The Von Trapp Family Singers

The Sound of Music (film)…

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Lisa: I first saw it fifty years ago. Holds up well.

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von Trapps in London 1937

Julia: But is it truthful? Is it what really happened?

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Lisa: Of course not. It’s simplified. But it’s not too far off.

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Julia: It still looks good. Even if the music is er, a little too catchy.

Film Cast 1965

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Lisa: You mean too popularised?

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Julia: Even Edelweiss is not an Austrian folk song. It was written for the musical. And the individuals weren’t true to character. Captain von Trapp was not a standoffish father. Maria wasn’t constantly sunny. And they didn’t traipse up over the hills to escape. They left by train and without a car chase.

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Voice-over

Simplifying a story to make a myth. It was centered around music, and many critics like Judith Crist and Pauline Kael panned the film. Too simple, too sentimental, they said. But many people went to see the film countless times. They must have liked it.

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