Musical Monday: The Sound of Music (Part 1)

Monday, July 16, 2007 by

This is IT, bitches! We told you we'd come back with something extra-special for you!

It's The Sound of Music! Nuns! Nanny-fuckers! Nazis! My word, we're breathless just thinking about it!

Take it away, Julie!


Meanwhile back at the abbey, The Reverend Mother hears that Maria's off doing something whacky again instead of whipping herself and saying the rosary eighteen hours a day. Sister Bitchface is all "Get that slut out of here!" but Sister Lila Quartermaine is all "But she's so cute and I don't get to look at many cute girls anymore!" Other repressed lesbians join in on the conversation. Sing it, penguins:


The Reverend Mother calls Julie into her office to make her feel like shit about herself. It's what nuns do. She's all "Look, you clearly need to get laid before you marry Jesus, so we're sending you out in the world for a while. Here, go be a governess."

Tom loved that wallpaper as a little gay boy.

The nuns toss her out on the street in the ugliest clothes they could find, figuring that if she wants to get laid then she's REALLY going to have to work for it. That's the best they could do in terms of vagina hattery.

Upon meeting the Captain, she wants it bad, but he's so appalled by her hideous clothing that he makes her stand ten feet away from him at all times.

The children are similarly disgusted by her attire.

Calling upon her preliminary nun training, Maria is able to make most of the family feel like shit about themselves and reduce them to tears within a couple hours.

Liesl's all "Fuck this. I'm not gonna let some bitch who cuts her own hair keep ME from getting some action." and she sneaks off to see her secret Nazi beau, Rolf.

We both had little gay boy crushes on Rolf but 30 years later, that lust has seriously faded. Cute ass, though.

Poor Liesl. Not only is he a Nazi. He's a gay one, to boot. This girl's got a lifetime of bad choices ahead of her.

Later, Maria comes to the realization that these are some seriously fucked up kids and does the only thing she knows how to do besides make them feel like shit about themselves. Sing out, Sister:


The Captain is pissed, but Maria's all "Don't give me shit, buddy. Your 16-year-old is off entering wet t-shirt contests with gay men and your 14-year-old is afraid of thunder. I don't even think the 5-year-old can speak, let alone feed herself."

Figuring they need to learn some harsh lessons, Maria dresses them in clothes even more appalling than her own and forces them to work all day at a fruit stand while whipping themselves and saying the rosary. When they're good, she lets them eat and sings to them.


While this is all going on, the Captain is off cavorting with the Baroness and her gay friend, Max and thank god for that. Enough with these dreary nuns, we need some fabulosity and the Baroness is here to bring it, bitches.

Look at her. Fabulous. This bitch doesn't need a vagina hat, choosing instead to wrap her vagina up in a giant bow. She tells Max that she should be able to manipulate the Captain into a proposal any second now.

Due to Maria's negligence, the children all almost drown in a horrible boating accident.

The Baroness is thrilled at the prospect of dying children.

Sizing Maria up, she sees no competition and decides to hit the liquor cabinet while the Captain yells at her.

But she burns her with her cigarette on the way out. That's just how The Baroness rolls.

Maria's having none of it. "Look asshole, you're off running around with that drag queen and that midget fairy with the creepy mustache and I'm the one that has to make clothes for them out of old drapes because you're so goddamn stingy! Oh and P.S., your butler's a Nazi, Sherlock."

He moves in to beat her when he is stopped by the sound of ... what? Why, the sound of MUSIC, darlings!

And as we all know, the sound of music fixes EVERYTHING. The Baroness is unimpressed.

Puppet show! And for no good reason, in ITALIAN:


The Baroness has had enough and unsheaths her claws. "My dear, is there nothing you can't do? Oh, but of course. Dress yourself."

Because they still can't communicate like a normal family, all they do is sing to each other all day. Max and the Baroness proceed to get rip-roaring drunk to deal with the boredom.

Through a haze of liquor, The Baroness makes a shocking discovery.

That little whore is all soft-focus for her man.

"Sit back and watch the show, darling. I'm about to destroy a nun."

Party time!

The children are locked out in the backyard because Liesl is prone to strange fits during parties.

The Captain sneaks away for some illicit Lendlering behind the Baroness' back.

But you've got to get up pretty damn early to fool Elsa Von Schraeder, bitches.

She arrives on the scene just as Maria goes all soft-focus again. Humiliated, Maria runs off to force the children to sing because, in this family, all uncomfortable situations are now dealt with by singing:


Elsa is FURIOUS when Max asks Maria to be his date and the Captain agrees.

Maria's all "Little old me?" while the Baroness tries to figure out how to quietly strangle her with one of her opera gloves.

Instead, under the guise of "helping her pick out an outfit," she takes the opportunity to point out all her body flaws.

Poor ignorant Maria, not realizing she's getting played by a master, is overcome with embarrassment over her dirty, sinful body, shitty haircut and ugly clothes. Her work complete, the Baroness flounces out.

"What's that I smell?"
"Burning nun, darling. Cheers."

After whipping herself and saying the rosary, Maria puts on her ugliest outfit again and sneaks out of the house. For good? Darlings, tune in next week for the shocking conclusion!

90 comments:

TD said...

A two-parter! You're the BEST, T&L. So many laugh-out-loud comments:

* Sister Lila Quartermaine

* “I’m not gonna let some bitch who cuts her own hair keep ME from getting some action."

* Your 16-year-old is off entering wet t-shirt contests with gay men and your 14-year-old is afraid of thunder. I don't even think the 5-year-old can speak, let alone feed herself."

* The Baroness is thrilled at the prospect of dying children.

You guys kill me. Can't wait for part two!

Kaitlyn said...

I think I love you.

(And would you believe it took me until I watched this movie for the umpteen millionth time a couple of weeks ago at age 25 to figure out that the bulter was a damn nazi?

The Scarlett said...

A two-parter? Oh no you didn't! You are both nasty, fabulous teases! (Another reason to love you both even more.)

thombeau said...

Oh you bitches have truly outdone yourselves today! And it was obviously a labor of love. And liquor.

Thanks for CRACKING ME UP!

Hutchlover said...

Oooh.... My favoritest musicalle!

Fabulous darlings, absolutely fabulous!

And I wonder what the Colonel will think when he finds out little Fritz is a blond, gayboy! Acck! Homosexuality in the Nazi ranks!

Love it!

Anonymous said...

i love you all for doing this.

Anonymous said...

Does this mean that you all will do "Grease" at any time in the near future?!? Please say yess!

trish said...

"Sit back and watch the show darling, I'm about to destroy a nun."
Hilarious!!!

DanielDC said...

"Through a haze of liquor, The Baroness makes a shocking discovery."

"That little whore is all soft-focus for her man."

"Sit back and watch the show, darling. I'm about to destroy a nun."

Freaking HILARIOUS! Oh my god, boys, you are the best!

Anonymous said...

Hahahaha... I really shouldn't read these at work. This is finally a musical that I've seen many many times, so I can totally appreciate all the jokes and jabs. Nice work. Looking forward to part 2!

Meghan said...

If only real life uncomfortable situations could be dealt with by singing. What a wonderful world that would be.
===
Kaitlyn,
I didn't figure out he was a Nazi until I watched it a few months ago, either.

Anonymous said...

Brava, bitches! I can't wait for next week's snarky conclusion.

Gorgeous Things said...

"What's that I smell?"
"Burning nun, darling. Cheers."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Snort!

Oh I can't wait for next week's installment. I love this musical, but only for the music and (in the movie) the Salzburg settings. It is heartbreaking, though, to hear what a lovely voice Julie Andrews had and to know that she's lost it completely. Sigh....

Anonymous said...

Outstanding!

This is one of my favorites and I know I say that about nearly every one but I mean it this time.

A great example of a film version that improves on the stage version IMHO. The obvious is the incredible use of the Salzburg area. I first saw this on the biggest screen within a 120 mile area and was just blown away. Of course, I was 13, so I was easy to impress.

The play had several songs which dealt with conflicting political points of views which were deleted. The loss was Frau Schmidt and the Butler lost lines and we don't get so see Richard Haydn try to sing and "dance." The huge plus is we weren't subjected to Eleanor Parker trying to sing.

Additionally, several of the songs with the children are placed in different scenes to great effect, especially the DO-RE-MI sequence.

And my apologies to the Mary Martin fans, she was way too old. I saw her perform and excerpt on Ed Sullivan(?) and it seemed so forced. Julie Andrews and her VOICE were so much better.

One fun thing to watch for is Nicholas Hammond, the oldest of the two boys. He went through a huge growth spurt during filming, and it's fun now knowing this to watch all the ways they had to hide this during scenes which were filmed way out of sequence.

And finally, with all due respect to Bill, one film note. Frau Schmidt, played by Norma Varden also has a small but memorable part in Casablanca. I only mention this because it was that moment of recognition when I realized I was becoming a film buff, something that continues to today.

Sorry to drag on. I keep quiet next week.

aimee said...

Burning nun!

*dies laughing*

Suzanne said...

OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU GUYS!!
And somehow I KNEW you were going to mention the shitty haircut.

You bitches are back with a VENGEANCE!

KlausK said...

"Sing it, penguins:"

ROFL. Just one of so many hysterical lines, guys. I love love love Musical Mondays and that is one of my favorite musicals. I can't wait for Part 2.

Juliann K. said...

A bit of musical trivia...

Marni Nixon who did the voice over singing for Natalie Wood in "West Side Story" and for Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" plays one of the singing nuns. I am not sure of the name but she is the one who sings, "when I'm with her I'm confused, out of focus and bemused and I never know exactly where I aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmm."

megtheexpat said...

Christ on a bicycle. Too good. I was in TSOM in high school and it was painful to be so syrupy sweet every g.d. day in rehearsal/performance. I think the chick who played Maria in my production about had a nervous breakdown from all the twirling/singing/ugly costumes/bullshit.
I still want you bitches to recap a Marilyn Monroe musical because you all know those contain some ridiculous old movie BS like painted backgrounds or crazy costumes and voluptuousness, etc. etc. etc. C'mon boys, don't let me down.

Happy Mama to Three said...

"Her work complete, the Baroness flounces out."

One of the QUEENS of the dignified exit stage left. Now have another drink and go dream of a huge house with no sound of tiny footsteps Baroness.

C

kora in hell said...

You totally killed me with this:

Sizing Maria up, she sees no competition and decides to hit the liquor cabinet while the Captain yells at her.

But she burns her with her cigarette on the way out. That's just how The Baroness rolls.


You have to appreciate the decor of that manse -- from the Austro-Prussian-Naussean period.

Daxx said...

This reminds me of a story Julie Andrews told on a talk show a while back.

She was at her summer home in the alps and out putzing in the yard. She decided to sing a bit and was warming up with the title song for no special reason. After she was done, she turned around and saw a "Sound of Music" tour bus full of people staring at her.

Hilarious!

Andrea said...

I've been waiting for this day since you started Musical Mondays. Bravo!

Badger said...

The real-life Maria was actually about 22 years younger than the captain so you have the robbing the cradle angle there too.

thombeau said...

By the way, we used to always sing:

"A flibbertigibbet,
A will o' the wisp,
A whore!"

Which basically amused no one but ourselves...

Anonymous said...

I remember an interview a few years ago with Julie, where she talked about the opening shot, and how she kept getting blown over when the helicopter taking the footage came too close. Which is why I find the opening scene funny now--Julie singing so nun-ly, then I imagine her swearing at the helicopter pilot.

mumblesalot (Laura A) said...

Thanks for the laughs.

This musical always made me cringe. The captain was creepy. Nazi, nuns and drudgery mixed in with syrupy songs...my stomach feels uneasy just thinking of it.

macasism said...

Sister Lila Quartermain. You bitches are so almost the same age as me!

loveyameanit!

j-yo said...

In 1983 I went on a high-school tour of China (yes, I'm aging myself, poodles). The country was still highly Communist, everyone dressed alike in beige or gray pantsuits and Mao caps and there was very little Western exposure. Since there was no legal drinking age, we were allowed into the few "Western-style" nightclubs where, to our horror, we discovered that their idea of hot American music was the soundtrack to "The Sound of Music." Needless to say, we were too distraught to dance.

potty mouth princess said...

RIP, Sister Lila Quartermaine.

I also like to play Spot the also dearly departed Phoebe Wallingford.

My favorite musical ever. Scarlett O'Hara curtain clothes (in green, no less), horny teenagers, and of course a Baroness for the ages.

Her cigarette holder was nothing short of a deadly weapon. The only thing she was missing was an ass. But in true Baroness style, she knew how to disguise her figure flaw with the most awesome vagina bows in all sorts of places.

Yeah, Julie got the guy, but Vive La Baroness! Can't wait to see how you treat her next big scene.

*meep*

LittleKarnak said...

Let me say a belated Thank You to you guys for changing the name of this blog to "Tom and Lorenzo" Just started a new assignment and corporate policy here (for ALL facilities in the US & UK) is to block any domain name that includes the word "gay." So, no Project RunGAY viewing allowed but at least I can get my fill of Musical Mondays and Dames & Divas during my breaks (does it get much gayer than that??). I suppose I'll muddle through for the next 13 weeks. BTW, L-O-V-E Sound of Music so thanks for that also!!

Anonymous said...

the strange part is that even though i've seen this movie a hundred times...I can't wait to see how it turns out?

Anonymous said...

One of the penguins in "How Do You Solve a Problem" is a singer named Marni Nixon who had a second career here in Seattle as hostess of a Sunday morning children's show called "Boomerang." God, it was appalling.

Her other claim to fame is as the "singer for stars who can't sing."

She was the singing voice of both Natalie Wood in "West Side Story" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady."

I love SoM. Always wanted to read the book, but never got around to it.

Marty the Wizard

Anonymous said...

I love the Baroness!
Whenever I have to (by "have" I mean, get off on)emotionally scar an underling (by "underling", I mean people who think they have a right to speak to me), I smile & think of her.

You guys are so incredibly funny!

Emma P.

macasism said...

Looks like the Baroness has a vagina shoulder sash.

Magadocious Rex said...

You heard my silent wish!
I was hoping yesterday "gee! I hope Tom and Lorenzo do sound of music, I can't wait to see how they'll rip on it"

You ROCK!

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted one of those cute little sailor outfits.

Yeah.

lisasabatier said...

I have seen this movie at least 25 times, (when it came out, no less -- good wholesome Catholic entertainment) and never understood it or enjoyed it so much!

p.s. did you notice when Tim came to Laura's to critique her collection, one of the pictures in her album was one of her First Holy Communion? How cute was that?

Sewhat? said...

Dahnke schon mein bischon freunds.

Ausgetzeischnet !!!!

(damn american computer, no umlouts, no essitsets...)

Anonymous said...

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night....wait, AUF WIEDERSEHEN? Hmmm....

Bill said...

That was beyond brilliant, Boys!! Love it, love it, love it.

Thank you for spotlighting the real star of the movie - Eleanor Parker. The Baroness owns this flick (that's why I dressed up as her to attend one of those Singalong Sound of Music screenings).

"That's just how The Baroness rolls." HA! you guys rule.

Anonymous said...

I always loved the Sound of Music, mainly for that rolling first shot of the countryside and the gorgeous houses/scenery.

Singing, what singing?

Kzspot

Anna said...

Oh my god! Oh my god! OhmygodohmygodohmyGOD! I've been waiting for this one for AGES!

Between you and me...

Vic said...

Oh! The Sound of Mucus! I adore you two lovely boys.

Bill said...

Friedrich "I'm 14 and I'm impossible" von Trapp was played by Nicholas Hammond. Turn him back to his natural brunette and you might recognize him as Peter Parker from the mid-seventies Spiderman TV show.

He was also Doug Simpson, the jock heart throb, who Marcia Brady dumps the nice guy for to go to a dance. Then she gets hit by the football (Oh, my nose!) and gets her comeupance.

And does anyone else remember Heather Menzies (Louisa) posing for Playboy (no V-hat, the real deal) or marrying Robert Ulrich(Dan Tanna of Vega$ fame)?

Max (Richard Hadyn) voiced the Caterpillar in Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Bill Lee (Christopher Plummer's singing voice) also did voice work for that animated flick.

jrt said...

just made my day. Sound of Music is the best musical ever known to man. Give me some Julie Andrews any day of the week.

TD said...

Oh, Bill. You've outdone yourself. I knew about Spiderman (but not Doug Simpson) and Mrs. Urich (but not the photos), but I did NOT know that Christopher Plummer didn't do his own singing.

You'd think they've hired a better singer (but perhaps that was the point). Did he at least play his own guitar? (Rhetorical question.)

For some reason, I'm now hearing Bette Davis at the Oscars not long before she died, turning to her co-presenter Robert Wise (SoM producer) and shouting "SOUNDOFMUSIC" because she forgot why she was on stage.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Angela Cartwright (Brigitta) as Penny Robinson in "Lost in Space."

SmartAss said...

You had me at "Nazis and Nanny-Fuckers" ....

The classic TLo treatment for a classic musical.

Can't wait for Round II: Hiking through the alps, hiding in graveyards, mischievous nuns and more Rolf and more Nazis to look forward to ...

yawningdog said...

I was a stage hand for this production in high school and somehow our director decided that the crew had to be at all rehearsals. That is too much SOM for anyone. I haven't been able to watch this movie since then, 1979 or 80.

You may have just redeemed this film for me. Time to subject the kids to another one of mom's 'singing and dancing' movies.

bitchybitchybitchy said...

"Sit back and watch the show darling, I'm about to destroy a nun."
Hilarious!!!

Fabulous, too! I think there's no doubt that in a deathmatch that the Baroness would have whipped Maria to a pulp in 5 seconds-maybe less!

Bill said...

td - Plummer learned to play the guitar for the role, but then they dubbed over his playing anyway.

Anyone know of "auditioned but didn't get it" actors? I've heard that Kurt Russell, Mia Farrow, Kim Darby, some Osmond borthers, Sharon Tate & Patty Duke all auditioned for von Trapp child roles.

Hutchlover said...

smartass said...

"Can't wait for Round II: Hiking through the alps, hiding in graveyards, mischievous nuns and more Rolf and more Nazis to look forward to ... "

OMG, Rolf! I got the name wrong! ACCKK. It's been ages since I've seen it. I should go pop in my VHS just to remind me of the diva-ness of

wannabe said...

Because you guys are local, I'll say it simply:

Rolf = Michael Smerconish.

jabes said...

I used to know a woman who used to bring the Von Trapps to her summer home on Monhegan Island. The story goes that the locals didn't like the Von Trapps because they were kind of rowdy!

Anonymous said...

The most Catholic of musicals--a staple of my parochial school years--reduced to "nanny-fuckers." I love you guys.

P.S. Nicholas Hammond wasn't the only Von Trapp to appear on "The Brady Bunch." Kym Kerrith (who played the youngest child) made an appearance as Carrie Hathaway, Peter's crush who fell for Greg as part of a Cyrano de Bergerac farce. There is no Brady fact I do not know.

Lori

Anonymous said...

I'm so surprised nobody's talking about the hotness of the great Christopher Plummer, who made me squirm in my seat at the age of 8 when I first saw this movie. I didn't know why at the time but in a few years I totally understood.

Anonymous said...

Actually the real Maria Von Trapp has a micro-appearance in the movie, she can be seen walking past a doorway behind Julie Andrews as she is singing "I have confidence..."

My dad was raised by nuns and he always told me about the one nun who was nice to the kids and would play basketball and not beat them, she lasted about a month... and yes they would beat him on the knuckles with a ruler (hurts more then the palm) anyway he will get a giggle out of the "burnt nun" line
Thanks boys!!!
MT

snf in va said...

This was the very first movie I ever saw in a movie theater. I actually managed to stay awake through the entire thing: quite the achievement for a nursery-schooler.

Then, as now, the "Climb Every Mountain" scene makes me want to crawl under my seat and hide until it's over.

Lovedlovedloved the Baroness and her V-bows, even though she scared me, too.

Brandenburg3rd said...

Littlekarnak--has someone pointed out to your IT department that "gay" could be a part of another word? Heaven help anyone who wants to visit the village of Agay...they'll never get information.

Anonymous said...

SNF in VA:
YES!! Climb Every Mountain = time to go to the restroom and get more popcorn.

Worst.song.in.the.movie.

Bill said...

Lori, did you happen to notice Franz (the Nazi butler) in an epsiode of the Brady Bunch?

When Mike & Carol go out to dinner and a show and leave the older kids to babysit (Alice had plans), Gil Stuart (SoM's Franz) played the maitre'd in the restaurant.

Those damned Nazis are everywhere.

Badger said...

Didn't Bill Lee also sing for John Kerr in "South Pacific", Richard Beymer in "West Side Story" and James Shigeta in "Flower Drum Song"?

Jon Voight was one of the Broadway Rolfs and his first wife was Laurie Peterson who was the original Liesl.

Bill said...

Badger - Lee sang for John Kerr (Lt. Cable) in South Pacific and also for him in "Tea & Sympathy."

Jimmy Bryant sang Beymer's role in West Side Story.

Bryant and Lee dubbed the two male leads (Jimmy & Trevor Graydon, Milie's boyfriend and boss respectively) in the MTM/Channing musical mess, Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Shigeta has a decent voice and as far as I know has done his own movie singing (in FDS and Lost Horizon)

Madeline said...

Believe it or not, the little five-year-old was the first role I ever played on stage....oh the memories of stage exploitation.

snf in va said...

Hmmm.

"Six Degrees of Sound of Music" sounds like the perfect parlor game for this bunch...

Or how about a "Brady Bunch/Spot the Nazi" drinking game?

Sounds like fun to me!

Anonymous said...

Bill said...
Shigeta has a decent voice and as far as I know has done his own movie singing (in FDS and Lost Horizon).
He did.

OMG!
Lost Horizon! Not only the world's worst movie, the world's worst MUSICAL!

T-Lo,
For shits & giggles, PLEASE?!!!!

Love,
Emma P.

GothamTomato said...

"Sing it, penguins"



Oy, you gentiles have all the fun.

And what have I been missing here??? Have I missed The Wizard of Oz? Dirty Dancing? Funny Girl?

Is there an archive?

--Gotham Tomato

LittleKarnak said...

Anonymous said...
"I'm so surprised nobody's talking about the hotness of the great Christopher Plummer, who made me squirm in my seat at the age of 8 when I first saw this movie. I didn't know why at the time but in a few years I totally understood."

And he's STILL a great looking guy!

LittleKarnak said...

"Brandenburg3rd said...
Littlekarnak--has someone pointed out to your IT department that "gay" could be a part of another word? Heaven help anyone who wants to visit the village of Agay...they'll never get information."
I'm just a contract worker here so they couldn't care less what I think. From what I've heard from the regulars here, people have been known to never return from a trip to the IT dungeon, they are quite draconian around here. They have no concept of the "happy workers are productive workers" concept; today they blocked YouTube! (OK, that probably will improve productivity...)

Anonymous said...

I was exhausted from a stressful day at work and feeling sorry for myself - and then I read that you were reviewing the Sound of Music. I poured myself a vodka and lemonade and sat down to read. Thank you guys so much! You totally made my day! I can't describe how much I love you guys!

Sewing Siren said...

The costuming in this movie is a little weird. I would never guess it's supposed to be set just before WWII, to me it looks like the early 60's.

Anonymous said...

I just went on IMDB and the kid who played Rolf, Daniel Truhitte, his in-law's parents were named Rolf & Leisl! What are the odds!

Emma P.

Brandenburg3rd said...

Littlekarnak--

Or as we used to call it, "the UNhelp desk."

Supposedly we weren't to troll the internet--but after one endless meeting, our manager took the time to show off his fantasy football league, we figured we were safe. The only problem I ever had was looking at the People magazine interview with Tim Gunn--there was one picture of him 'drop trou.' OOPS!

Breezy said...

I have seen this movie so many times it's not even funny.

At one point I had the soundtrack on 8 track, cassette, LP, and CD. Scary, huh?

Anyway, it's nice to see a new spin on my most beloved musical. Thanks again, and I'm looking forward to part 2.

Anonymous said...

Bill,

We seriously need to be BFFs. I think I love you.

Lori

Badger said...

thanks for the corrections, bill.

On Nicholas Hammond as "Doug the guy who rejects Marcia because of her nose" on THE BRADY BUNCH, I always thought the nerdy guy was a lot cuter.

How about doing "The King and I" or "Damn Yankees"?

Bill said...

Lori - I think I love you right back.

But that sounds more like The Partridge Family than The Brady Bunch....

Paul Newell said...

In Part Two you musn't leave out the bit where the Mother Superior compares Maria's face to a vagina!

Laura said...

The real Maria Von Trapp did write a book, and apparently the Captain asked her to marry him and she went to the nuns to ask them what to do. They told her something along the lines of "its your destiny" and she went back to him and cried about it, but agreed to marry him. He was also 25 years older than her. He was also a submarine commander.

There was a baroness involved who was incredibly catty, and the captain and Maria made sure to live apart from each other before their wedding day, as the Baroness and their social circle had spread rumors about "why" they were getting married.

They did have a big wedding, and escaped to America as a singing group, but this is where it gets a bit weird. The majority of them (at least the ones in Vermont ?) at the Trapp Family Lodge wore traditional costuming for the majority/rest of their lives. Apparently it was a economical and easier choice as they could be passed down from girl to girl.

Also, the boys were farther apart in age, and the oldest was not a girl, but a boy (he often remarked when people asked him which child he was from the movie that he was Liesl.)

Maria also originally came to the Captain's home to tutor and care for the Captain's ill daughter, also named Maria, and not as governess for all of the children.

Maria and the Captain were apparently happy through their whole marriage, until he died not too long after the birth of their son, Johannes (I am not sure exactly how many years after he died, but he was ill when she gave birth, and they had thought Johannes was to be a girl and had planned on naming him Barbara). Maria lived another 40 something years after him.

The family had actually started doing singing events before they left Austria as they lost all of their money in a bank failure. The Captain did think it beneath his family to sing for money, but they pretty much had no choice if they wanted to survive. I am not sure if this is an urban legend of not, but the Von Trapp home in Austria became the headquarters of Heinrich Himmler after they fled. Georg and Maria also had 2 daughters, who I believe never married. One had some form of mental illness, and one became a nun. I can't remember if both happened to the same one.

Maria wrote a sequel to her book, called "A Family on Wheels." Maria was also a missionary for awhile.

Several of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also singers.

Her books are VERY religious in content, and she apparently kept a very strict faith-based household. The Von Trapp's youngest son still runs the Con Trapp family lodge in Stowe, Vermont to this day. Maria and the Captain are buried at the lodge.

Maria and her family saw hardly any money in revenues from the movie as she sold the rights for very little money.

I can't believe I remember all of this stuff.

Anonymous said...

Tom and Lorenzo--you "are a few of my fa-vor-ite things." That post just made my whole week! You're the best.

~kc

Badger said...

I read all of her books too. One of the things that bothered the family about the show is the portrayal of the Captain as a kind of martinet when in actuality it was Maria who was the tough one. In the world the Captain came from, people of his class did not work even if they lost all their money. So she was the one who took care of the family finances. Unfortunately, she was very impulsive and sometimes made bad deals like the one where she sold the rights to the family's story to a German movie company for basically pennies. She was also obsessed that the family remain together possibly because of her childhood where her own mother died when she was very very young and her father abandoned her. It wasn't until she got involved in church activities as a teenager that she felt a sense of community and family and that was why she wanted to become a nun. It was actually very traumatic when she was told God wanted her to marry the Captain. She took it as a rejection from God. She married the Captain mainly because she loved the children but it wasn't until she accepted that she wasn't meant for the cloister that she came to love him as a husband.

One of their daughters had a very severe nervous breakdown due to how strict Maria was about the family not ever being apart.

jenny said...

You guys are amazing! Love you!!!

Eva said...

Wait ... the butler's a Nazi?

Now I feel dumb.

Anonymous said...

It's really sad that the family sees very little money from the film seeing as how the film single handedly saved 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy. The film was half done sitting on a shelf when the Studio decided (in a last attempt decision) to unshelf it and spend what little money they had left to finish the film.

A great job on part 1, I look forward to part 2 tomorrow!

-Guy

Anonymous said...

I never noticed it before, but the "brook" by which Maria sings the opening number looks to be fake. Like they dug a trench, got some water in it, filmed the shot, and left it there as a muddy hazard for future hikers.

Anonymous said...

My 3 year old daughter has recently discovered this movie, and wants to listen to the soundtrack in the car at all times.
The only thing that sustains me through repeated viewings is the Baroness. I adore her! My favorite exchange in the whole film (forgive the paraphrase):

BARONESS: "Why didn't you tell me?"
MAX: "What?"
BARONESS: (Acidly) "To bring along my harmonica."

Anonymous said...

I think Liesl was neither "16 going on 17" nor "innocent as a rose". she looks like a 28 year old slut to me.

Carol said...

I am dying here. This is awesome!

I've always thought these 3 things every time I watch Sound of Music:

- Maria's Leaving the Convent outfit HAS to be made of sackcloth. It's the only explanation,
- That Baroness is my hero. Too bad she doesn't get the Captain. But I think she's too fabulous for a man who falls for a nun with THAT haircut.
- I love you Julie Andrew! But I hate your hair.

Anonymous said...

Darlings, I'm two years too late!

But TSoM is on ABC Family right now, and I couldn't stop laughing thinking about all of your little comments, (especially about the fabulous Baroness, played wonderfully by Eleanor Parker).

And all of the nun jabs, methinks the ladies are experiencing PCST.

(post catholic school trama)