Product Details

• Actors: Christopher Plummer Julie Andrews, Eleanor Parker, Peggy Wood, Richard Haydn
• Directors: Robert Wise
• Producers: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: CBS / Fox
• Run Time: 172 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000A11ISC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #328,763 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The Sound of Music is a Broadway musical and movie based on the book The Von Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. It contains many hit songs, including "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Do-Re-Mi," and "The Lonely Goatherd", as well as the title song. In Salzburg, Austria, Maria, a woman studying to be a nun, is sent from her convent to be the governess of the seven children of a widowed naval commander, Captain Georg Ritter von Trapp. The children, initially hostile and mischievous, come to like her, and the woman finds herself falling in love with the captain. He was soon to be married to a baroness but he marries Maria instead. Maria teaches the children singing. Meanwhile, the Nazis take power in Austria and want Captain von Trapp back in service. However, during a singing performance in a theater, although they are guarded, the whole family manages to flee and walk over the mountains to Switzerland. This listing refers to the original U.S. release on CBS Fox (172 minutes)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "My heart wants to sing every song it hears", December 1, 2010

By 

Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sound of Music (VHS Tape)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC had 1443 performances between 11/16/59 and 6/15/1963. It garnered six Tonys including Best Musical, Actress (Mary Martin) and Featured Actress (Patricia Neway) and was nominated for four more. Robert Wise's 1965 film adaptation eliminates three songs but adds two. IMDB incorrectly reports that Portia Nelson appeared both on stage and in the movie. No original Broadway cast members are in the film.

SYNOPSIS--
Postulant Maria Rainer is having trouble adjusting to life in a nunnery so Mother Abbess sends her to the estate of Capt. Georg von Trapp where she is to be governess to his seven children. The captain has been embittered since his wife died. He runs his home like a ship and treats the children as its crew: giving them uniforms and whistle commands, strictly allowing no laughter, singing or gaiety.

The youngsters fight back by annoying every governess Trapp hires into quitting. Their practical jokes don't work on Maria though. Her pleasant manner and a refusal to maintain unbending discipline soon wins them over. When the captain goes off to visit his baroness girlfriend, Maria uses the opportunity to encourage regular playtime and exploration of beautiful Salzburg. She also teaches her charges how to sing and harmonize.

Their father comes home and sees his "crew" hanging joyously from trees and romping like the children they are. They all clumsily fall out of a rowboat, precipitating a loud fight between Trapp and Maria in which he orders her to leave. His anger quickly dissipates when the children sing for his guests, the Baroness and Max Detweiler. Their lovely harmonies melt Trapp's frozen heart and the visibly moved captain joins their song. He then asks Maria to stay. Max suggests entering the Trapp Family Singers in the prestigious Salzburg Festival and the captain refuses.

At an elegant party hosted by Trapp, Maria realizes she's falling in love with him. She leaves for the convent but Mother Abbess sends her back to the children, who are brokenhearted and have come looking for her. Maria learns of Trapp's engagement to the baroness upon her arrival so she prepares to return to the convent for good....

Songs in this classic musical are a delight, Austrian scenery more so, its story's always engaging, but best of all is the nuanced Oscar-nominated performance of Miss Andrews (she'd won the previous year for MARY POPPINS).

Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(7.9) The Sound of Music (1965) - Julie Andrews/Christopher Plummer/Eleanor Parker/Richard Haydn/Peggy Wood/Angela Cartwright (uncredited: Maria von Trapp)