The truth about the Sound of Music family

[A Lark Ascending]

WARNING: Post-modernist deconstruction alert

I was obsessed with this film when it came out in the mid-60s (I was about 9). Watched it again a few years back and still enjoyed it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31658799

I like this bit:

In real life the oldest von Trapp child was Rupert but in the film it's a girl, sixteen-year-old Liesl who falls in love with the boy who delivers telegrams, Rolfe.

"In the real family my oldest sister was Agatha and she was a very introverted person," says Johannes, "and the thought of her doing that song and dance routine with the telegraph boy had us all rolling in the aisles in stitches."

Doesn't say what the family thought about Coltrane. Or Betty Carter!

Edited March 1, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[Michael Weiss]

http://www.nytimes.com/svc/crosswords/v2/puzzle/print/Mar0115.pdf

[seeline]

Bev, I was fascinated by the movie as a child, but I also read Maria Von Trapp's books at that time, so I knew that the musical was mostly fiction. Not sure if they were available where you grew up, but lots of copies were sold here in the US as a result of the success of both the B'way musical and the film version. I remember being disappointed that the actual story of the Von Trapps was so unlike the musical version, but at the same time, there were lots of interesting stories and details in M. Von Trapp's books that made for a good "alternate" version, as it were.

[A Lark Ascending]

Hadn't read it myself but knew that it had been 'spun' for the film. Didn't know the details. I just loved them all rolling round the floor at the way their reserved sister had been depicted.

[seeline]

I know! I also liked the descriptions of Maria Von Trapp (including her own), because she clearly bore little resemblance to the character in the musical - that person is much too tame to be the actual Maria V. T.

It must be very strange to see a musical based on one's own life, complete with children/siblings.