Jeri Jacquin
Currently on 4K Ultra HD, Digital and Bluray available for the first time ever worldwide from 20th Century, Disney and director Robert Wise is the beloved Rogers & Hammerstein musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
It is 1938 Austria and Maria (Julie Andrews) is a young girl studying to be a nun at the Nonnberg Abbey. The problem is that all the nuns see the young girl as somewhat of a free spirit that might not exactly fit in at the Abbey. The Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) makes the decision to let Maria go outside the convent to see if there might be a place in the outside world that can keep up with her. Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) is a retired naval officer and widower with seven children needing a governess. Maria arrives to discover that the captain has been basically been running his house like the military.
Liesl (Charmian Carr), Fredrich (Nicholas Hammond), Louisa (Heather Menzies), Kurt (Duane Chase), Brigitta (Angela Cartwright), Marta (Debbie Turner) and Gretl (Kym Karath) have been scaring away governesses but they discover quite quickly that Maria doesn’t frighten so easily. While the captain is away in Vienna, Maria wins over the children as they spend time around Salzburg and bringing music back into their lives. When the captain returns, he brings the Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker) and family friend Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn) as well. Almost immediately, he is upset that his children are running around in play clothes and takes it out on Maria. When he hears his children singing, he becomes emotional.
The Baroness decides they should throw a formal ball inviting all around and isn’t happy when she sees the captain and Maria dancing together. Maria decides to return to the Abbey but it is the Mother Abbess who makes it clear that the young girl must decide for herself where her heart lies. Following that advise, Maria returns to the von Trapp household but that is the farthest problem for the family. The captain has been commissioned by the Third Reich to be a part of the Kriegsmarine. Determined to never follow the Nazis, the family must make the most daring decision of their lives!
Andrews are Maria is nothing short of brilliant in this role. Her charm, beauty, simplicity and voice bring such enjoyment to the film. As a young woman who knows so little of the world around her, finding herself at the von Trapps doorstep allowed her character to just, well, be herself in a way the children needed. The relationship with their father was equally as simple and lovely. There is no one on the planet who can find anything wrong with this portrayal and, if they tried, we might have words. Sharing the film with my granddaughter, she told me that is was one of the “coolest musicals” she had seen in a long while.
Plummer as Captain von Trapp begins with a military attitude to cover up the pain of being a widow. As anyone who comes from a military family back in the day can tell you, when dad tells you to jump – you ask, ‘how high?’. That being said, I always adored Plummer growing up and the diverse characters he played in films. In this film it is a pleasure to watch his character come alive because of a simple governess who loved life. Haydn as Detweiler wants his friend to be happy but also wants his children to be a part of the city’s festival. When the captain gives the thumbs down, it is Max who finds a way to turn that all around and it’s a good thing he did!
Parker as the Baroness is clearly on a mission to marry and she has her sights set on the captain. Playing this bit of a viper looks good on Parker and reminded me very much of one other actress that was good at it – Anne Baxter. Carr is so charming as Liesl, a very young girl who hasn’t quite outgrown needing a mother but wants to do what’s right in being a young adult. Hammond, Menzies, Turner and Chase are the middle children who are so full of life like Maria and just needed someone to navigate it in the right way for them. Cartwright is a familiar face as many might remember the television series Lost In Space. The cutie patootie of the film is Karath as Gretl with her charming smile and often saucy disposition.
Other cast include Anna Lee as Sister Margaretta, Portia Nelson as Sister Berthe, Doris Lloyd as Baroness Ebberfeld, Norma Varden as Frau Schmidt, Gil Stuart as Franz, Marni Nixon as Sister Sophia, Daniel Truhitte as Rolf, Evadne Baker as Sister Bernice and Ben Wright as Herr Zeller.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!
Bonus Features include on Disc 1 and 2 are 4K UHD THE SOUND OF MUSIC + Bonus Features- Sing-Along Version, Commentary by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmain Carr, Dee Dee Wood and Johannes von Trapp, and Commentary by Robert Wise. Disc 3 includes the Bonus Features The Sound of a City Documentary – Julie Andrews returns to Salzburg, Austria, A City of Song – Filming locations in Salzburg, Austria, Music Stages – The songs, the show & the family, Vintage Programs – THE SOUND OF MUSIC Rodgers and Hammerstein, location interviews and audio interviews, Rare Treasures – Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall: The Pratt Family Singers, The Julie Andrews Hour: Julie Andrews and Maria Von Trapp, Screen Tests, 40th Anniversary DVD Introduction by Julie Andrews and galleries, and Publicity – Fox Movietone News – Academy Awards, trailers and teasers, TV spots and radio spots.
It is not surprising that awards rained down on the film including from the Writers Guild of America, New York Film Critics Circle, National Film Preservation Board, National Board of Review, Laurel Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Directors Guild of America, David di Donatello Awards, British Academy Film Awards, American Cinema Editor Awards and, of course, five Academy Awards. The film has been restored by an award-winning film restoration team and transferred to 4K in stunning color. Recently making its way around the globe with theatrical screenings, live concert events and fan experiences, it is now time to enjoy THE SOUND OF MUSIC at home.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC was a staple that my family would go to see in the theatre when it played. It was my mother that brought me up on musicals and Julie Andrews was one of her most beloved favorite actresses. This film brings such charm, love, and innocence set in the backdrop of war time Austria. The captain was a man who refused to follow the Nazi ideology and made it clear that nothing would change that even though it put people at risk. Maria was a woman who would never have settled for the children in her care to live in that way. Andrews and Plummer played those roles so well that it was an ending the film deserved. It is also based on the real story of the von Trapp family. The story of this family is not only one of struggle and survival, but one of dedication and a closeness that bring the film even more value.
Gather your own family together and discover a musical that will be one that is remembered for years to come. Everyone who sees it today will understand how THE SOUND OF MUSIC has come to be one of the most cherished and beloved films of all time.
In the end – it is radiance that floods the screen and warms the heart!
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