the film is fiction/hollywood version of the true story.
The original Maria e a very small cameo on the film, it is the old lady that pass by Julie Andrews when shes exit the convent to go to the Von Trapp family!
Oh well, at least some ppl see the movie to see General Chang when young!

[vienna]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

They also fled to Italy (and then the US), not Switzerland, and I've read that if they'd done what they are portrayed as doing in the movie geography-wise they would've ended up even deeper in the heart of Nazi country, not neutral Switzerland, so the whole "escape over the mountains" thing was a dramatic invention.

Also, the Swiss, while neutral, were prone to return to Germany those who crossed the border if they were wanted by the Reich. This included Jews, political "criminals", deserters, and others. The Swiss apparently did not want to rile the ire of the Reich...


<O>

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

Oh well, at least some ppl see the movie to see General Chang when young!

Cry Havoc! And let slip the Doe, a deer, a female deers of war!

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by em2nought

Yes, everyone deserves to have those songs running around in their head.

I sang in choirs in high school. I have a lot of musical numbers running around my head from shows I've never seen. That's part of the reason I've never seen 'em.

[Tango589]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Cry Havoc! And let slip the Doe, a deer, a female deers of war!

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by fireftr18

My family and I are watching the movie and a question came up. We know that VonTrapp was a real person and sure the whole family was real. How much of the movie is true?

All I know is that all the songs were truly awful.