Product Description

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the beloved 1965 classic movie, "The Sound of Music"

When "The Sound of Music" was released in 1965 it took the world by storm, earning five Oscars (including Best Picture), and went on to command the number-one spot at the box office for five years running. For millions of people, the film is that rare combination of a powerful and moving story, first-rate music, and breathtaking scenery. The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie is a tribute to this beloved movie musical and a fascinating, behind-the-scene account of the creation of a Hollywood classic.

Through exclusive in-depth interviews with cast and crew, stills from the movie's most memorable scenes, snapshots from personal scrapbooks, and papers from the Fox Studios archives, Julia Hirsch re-crates the magic that is "The Sound of Music." Julie Andrews recounts some of her more humorous memories of the filming, from her "first kiss" with Christopher Plummer, when neither of them could stop laughing, to rushing up the mountain for the famous opening scene only to be continually knocked down by the downdraft from the cameraman's helicopter. The book reveals details both fans and film buffs will enjoy, such as the fact that Yul Brynner, Walter Matthau, and Sean Connery were all considered fro the role of the Captain (while teenagers Mia Farrow, Sharon Tate, and Richard Dreyfuss auditioned for juvenile roles) and that director/producer Robert Wise, already fielding calls from Fox's Dick Zanuck for being over budget, almost didn't finish the location shoot in Austria because it simply wouldn't stop raining.

But most of all, Hirsch captures the extraordinary camaraderie shared by everyone involved, a group whose friendships would last a lifetime. This engaging narrative is both an insider's guide to, and a delightful celebration of, a film that truly is "the happiest sound in all the world."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50385 in Books
• Published on: 1965-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Customer Reviews

Great Book for Fans and Film Students
This four and 1/2 star book is a 1993 retrospective of the making of the 1965 film. It is written by a contemporary assistant to director Robert Wise, who had access to an incredible amount of detailed information. The book is both for fans of the movie and for film students who want a detailed accounting of how a movie is made.

If there is any weakness to the book it's that Wise is constantly praised throughout--which is natural, since his assistant is writing the book. But there is no objective perspective when it comes to how the film was directed and the types of choices made.

Most of it is also oddly is written as if it was published in 1965! The biographies of the cast members stop with the movie's release and there are not a lot of details on what happened to people in the 30 years since, other than to note a few people involved who were married and later divorced. It would have helped to have been written with more perspective from the present day instead of keeping it narrowly focused on 1964 and 1965.

The book starts off slowly with a history of the movie studio and how it was almost broke when the movie was made. This is not the best approach to starting the book--it would have been better to jump right in to getting the film going. But once it gets to the making of the film the book is fascinating.

The book details exactly where scenes were filmed, what rehearsal went into those scenes and some behind-the-scenes details. It does not get into much "dirt," other than to dis Christopher Plummer for his threats to quit and his thinking that he was above the material. And to kind of slam Maria Von Trap as a publicity hog, even though she had every reason to want a small say in her life story that had been twisted to almost complete fiction!

The best part of the book is the pictures--many that have never been scene before. The author got some candid snapshots taken by those in the cast. And some hand-written production notes from the script's writer and the director. Most interesting is the day-by-day shooting schedule.

Lots of great detail that could have maybe had a bit more objectivity, but all in all a wonderful book.

The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie
If you loved the movie version of "The Sound of Music," this book details the background information on the movie set. It provides information on how the characters were picked, interesting information about the actors/actresses, filming the scenes - not always easy whether location, weather and more. The real Maria Von Trapp visited the set too and asked to be in the film. Interesting and enjoyable reading!

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