Everyone Hated ‘The Sound of Music’: The Sound of Music premiered to horrific reviews in 1965. Now it’s the most beloved and popular movie musical ever. On its 50th anniversary, how did it climb that mountain?
I happened to watch this for the first time only a few weeks ago, and found it bearable only by fast-fowarding a lot. Saccharine indeed. If I want to hear "My Favorite Things", I'll take Coltrane any day. It's funny how the writer mentions "the Swiss Alps", then quotes a review that mentions "the Bavarian Alps" while the correct answer is Salzburg, Austria. Oh, geography. Btw, one major gripe I have about the movie is how it portrays Austria in the mid thirties as some free, cute, postcard kind of country while in reality it was one of the more despicable police states in Europe at the time (certainly not for lack of competition). You may want to check "Austrofascism" on Wikipedia.
2. The movie made the real story more Hollywood and more dramatic than life. If you Google the Von Trapp you'll discover they married about ten years earlier than in the movie and rather than escape over any Alps they were in the U.S. when they decided not to return.
3. Maria wasn't quite the virginal nun Julie Andrews portrayed IYKWIM. Check the birth dates of her children.
4. Jackie loves it. I'very never been a big fan. I remember seeing it in its original run at the Rivoli on Broadway with my parents in 1965.
Bill, we visited some of the sites in Salzburg as well. The highlight of the trip, however, was the tour of the salt mines, including the giant slide inside the mountain.
When we get home I'll try and remember to dig out a picture of us in the white coveralls with hoods we wore for the trip down the slide. The day we went - our second try as we missed it the first time - there was no English language tour but who cared? We were there for the experience.
I'll have to check but I believe it was 1976. We were staying in Munich and drove down specifically for the salt mine tour. We liked Salzburg a lot. But then, we liked Minich a lot too. Great, great beer abd food and a couple of great museums.
I do remember the Alte Pinoketek (sp?) art museum. I'd studied the paintings of Kaspar David Friedrich in art history and looked for them wherever we went as few are outside Germany.
11 comments:
I happened to watch this for the first time only a few weeks ago, and found it bearable only by fast-fowarding a lot. Saccharine indeed. If I want to hear "My Favorite Things", I'll take Coltrane any day.
It's funny how the writer mentions "the Swiss Alps", then quotes a review that mentions "the Bavarian Alps" while the correct answer is Salzburg, Austria. Oh, geography. Btw, one major gripe I have about the movie is how it portrays Austria in the mid thirties as some free, cute, postcard kind of country while in reality it was one of the more despicable police states in Europe at the time (certainly not for lack of competition). You may want to check "Austrofascism" on Wikipedia.
I visited some of the places where the movie was filmed when I was in Salzburg years ago. So at least I knew where it was filmed.
1. "Everybody hated" is quite the exaggeration.
2. The movie made the real story more Hollywood and more dramatic than life. If you Google the Von Trapp you'll discover they married about ten years earlier than in the movie and rather than escape over any Alps they were in the U.S. when they decided not to return.
3. Maria wasn't quite the virginal nun Julie Andrews portrayed IYKWIM. Check the birth dates of her children.
4. Jackie loves it. I'very never been a big fan. I remember seeing it in its original run at the Rivoli on Broadway with my parents in 1965.
5. And keep off my lawn!
Jeff
I confess that I've never seen it. Angela loves it, though.
Bill, we visited some of the sites in Salzburg as well. The highlight of the trip, however, was the tour of the salt mines, including the giant slide inside the mountain.
Jeff
We missed the salt mines. Dang.
When we get home I'll try and remember to dig out a picture of us in the white coveralls with hoods we wore for the trip down the slide. The day we went - our second try as we missed it the first time - there was no English language tour but who cared? We were there for the experience.
I'll have to check but I believe it was 1976. We were staying in Munich and drove down specifically for the salt mine tour. We liked Salzburg a lot. But then, we liked Minich a lot too. Great, great beer abd food and a couple of great museums.
Jeff
The Deutsches Museum in Munich is the world's largest science museum. Think The Franklin Institute, only way bigger.
Jeff
We went to a great museum in Munich, and now I can't even remember the name of it. Getting old sucks.
Okay, that was the name of it. Glad somebody can remember.
Yep, me and Wikipedia remembered.
I do remember the Alte Pinoketek (sp?) art museum. I'd studied the paintings of Kaspar David Friedrich in art history and looked for them wherever we went as few are outside Germany.
Jeff
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