Table of Contents

• THE SOUND OF MUSIC - Background
  
• Recommended Bibliography - THE SOUND OF MUSIC
  
• The Hills Are Alive: A Look At THE SOUND OF MUSIC Today
  
• From Broadway To Hollywood
  Written By: Bert Fink

Mary Martin, star of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC on Broadway and London, and star of the Rodgers & Hammerstein-produced national tour of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, approached the team in 1958 with the proposal that they write an Austrian-style folk song for inclusion in a stage adaptation that she and husband Richard Halliday were planning of a German-language film based on the true-life story of the von Trapp family singers. Rodgers & Hammerstein suggested that rather than write one song for the play-with-music, why not let them write the entire score for the story as a musical? That is, if Martin and Halliday wouldn't mind waiting for a year, since at the time they were in the throes of FLOWER DRUM SONG. The response from Martin and Halliday: "We'll wait."

The result was THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Halliday co-produced the musical, and Martin starred. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the score but, for the only time in the history of their partnership, the task of writing the book did not go to Hammerstein. Instead, the musical’s librettists were Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, who had been contracted to write the stage adaptation from the very beginning. Directed by Vincent J. Donehue, with musical numbers staged by Joe Layton, THE SOUND OF MUSIC co-starred Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp; Patricia Neway as the Mother Abbess; and Kurt Kaznar as Max.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC opened at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s last musical was a triumph. It ran for 1,443 performances and earned seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In addition, the cast album earned a Gold Record and the Grammy Award. Florence Henderson starred in the first national tour, which played for over two years, and Jean Bayless created the role of Maria in the original London production, which ran for over six years — still the record-holder as the longest running American musical in London.

In 1965 the motion picture version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC was released, and made Hollywood history. Directed by Robert Wise, with a score revised by Rodgers (Hammerstein had died in 1960 and so Rodgers composed both music and lyrics for two songs added to the film—"I Have Confidence" and "Something Good"), and a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, THE SOUND OF MUSIC boasted a dream cast: Julie Andrews as Maria, Christopher Plummer as the Captain, Eleanor Parker as Elsa, Peggy Wood as the Mother Abbess and Charmian Carr as Liesl. (Trivia buffs will note that Hollywood's most famous unseen voice, Marni Nixon, here has an on-screen role as Sister Sophia, and that the actual real-life Maria von Trapp has a cameo appearance in a Salzburg market scene.) Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, THE SOUND OF MUSIC has become the most popular movie musical ever made.

Ewen, David. Richard Rodgers, Holt, New York 1957

_____. With a Song in His Heart (Richard Rodgers), Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York 1963

Fordin, Hugh. Getting To Know Him: The Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II, Random House, New York 1977; Da Capo Press, 1995

Green, Stanley. The Rodgers and Hammerstein Story, John Day, New York 1963; DeCapo Press paperback, 1980

_____. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Fact Book, Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 1980

Hammerstein II, Oscar. Lyrics, with an introduction by the author and a preface by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 1985

_____. My Favorite Things, illustrated by James Warhola, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1994

Hirsch, Julia. THE SOUND OF MUSIC: The Making of America's Favorite Movie, Contemporary Books, Chicago 1993

Martin, Mary. My Heart Belongs (autobiography), William Morrow & Co., Inc., New York 1976

Mordden, Ethan. Rodgers & Hammerstein, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York 1992

Nolan, Frederick. The Sound of Their Music, Walker, New York 1978

Rodgers, Richard. Musical Stages: An Autobiography, Random House,New York 1975; Jove Paperback, New York 1978; Da Capo, 1995

Taylor, Deems. Some Enchanted Evenings, Harper, New York 1953

von Trapp, Maria. Maria (autobiography), Creation House, New York,1972

In 1995 CNN devoted an in-depth story to the world’s on-going love affair with The Sound of Music. As the news report showed clips from the movie, a Japanese-language stage version, and even a New Rochelle, New York, high school production, the message was clear: after more than 35 years, that love affair was still going strong. For an overview, let’s start at the very beginning:

On stage: The original production of The Sound of Music received seven Tony Awards including Best Musical 1960, and a Grammy Award for its gold-selling cast album...The original London production ran for over six years at the Palace Theatre—and still holds the record as the longest-running American musical in the West End...Since 1960, The R&H Organization has licensed more than 17,500 productions of The Sound of Music worldwide...The most recent U.S. national tour, starring Marie Osmond, ran for nearly two years, visiting 62 cities in 35 states...Major international productions in 1996 included Sweden, Israel and Greece -- with cast albums recorded in their native languages...In the U.S. and Canada, the R&H Theatre Library licenses an average of 475 stock & amateur productions a year; a typical s&a run involves 100 people in production, a combined total of 1200 people in the audience, and an aggregate total of more than 600,000 people who are directly impacted by live stage versions of The Sound of Music every year.

On film: The Sound of Music is the most successful movie musical in history. First released in 1965, it received five Academy Awards including Best Picture of the Year...From 1965 to 1972 it was All Time Box Office Champ, according to Variety...To date it is the highest-ranking musical on every available list of top grossing films...In a recent survey reported by New York Magazine (7/22/96), which adjusted box office grosses and attendance to contemporary prices and current U.S. population, The Sound of Music ranks at #2 behind Gone with The Wind with an adjusted accumulated U.S. gross of $944,000,000...Following the original release of four years, the film had major U.S. re-releases in 1972 and 1990; it remains popular on the college and revival circuit as well...In August of ’96 it was the season finale of the third annual outdoor film festival in New York City’s Bryant Park, sponsored by HBO, where it attracted a record crowd of 12,000.

On television: First broadcast on ABC-TV in 1976, The Sound of Music is nearing the end of a 20-year exclusive contract of annual broadcasts on NBC...In 1995 it was given a special 4-hour broadcast at Easter, hosted by Julie Andrews and celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary, and was re-broadcast at Christmas...Its 1996 broadcast was on December 13...By special arrangement with NBC, it was also shown on the American Movie Channel on July 4, 1996, as the culmination of a 17-hour Rodgers & Hammerstein movie marathon.

On video: One of the first movies issued on home video, The Sound of Music hit the Billboard Top 40 videosales chart shortly after its release in November of 1979...A perennial, it has never been out of the top 3 spots on the internal Fox Video sales charts, with numerous reissues over the years...Its final reissue this century was launched in August ’96, hitting #1 on the VideoScan sales chart in early September; it is currently on moratorium through 2000...During this final sale period, the video clocked its 300th week on the Billboard chart, solidifying its record as the longest-selling video, with its nearest challenger more than 100 weeks behind.

On laser disc: One of the most popular entries in the high-market laser disc niche, The Sound of Music is currently available in a 30th anniversary deluxe set that includes an in-depth documentary, alternate audio track narration provided by Robert Wise, an annotated copy of the Ernest Lehman screenplay, and more.

On record: Three major recordings of The Sound of Music are currently on the market; by far the most successful is the original motion picture soundtrack starring Julie Andrews, which has sold 11 million units worldwide to date...The soundtrack is currently on reissue (RCA Victor) in a newly-mastered recording with new packaging and liner notes...In both its film soundtrack and cast album formats, the score has been recorded in dozens of languages...Its score—perhaps the most cherished in American musical theater—is visited constantly by vocalists and instrumentalists; "My Favorite Things,"Climb Ev’ry Mountain,"Do-Re-Mi,"Edelweiss" and the title song have been recorded by many artists over the years.

On the shelves: The Sound of Music has inspired a long line of merchandise over the years, and enthusiasm from licensees has never flagged. Recently, in addition to the various recordings, videos and laser discs, fans could acquire: various editions of the vocal selections and songbooks (Williamson Music), a line of commemorative plates (The Bradford Exchange) and Music Boxes (Ardleigh-Elliott), a "Barbie as Maria" doll (Mattel), "The Sound of Music" doll collection (Mme. Alexander), My Favorite Things, an illustrated children's book (Simon & Schuster), and The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie, a soft-cover photo history of the movie (Contemporary Books).

20th Century Fox, a once grand and glorious studio, had done very well by the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals: movie versions of OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I and STATE FAIR had all been produced under the auspices of this studio, and had collected nine Academy Awards among them. Successful as they were, none of these films could prepare the studio—or the film industry itself—for the phenomenon that was THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

In 1964 THE SOUND OF MUSIC was viewed as a respectable stage property with a good track record: still going strong in the West End (where it would eventually become the longest running American musical in London history), and on a U.S. national tour, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, had by this time racked up a healthy 1443-performance run on Broadway, and collected five Tony Awards including Musical of the Year. In Hollywood, however, where there’s no such thing as a sure thing, turning this stage property into a potentially viable movie was considered a longshot.

For one thing, the movie's budget was—for the first time—large: more than $8 million, and much of that due to the decision to film as much of the movie as possible on location in Salzburg, near and around the Von Trapp villa (though not the villa itself) and the mountains. Also, the cast was relatively unknown. For the central role of Maria, the likes of Mia Farrow, Lesley Ann Warren and Doris Day were each considered before the decision was made to go with 29-year-old Julie Andrews. Although already established as a Broadway star for her roles in THE BOYFRIEND, MY FAIR LADY and CAMELOT, Julie Andrews had yet to be discovered by the movie audiences, and was perhaps best known in Hollywood for Jack Warner's decision to pass her over for the lead in the movie of MY FAIR LADY (which went instead to Audrey Hepburn). Walt Disney, however, took the chance and hired her for MARY POPPINS, and it was after viewing rough footage of her work for Disney that the folks at Fox signed her up immediately.

Joining Julie for the film were Christopher Plummer as the Captain (who, although he wanted to do his own singing, was eventually dubbed in the musical numbers by Bill Lee); Peggy Wood, Eleanor Parker, Anna Lee and Richard Haydn. Twenty-one-year-old Charmaine Carr headed up the cast of the seven children. Marni Nixon, the phantom dubber who provided the singing voice for the leads in WEST SIDE STORY, MY FAIR LADY and THE KING AND I, actually appeared on screen this time as Sister Sophia, and so did the real-life Maria Von Trapp, who makes a quick appearance in a Salzburg sequence.

To make THE SOUND OF MUSIC an on-screen reality, a team of old hands at movie musicals was assembled. Robert Wise, who had won two Oscars in 1961 for another Broadway-to-Hollywood musical adaptation, WEST SIDE STORY, was signed on to produce and direct THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Ernest Lehman, who worked with Rodgers and Hammerstein on the screen adaption of THE KING AND I, did similar honors here.

Richard Rodgers himself took an active role in the movie and significantly amended the score. Two songs were cut, "An Ordinary Couple" (a wistful love duet sung by Maria and the Captain) and "How Can Love Survive?" (a brittle, sardonic duet with an atypical Hammerstein lyric, sung by Elsa and Max).

Replacing them were two new songs with both music and lyrics by Rodgers (Oscar Hammerstein had died in the summer of 1960, less than a year after THE SOUND OF MUSIC opened on Broadway): "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good."

Filming took place throughout the spring and summer of 1964, including eleven weeks on location in and about Salzburg. For those who like to bookend their data, the first scene filmed (in the studio in California) featured Maria and the children singing "My Favorite Things," and shooting ended at the beginning, with the now-classic opening sequence featuring Julie Andrews on top of the hill and the spectacular Alpine scenery.

As an early test for the movie, Fox executive Richard Zanuck arranged for a sneak preview in Minneapolis in February 1965. "The weather was miserable, and we thought nobody would show up," he recalled. "But the theatre was full, and at intermission the whole audience stood up and applauded for five minutes. They did it again at the end, and we looked at each other, shell-shocked."

Ernest Lehman commented, "We didn't know at the beginning it would be such a phenomenon." The world premiere of THE SOUND OF MUSIC was held at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City on March 2, 1965. It played there for a record-breaking 93-week engagement, igniting a momentum that went on to shatter records in all areas of popular entertainment. The initial U.S. release of the film lasted for more than four years. From Japan to Parsi (for the Iranian market), from London to Lisbon, from SUONA DELLA MUSICA in Italy to LA MELODIE DI BONHEUR in France, THE SOUND OF MUSIC quickly became a sound hear the world over.

Nominated for ten Academy Awards, THE SOUND OF MUSIC received five, including Best Director for Robert Wise and Best Picture of the Year. From 1966 to 1969 it was the number one Box Office Champion, according to Variety's survey. To this day, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is one of the twenty-five top grossing films of all time, and the oldest title on that list. It has become the most popular musical ever made

The motion picture soundtrack, released internationally on the RCA label, has gone platinum and gold and sold over 10 million units worldwide. The movie has also made a successful transition to the small screen, appearing as a perennial favorite on television throughout the world, and in the home video market.

The weekend before THE SOUND OF MUSIC was released, Richard Rodgers was interviewed by the The New York Times. He expressed his delight at seeing THE SOUND OF MUSIC turned into a movie that functioned as a satisfying work in its own right. Having lavished praise on screenwriter Lehman, director/producer Wise, the cast and the movie as a whole, Rodgers ended the interview on a note of caution: "There is, of course, no way for me to tell how the public will respond to THE SOUND OF MUSIC as a movie." It turned out he had nothing to worry about.