'The Sound Of Music' Cast Opens Up About The Off-Screen Drama That Threatened The Film
Just the shot of Julie Andrews twirling through the lush Austrian countryside is classic in its own right. But beyond the cheerful tunes and gorgeous scenery, and you’ll find some serious drama backstage of The Sound Of Music. In fact, the drama extends into the real-life Von Trapp family the film was based on. The singin’ clan is as classic as it gets, but the lederhosen-wearing, puppet-show-performing family from the 1965 film were far more than just singers.
The Real Family
First, it's important to know that there are a couple of similarities between the film Von Trapps and the real-life family, including how Georg Von Trapp’s wealthy first wife, Agathe, died of scarlet fever in 1922, leaving Georg to care for their many children.
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Not So Stern
Georg was also a decorated officer with the Austro-Hungarian Navy, as seen in the film. But Christopher Plummer’s stern, militaristic portrayal of Georg vastly missed the mark in terms of Georg’s real life personality.
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Spoiling His Kids
According to Georg’s daughter Maria, (“Louisa” in the film,) Georg was in reality a “doting” father who even made toys for his children in his woodshop. You wouldn’t have found him blowing a harsh whistle at his children!
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Anger Issues
In fact, though the movie depicts Maria as the kindhearted confidant for the children and Georg as the strict parent, in real life, Maria’s children described her as at times having a “thunderous” and unpredictable temper.
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