1. Sound of Music

2.  Directed by Peter Wise Also directed “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” Also directed “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”  Screenplay by Ernest Lehman Also wrote “North by Northwest” Also wrote “North by Northwest”  Julie Andrews stars as Maria Also starred in “Princess Diaries” Also starred in “Princess Diaries”  Christopher Plummer stars as Captain Von Trapp Also starred in “Inside Man” Also starred in “Inside Man”  Original director was William Wyler He had actually scouted out locations already He had actually scouted out locations already  Wise considered Yul Brenner for the role of Captain.

3.  First musical number was last to be shot on location. Julie Andrews fell over often due to the wind kicked up by helicopter blades. Julie Andrews fell over often due to the wind kicked up by helicopter blades.  Actress playing Liesl injured her ankle in the gazebo “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” scene but continued on.  Actual Maria von Trapp can be seen in the “I Have Confidence” scene.  Front and back of mansion are actually two locations in Salzburg, Austria  Girl playing Marta lost many teeth during the filming and they were replaced by false teeth.

4.  Mary Martin was original Maria on Broadway and she helped produce the film. Received $8,000,000 for doing so whereas Julie Andrews only received $225,000 Received $8,000,000 for doing so whereas Julie Andrews only received $225,000  Rogers and Hammerstein wrote music  Took twenty takes for Andrews and Plummer to finish their gazebo scene Andrews kept laughing. Resulted in the two of them in silhouette to hide the laughing. Andrews kept laughing. Resulted in the two of them in silhouette to hide the laughing.  Sean Connery and Richard Burton also considered for lead male role.  Six burly Austrians pulled the car while actors pushed the car up the mountain on their escape.  Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss auditioned.

5.  Actor playing Friedrich actually had brown hair and had to dye his hair quite a lot during the filming.  Gretl couldn’t swim so when the boat topples over Louisa had to save her because Andrews who was supposed to fell in as well.  Maria never uses the Captain’s first name  Twentieth Century Fox bought rights to the families story in 1960 and two films were scheduled to be shot but never came to fruition.  This is only one of a few films that has no music behind the Twentieth Century logo.

6.  Andrews almost turned down the role as she thought it was too similar to Mary Poppins.  Actors had to be hosed down after every take in the boat scene to remain dripping wet.  In “I Have Confidence” Andrews tripped on accident but director liked it so they kept it.  Four other children were added to the singing voices of the family to make the sound more full.  Kurt’s high note in “So Long, Farewell” was actually sung by a female.

7.  Plummer’s own vocals were recorded but later decided to dub it over.  Girl singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was nearly 22 at the time.  When they first shot the wedding scene there was nobody waiting at the top of the stairs to marry the two. Someone forgot to summon the bishop. Someone forgot to summon the bishop.  The gazebo changes size when we enter into it.  Plummer hated working on the film. He didn’t like working with Andrews.

8.  Kurt wears a traditional Tracht to the party, traditional to Austria.  Last song that Hammerstein ever wrote was “Edelweiss”, which is little known in Austria.  A reporter from McCall’s magazine bashed the film and was fired soon after.  In reality the family did not hike over the mountains they actually hiked to the train station and boarded a train to Italy. Which then they fled to London and then to the USA. Which then they fled to London and then to the USA. Alp route they fictionally take is much to far from Italy. Alp route they fictionally take is much to far from Italy.

9.  At the contest the person who wins third place actually bows sixteen times.