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The Sound of Music Story: How A Beguiling Young Novice, A Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time
On March 2, 1965, "The Sound of Music" was released in the United States and the love affair between moviegoers and the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was on. Rarely has a film captured the love and imagination of the moviegoing public in the way that "The Sound of Music" did as it blended history, music, Austrian location filming, heartfelt emotion and the yodeling of Julie Andrews into a monster hit. Now, Tom Santopietro has written the ultimate "Sound of Music" fan book with all the inside dope from behind the scenes stories of the filming in Austria and Hollywood to new interviews with Johannes von Trapp and others. Santopietro looks back at the real life story of Maria von Trapp, goes on to chronicle the sensational success of the Broadway musical, and recounts the story of the near cancellation of the film when the "Cleopatra" bankrupted 20th Century Fox. We all know that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer played Maria and Captain Von Trapp, but who else had been considered? Tom Santopietro knows and will tell all while providing a historian’s critical analysis of the careers of director Robert Wise and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, a look at the critical controversy which greeted the movie, the film’s relationship to the turbulent 1960s and the super stardom which engulfed Julie Andrews. Tom Santopietro's "The Story of 'The Sound of Music'" is book for everyone who cherishes this American classic.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2015
70 people are currently reading
1377 people want to read
About the author
Tom Santopietro
16 books21 followersTom Santopietro is the author of seven books: Why To Kill a Mockingbird Matters, Barbara Cook: Then and Now, the bestselling The Sound of Music Story, The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America, and Me, Sinatra in Hollywood, Considering Doris Day (New York Times Sunday Book Review Editor’s Choice) and The Importance of Being Barbra. A frequent media commentator and interviewer, he lectures on classic films, and over the past thirty years has managed more than two dozen Broadway shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
May 24, 2017
Do you like “The Sound of Music”? Do you really, really want to know EVERYTHING about the movie, about the family von Trapp, about the filming of the movie, about the premier, the life of the actors and the people that made the movie? Do you feel the need to know about all the problems with the filming, the problems before the filming and stuff like that? Then, this is the book for you!
Personally, I found that the book contained way too much information that I just felt wasn't really that interesting to know or that I already knew from watching a documentary about the movie that I have on my DVD version. I mean, the von Trapp family history is interesting and of course, the filming of the movie is always nice to read about, but much of the information after the premier wasn't really that interesting to read about. You get the van Trapp family's history, what happened to all the children. You get to know how the life turned out for the actors that played in the movie. You get statistic about the movie.
But in the end, I would watch the documentary again instead of reading this book, I get the information I want/need and I get to watch the actors instead of reading about what they think about the movie. It's just so much cozier and there are no dry parts. The book felt sometimes a bit too heavy to read, too much information that just didn't interest me so much and also sometimes I felt that it lost the thread when it discussed other movies than "The Sound of Music”.
And, I wished that had been photos with the book. This is an ARC so I hope the complete book will have photos.
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
Personally, I found that the book contained way too much information that I just felt wasn't really that interesting to know or that I already knew from watching a documentary about the movie that I have on my DVD version. I mean, the von Trapp family history is interesting and of course, the filming of the movie is always nice to read about, but much of the information after the premier wasn't really that interesting to read about. You get the van Trapp family's history, what happened to all the children. You get to know how the life turned out for the actors that played in the movie. You get statistic about the movie.
But in the end, I would watch the documentary again instead of reading this book, I get the information I want/need and I get to watch the actors instead of reading about what they think about the movie. It's just so much cozier and there are no dry parts. The book felt sometimes a bit too heavy to read, too much information that just didn't interest me so much and also sometimes I felt that it lost the thread when it discussed other movies than "The Sound of Music”.
And, I wished that had been photos with the book. This is an ARC so I hope the complete book will have photos.
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!
February 5, 2019
I read this book for the Goodreads' book club Diversity in All Forms! If you would like to participate in the discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I'm glad I read this book because I learned a lot, but it definitely isn't a book I'll suggest to others. Because it is non-addicting and unless you really love the Sound of Music, it isn't a book to just joy read.
"On March 2, 1965, "The Sound of Music" was released in the United States and the love affair between moviegoers and the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was on. Rarely has a film captured the love and imagination of the moviegoing public in the way that "The Sound of Music" did as it blended history, music, Austrian location filming, heartfelt emotion and the yodeling of Julie Andrews into a monster hit. Now, Tom Santopietro has written the ultimate "Sound of Music" fan book with all the inside dope from behind the scenes stories of the filming in Austria and Hollywood to new interviews with Johannes von Trapp and others. Santopietro looks back at the real life story of Maria von Trapp, goes on to chronicle the sensational success of the Broadway musical, and recounts the story of the near cancellation of the film when the "Cleopatra" bankrupted 20th Century Fox. We all know that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer played Maria and Captain Von Trapp, but who else had been considered? Tom Santopietro knows and will tell all while providing a historian’s critical analysis of the careers of director Robert Wise and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, a look at the critical controversy which greeted the movie, the film’s relationship to the turbulent 1960s and the super stardom which engulfed Julie Andrews. Tom Santopietro's "The Story of 'The Sound of Music'" is book for everyone who cherishes this American classic."
I'm glad I read this book because I learned a lot, but it definitely isn't a book I'll suggest to others. Because it is non-addicting and unless you really love the Sound of Music, it isn't a book to just joy read.
"On March 2, 1965, "The Sound of Music" was released in the United States and the love affair between moviegoers and the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was on. Rarely has a film captured the love and imagination of the moviegoing public in the way that "The Sound of Music" did as it blended history, music, Austrian location filming, heartfelt emotion and the yodeling of Julie Andrews into a monster hit. Now, Tom Santopietro has written the ultimate "Sound of Music" fan book with all the inside dope from behind the scenes stories of the filming in Austria and Hollywood to new interviews with Johannes von Trapp and others. Santopietro looks back at the real life story of Maria von Trapp, goes on to chronicle the sensational success of the Broadway musical, and recounts the story of the near cancellation of the film when the "Cleopatra" bankrupted 20th Century Fox. We all know that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer played Maria and Captain Von Trapp, but who else had been considered? Tom Santopietro knows and will tell all while providing a historian’s critical analysis of the careers of director Robert Wise and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, a look at the critical controversy which greeted the movie, the film’s relationship to the turbulent 1960s and the super stardom which engulfed Julie Andrews. Tom Santopietro's "The Story of 'The Sound of Music'" is book for everyone who cherishes this American classic."
July 17, 2015
This is an interesting read, but I found there to be simply too much information in this. It's great if you are a super fan and want to know every little detail about every little thing, but to be honest I found it to get a little tiresome.
I love The Sound of Music, but I am not so obsessed that I feel the need to know what Julie Andrews eats for lunch everyday....(I'm exaggerating but you get the point). I would recommend this book to diehard Sound of Music fans only.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2025
‘The Sound of Music Story’ by Tom Santopietro is almost light-hearted, but the author, to his credit, mentions the bad stuff he learned about the von Trapps, and everyone else, even if in a light as possible, never using more-loaded words if soft-soap ones fit the mood, manner that fans expect.
The book includes a biography of everybody involved (producers, actors who performed in the movie, directors, writers, costume designers, music writers, etc.) in the fictionalization (my words) of the von Trapp family. There were different pseudo-biographical versions made up by different movie and stage producers of how the von Trapp family choir (oops, do not call it a choir! - bad vibe, according to the von Trapp’s American PR expert) supposedly came into existence. There were also several Broadway stage shows and revivals, many screenplays written, two German-language movies, etc. But the Hollywood movie version was loved by most of the 1960’s American public and won awards.
The movie WAS indeed a cleaned-up sanitized version of the von Trapp family. According to the brief biography in ‘The Sound of Music Story”, a third of the von Trapp ‘kids’ were full-grown adults when the Nazis invaded Austria. There were three more kids after Marie married von Trapp, who were disappeared from the movie. Marie was actually in real life a ball-busting stage mother, and a force of nature, an extremely strong-willed personality. The kids disliked touring and wanted to stay home. Mr. von Trapp was a sweet-natured unassuming fella who actually nurtured and comforted the kids, unlike Marie. The marriage was not a love match, it was a business proposal (like, I need a nanny, you need a home) and the proposal was asked through one of the children while Marie was on a ladder changing a light bulb or cleaning or something. Marie did not teach the children how to sing. The children were already musical and singing before Marie was hired. Marie had an awful childhood - she was abused, neglected and abandoned. She did try to be a nun and she became a missionary who went all over the world on missions after the von Trapp family refused to tour anymore. She hired fake von Trapp children to tour, but it didn’t work out after the hired child actors asked Marie to be paid for their singing.
Confession: I hated the Hollywood movie “The Sound of Music.” It seemed like a cleaned-up falsified version of a family to me when I first saw it. I thought so because, hello, in the real world of the era, there was the Great Depression, World War II, killer Nazis, the ongoing murder of 6 million Jews and at least 3 million Poles/gypsies/Russians/all of the mentally retarded/homosexuals/university professors, and anybody else not considered White Aryan (whatever that was). Somehow this huge blended family of children of all ages, having undergone the grief of their real mom having died, and having a stepmom who was a nightmare religious disciplinarian, and suffering the loss of home, stuff, land, and all of their money, somehow came out of it all as happy and blissed out as larks.
The movie also bored me to death. I even saw it in a movie theater, on a Wide Screen and a super sound system and everything. Everyone in the movie with helmet hair, polished shoes, waxed floors, perfect color-coordinated flower arrangements and whitened teeth - all aspirational goals for middle-class American fans, of course, with instructive articles in Home Beautiful, Housekeeping and Redbook Magazines with tips on how to achieve that famous von Trapp family look.
I thought it all saccharine sentimental 1950’s bullsh*t, a movie produced as a designed last gasp reboot attempt to force a Hays/Production-Catholic-Church-Code happy-face wallpaper over real-life horrors.
I was correct it seems.
A small breath of honesty. At least the book is that.
P.s. The von Trapps never sang the music in the movie throughout their professional careers.
The book includes a biography of everybody involved (producers, actors who performed in the movie, directors, writers, costume designers, music writers, etc.) in the fictionalization (my words) of the von Trapp family. There were different pseudo-biographical versions made up by different movie and stage producers of how the von Trapp family choir (oops, do not call it a choir! - bad vibe, according to the von Trapp’s American PR expert) supposedly came into existence. There were also several Broadway stage shows and revivals, many screenplays written, two German-language movies, etc. But the Hollywood movie version was loved by most of the 1960’s American public and won awards.
The movie WAS indeed a cleaned-up sanitized version of the von Trapp family. According to the brief biography in ‘The Sound of Music Story”, a third of the von Trapp ‘kids’ were full-grown adults when the Nazis invaded Austria. There were three more kids after Marie married von Trapp, who were disappeared from the movie. Marie was actually in real life a ball-busting stage mother, and a force of nature, an extremely strong-willed personality. The kids disliked touring and wanted to stay home. Mr. von Trapp was a sweet-natured unassuming fella who actually nurtured and comforted the kids, unlike Marie. The marriage was not a love match, it was a business proposal (like, I need a nanny, you need a home) and the proposal was asked through one of the children while Marie was on a ladder changing a light bulb or cleaning or something. Marie did not teach the children how to sing. The children were already musical and singing before Marie was hired. Marie had an awful childhood - she was abused, neglected and abandoned. She did try to be a nun and she became a missionary who went all over the world on missions after the von Trapp family refused to tour anymore. She hired fake von Trapp children to tour, but it didn’t work out after the hired child actors asked Marie to be paid for their singing.
Confession: I hated the Hollywood movie “The Sound of Music.” It seemed like a cleaned-up falsified version of a family to me when I first saw it. I thought so because, hello, in the real world of the era, there was the Great Depression, World War II, killer Nazis, the ongoing murder of 6 million Jews and at least 3 million Poles/gypsies/Russians/all of the mentally retarded/homosexuals/university professors, and anybody else not considered White Aryan (whatever that was). Somehow this huge blended family of children of all ages, having undergone the grief of their real mom having died, and having a stepmom who was a nightmare religious disciplinarian, and suffering the loss of home, stuff, land, and all of their money, somehow came out of it all as happy and blissed out as larks.
The movie also bored me to death. I even saw it in a movie theater, on a Wide Screen and a super sound system and everything. Everyone in the movie with helmet hair, polished shoes, waxed floors, perfect color-coordinated flower arrangements and whitened teeth - all aspirational goals for middle-class American fans, of course, with instructive articles in Home Beautiful, Housekeeping and Redbook Magazines with tips on how to achieve that famous von Trapp family look.
I thought it all saccharine sentimental 1950’s bullsh*t, a movie produced as a designed last gasp reboot attempt to force a Hays/Production-Catholic-Church-Code happy-face wallpaper over real-life horrors.
I was correct it seems.
A small breath of honesty. At least the book is that.
P.s. The von Trapps never sang the music in the movie throughout their professional careers.
March 21, 2016
Since the enormously popular movie based on the story of the Von Trapp family was released 50 years ago, numerous books have been published about the family, the movie, or both. This reviewer tried reading Mrs. Von Trapp’s memoir many years ago and found it surprisingly dry. Not so with this humdinger by Tom Santopietro. When it comes out in February, you may want to read it even if entertainment history is not usually of interest to you. Because after all, The Sound of Music is not just any movie! Thank you, thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC so that I could check it out and report back prior to the release date.
That said, if your entire life has been spent sad and deprived, or with your nose to a video game or hiding under a rock and so, somehow, you have never seen this movie, watch the movie first. It is a full three hours long, and not a single moment is wasted. In the tradition of Rogers and Hammerstein, the music forms a part of the narrative, rather than something inserted in between lines of a story which slow it down. Painstaking care was leant to avoid having a moment when the audience would collectively think, “Ho hum, I can see we’re about to burst into song here.” In fact, musicals were not much in fashion anymore, and religious films, which had enjoyed popularity just prior to this one, were now considered old and outdated. Extraordinary effort was taken to engage the audience, and it shows.
One reason it was even considered, odds being what they were, was that the stage version of The Sound of Music, which starred Mary Martin as Maria, had sold tickets like hotcakes. The possibility of a successful motion picture was intriguing. There was no way to use Martin for the film, though; she would have been past the age of fifty years when filming began, and things that can be obscured or disguised on stage tend to show up on camera. There could be no painted backgrounds for film—how cheesy! An entirely new script, with two additional songs added by the original composers, made it much more appealing than the stage version. A lot of money went into making this show work, and it was money well spent.
How the deal was struck to make the movie is explained thoroughly without trying the reader’s patience with a lot of extraneous or uninteresting detail. Each time I thought perhaps I was getting too much information—such as back-stories on the behind-the-scenes specialists—the narrative would lead from there into the aspects of the film that were their particular contributions, and then I would understand why I needed to know about that person. The creator of that gob-smackingly gorgeous wedding dress? Oh, hell yes! The choreographers who put together the whole nine-minute Do-Re-Mi music video…oh, yes I guess that was pretty amazing, so yes! And behind all of it was the genius of Robert Wise, a producer and director I had never even especially noticed before, but now will never forget.
I loved walking through the casting roster. Hmmm, who should play Maria? How about Angie Dickinson? (If you are old enough to remember her, you’ve got to find this pretty amusing.) Mia Farrow? She would’ve had the job if she could’ve sung better. Doris Day had a red-hot career going, but she turned this one down cold, accurately pointing out that her resume had been built by being the quintessential all-American girl, and just how was anyone suddenly going to think she was an Austrian nun? Point well taken.
Some of the others were fun, too. How about Yul Brynner as the captain? He really wanted that job. NO. And so it goes.
Interwoven throughout are the real family Von Trapp. Once she had accepted the deal and signed on the dotted line, the real “Sister Maria” was every bit as outspoken in real life as her fictional counterpart. In fact, she was so outspoken in her limitless suggestions as to how the film could be kept more in keeping with events as they unfolded that finally, a letter was sent off to her explaining, for once and all, that the movie was based “loosely” on her own story and was not intended to be a documentary. Stay out of the way; we’re making a movie here!
Which scenes were shot on a Paramount stage, and which were on location? Sometimes the difference is a matter of angle, with scenes being freely mixed. (The Von Trapp manse had several different locations, according to whether one was out front, out back, indoors, or in the gazebo.)
Imagine Maria skipping down that lane singing “I Have Confidence”…with fifty or so cameramen and other personnel following closely. And didn’t she make it all look easy? A clue: it wasn’t. That woman had an unstoppable work ethic!
And what of the Von Trapps now? Once they emigrated (not really through the Swiss Alps, silly; for one thing, to get there from Austria, you have to go through Germany!), they came to the United States, flat broke after a life of great comfort, albeit not as much luxury as depicted on film. They sang and toured till some of the “children” were sick to death of it and vowed to sink deep roots and stay put ASAP. Eventually they founded a ski lodge in Vermont, where the grand-Von-Trapps, at least some of them, still live and work.
Was Julie Andrews really that nice, or was she different off-camera? You have to read the book, and then you’ll know. Who else is remembered fondly by the cast, and who not-so-much? It’s all here.
Even less central aspects of the story, such as the campy sing along tradition that draws thousands anually, many in full costume (even dressed up as carburetors!) and likened to a nerdy version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, are interesting and amusing.
What’s more, after you read the book, if it affects you as it did me, then no matter how many times you have watched the movie, you will need to see it again in order to appreciate everything you just read. Happily, we had the DVD ready to hand, and my daughter, who has also watched a number of times before, and I nestled next to the Christmas tree and re-watched it, with me pointing things out to her as we went along.
If you don’t have a date for New Year’s or prefer a less boisterous evening in the privacy of your own home, this movie just could be a great plan for you! Then you’ll be properly ready to read the book once it comes out around Valentine’s Day.
Mark your calendar. This story-behind-the-story is worth the anticipation.
That said, if your entire life has been spent sad and deprived, or with your nose to a video game or hiding under a rock and so, somehow, you have never seen this movie, watch the movie first. It is a full three hours long, and not a single moment is wasted. In the tradition of Rogers and Hammerstein, the music forms a part of the narrative, rather than something inserted in between lines of a story which slow it down. Painstaking care was leant to avoid having a moment when the audience would collectively think, “Ho hum, I can see we’re about to burst into song here.” In fact, musicals were not much in fashion anymore, and religious films, which had enjoyed popularity just prior to this one, were now considered old and outdated. Extraordinary effort was taken to engage the audience, and it shows.
One reason it was even considered, odds being what they were, was that the stage version of The Sound of Music, which starred Mary Martin as Maria, had sold tickets like hotcakes. The possibility of a successful motion picture was intriguing. There was no way to use Martin for the film, though; she would have been past the age of fifty years when filming began, and things that can be obscured or disguised on stage tend to show up on camera. There could be no painted backgrounds for film—how cheesy! An entirely new script, with two additional songs added by the original composers, made it much more appealing than the stage version. A lot of money went into making this show work, and it was money well spent.
How the deal was struck to make the movie is explained thoroughly without trying the reader’s patience with a lot of extraneous or uninteresting detail. Each time I thought perhaps I was getting too much information—such as back-stories on the behind-the-scenes specialists—the narrative would lead from there into the aspects of the film that were their particular contributions, and then I would understand why I needed to know about that person. The creator of that gob-smackingly gorgeous wedding dress? Oh, hell yes! The choreographers who put together the whole nine-minute Do-Re-Mi music video…oh, yes I guess that was pretty amazing, so yes! And behind all of it was the genius of Robert Wise, a producer and director I had never even especially noticed before, but now will never forget.
I loved walking through the casting roster. Hmmm, who should play Maria? How about Angie Dickinson? (If you are old enough to remember her, you’ve got to find this pretty amusing.) Mia Farrow? She would’ve had the job if she could’ve sung better. Doris Day had a red-hot career going, but she turned this one down cold, accurately pointing out that her resume had been built by being the quintessential all-American girl, and just how was anyone suddenly going to think she was an Austrian nun? Point well taken.
Some of the others were fun, too. How about Yul Brynner as the captain? He really wanted that job. NO. And so it goes.
Interwoven throughout are the real family Von Trapp. Once she had accepted the deal and signed on the dotted line, the real “Sister Maria” was every bit as outspoken in real life as her fictional counterpart. In fact, she was so outspoken in her limitless suggestions as to how the film could be kept more in keeping with events as they unfolded that finally, a letter was sent off to her explaining, for once and all, that the movie was based “loosely” on her own story and was not intended to be a documentary. Stay out of the way; we’re making a movie here!
Which scenes were shot on a Paramount stage, and which were on location? Sometimes the difference is a matter of angle, with scenes being freely mixed. (The Von Trapp manse had several different locations, according to whether one was out front, out back, indoors, or in the gazebo.)
Imagine Maria skipping down that lane singing “I Have Confidence”…with fifty or so cameramen and other personnel following closely. And didn’t she make it all look easy? A clue: it wasn’t. That woman had an unstoppable work ethic!
And what of the Von Trapps now? Once they emigrated (not really through the Swiss Alps, silly; for one thing, to get there from Austria, you have to go through Germany!), they came to the United States, flat broke after a life of great comfort, albeit not as much luxury as depicted on film. They sang and toured till some of the “children” were sick to death of it and vowed to sink deep roots and stay put ASAP. Eventually they founded a ski lodge in Vermont, where the grand-Von-Trapps, at least some of them, still live and work.
Was Julie Andrews really that nice, or was she different off-camera? You have to read the book, and then you’ll know. Who else is remembered fondly by the cast, and who not-so-much? It’s all here.
Even less central aspects of the story, such as the campy sing along tradition that draws thousands anually, many in full costume (even dressed up as carburetors!) and likened to a nerdy version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, are interesting and amusing.
What’s more, after you read the book, if it affects you as it did me, then no matter how many times you have watched the movie, you will need to see it again in order to appreciate everything you just read. Happily, we had the DVD ready to hand, and my daughter, who has also watched a number of times before, and I nestled next to the Christmas tree and re-watched it, with me pointing things out to her as we went along.
If you don’t have a date for New Year’s or prefer a less boisterous evening in the privacy of your own home, this movie just could be a great plan for you! Then you’ll be properly ready to read the book once it comes out around Valentine’s Day.
Mark your calendar. This story-behind-the-story is worth the anticipation.
December 30, 2014
It was fun to think about what a huge part of culture this movie has become, and inspiring to know that its goodness never went out of style. I've read Maria's and Agathe's memoirs and maybe some others (Richard Rodgers' wife), and have seen the movie countless times, just like everyone my age, I guess. Its appeal never fades.
First of all I enjoyed thinking about how much the tweaks to the movie script improved upon the stage production. This book explains each production decision in a way that makes a fun read. I've seen a couple of recent performances of the stage musical, with the additional songs by the Baroness and without "I Have Confidence," and in the stage version you feel the shadow of Nazi collaboration much more strongly. It's in the movie, too, but it's subtle. I was a grownup before I realized the butler was a Nazi in the movie.
Since we've all seen the movie and its credits umpteen times, we're going, "Robert Wise turned it down and they signed William Wyler to direct? No!" And then it is interesting to see how this bit of history played out.
It's also enjoyable to think about the mid-60s as a time of radical change and how SM was so solidly old-fashioned in the era of Bonnie and Clyde or Hair. Mad Men fans will appreciate this examination of 60s pop culture. I hadn't realized how snide the New York critics were in almost universally loathing this movie. It made me realize that I never liked or trusted Pauline Kael's reviews anyway.
But when the movie first came out, I was 6 years old and my brother 4 and we were completely captivated. As the book points out, it had a limited engagement in only a few theaters, and we went all the way to Memphis to see it at a beautiful, modern single-screen theater in Eastgate that was roughly where the Fresh Market is today. We were scrubbed and dressed as if for church, and were cautioned to be on our best behavior, as there was some question in my dad's mind as to whether we were old enough to sit through a 3-hour movie. No worries there. We left the theater enchanted, twirling and singing.
I saw it again in the theater when I was at the dreadful age of about 14 when I was too cool for dumb musicals, or so I thought. But even at the nadir of my teenage surliness, the movie got to me and I loved it. Years later my kids watched it on VHS endlessly, mostly rewinding the "Lonely Goatherd" puppet sequence over and over.
Now the movie will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015. This is a good time to take a look at the movie and tell its story (and keep an eye out for an anniversary Blu Ray edition). What I took away from the book is the sense of goodness and family that developed during production. The movie, a huge gamble, almost single-handedly saved Fox Studios from bankruptcy. The actors who played the children in the movie became lifelong friends. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer have earned the artistic recognition they deserve. So have most all the crew. The Von Trapp family have learned to live with their legacy. The movie, still breathtaking in 70mm, has become a singalong favorite to this day. "Do Re Mi" started the flashmob phenomenon.
Santopietro does a good job of placing the musical in the context of 20th- and 21st century culture, omitting little, with one exception. In the chapter "Six Characters in Search of a Director" he quotes legendary director Billy Wilder as having said, "No musical with swastikas in it will ever be a success." Santopietro goes on to point out that not only was SM hugely successful, but so was Cabaret, both on stage and film. I would also have mentioned The Producers, which, interestingly, was made in 1967, while SM was still running in theaters, and remained nothing more than a quirky little cult film for decades until Mel Brooks upcycled it into a hit musical for another generation. I mean, when you hear the words "musical with swastikas," who doesn't think of "Springtime for Hitler" and Brooks's declaration that the way to defeat the Nazis once and for all was to make fun of them?
Anyway, the author doesn't go there, and he could have. But he goes into much enjoyable territory, and I am sure that the film's legions of fans will want to read this uplifting tribute to a great, great film. I am thankful to have received an advance copy of the book from Netgalley. I would recommend this book to--, well, pretty much anyone.
First of all I enjoyed thinking about how much the tweaks to the movie script improved upon the stage production. This book explains each production decision in a way that makes a fun read. I've seen a couple of recent performances of the stage musical, with the additional songs by the Baroness and without "I Have Confidence," and in the stage version you feel the shadow of Nazi collaboration much more strongly. It's in the movie, too, but it's subtle. I was a grownup before I realized the butler was a Nazi in the movie.
Since we've all seen the movie and its credits umpteen times, we're going, "Robert Wise turned it down and they signed William Wyler to direct? No!" And then it is interesting to see how this bit of history played out.
It's also enjoyable to think about the mid-60s as a time of radical change and how SM was so solidly old-fashioned in the era of Bonnie and Clyde or Hair. Mad Men fans will appreciate this examination of 60s pop culture. I hadn't realized how snide the New York critics were in almost universally loathing this movie. It made me realize that I never liked or trusted Pauline Kael's reviews anyway.
But when the movie first came out, I was 6 years old and my brother 4 and we were completely captivated. As the book points out, it had a limited engagement in only a few theaters, and we went all the way to Memphis to see it at a beautiful, modern single-screen theater in Eastgate that was roughly where the Fresh Market is today. We were scrubbed and dressed as if for church, and were cautioned to be on our best behavior, as there was some question in my dad's mind as to whether we were old enough to sit through a 3-hour movie. No worries there. We left the theater enchanted, twirling and singing.
I saw it again in the theater when I was at the dreadful age of about 14 when I was too cool for dumb musicals, or so I thought. But even at the nadir of my teenage surliness, the movie got to me and I loved it. Years later my kids watched it on VHS endlessly, mostly rewinding the "Lonely Goatherd" puppet sequence over and over.
Now the movie will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015. This is a good time to take a look at the movie and tell its story (and keep an eye out for an anniversary Blu Ray edition). What I took away from the book is the sense of goodness and family that developed during production. The movie, a huge gamble, almost single-handedly saved Fox Studios from bankruptcy. The actors who played the children in the movie became lifelong friends. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer have earned the artistic recognition they deserve. So have most all the crew. The Von Trapp family have learned to live with their legacy. The movie, still breathtaking in 70mm, has become a singalong favorite to this day. "Do Re Mi" started the flashmob phenomenon.
Santopietro does a good job of placing the musical in the context of 20th- and 21st century culture, omitting little, with one exception. In the chapter "Six Characters in Search of a Director" he quotes legendary director Billy Wilder as having said, "No musical with swastikas in it will ever be a success." Santopietro goes on to point out that not only was SM hugely successful, but so was Cabaret, both on stage and film. I would also have mentioned The Producers, which, interestingly, was made in 1967, while SM was still running in theaters, and remained nothing more than a quirky little cult film for decades until Mel Brooks upcycled it into a hit musical for another generation. I mean, when you hear the words "musical with swastikas," who doesn't think of "Springtime for Hitler" and Brooks's declaration that the way to defeat the Nazis once and for all was to make fun of them?
Anyway, the author doesn't go there, and he could have. But he goes into much enjoyable territory, and I am sure that the film's legions of fans will want to read this uplifting tribute to a great, great film. I am thankful to have received an advance copy of the book from Netgalley. I would recommend this book to--, well, pretty much anyone.
September 7, 2015
One star, and I'll be happy to tell you why.
This book is HORRIBLY edited. HORRIBLY. There are too many examples of inconsistent spelling of proper names; misspellings of words that may or may not be typos; repetition of words in the same paragraph or even the same sentence (okay, this one is so..what? funny? I don't know...that I have to mention it -- shadowboxing the shadow of something? PLEASE MAKE IT STOP), repetition of facts in consecutive sentences or in the same sentence (here we go again: Born in Moscow, he studied painting in his native Moscow...); misplaced commas; and other offenses against accurate grammar, syntax, and good writing to go into in great detail here.
I'm not being a pedantic, hyper-aware, eye-rolling, haughty grammar/syntax/writing cop. I swear I'm not (though I am capable, and guilty, of it from time to time). What I'm being is a reader who expects AND DESERVES better than she got from this publisher. And it's St. Martin's Press, for God's sake; this isn't some vanity-published piece. This is downright insulting -- somebody was careless or arrogant enough to unleash this on an unsuspecting public and should be held accountable for the misdeed. It's as if the manuscript was just typeset, or whatever they do these days, and out it went into the bookstores.
As for the content, yawn -- I read an interview with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in "Vanity Fair" a while back that was much more engaging and personal than this thing was.
DON'T BOTHER.
This book is HORRIBLY edited. HORRIBLY. There are too many examples of inconsistent spelling of proper names; misspellings of words that may or may not be typos; repetition of words in the same paragraph or even the same sentence (okay, this one is so..what? funny? I don't know...that I have to mention it -- shadowboxing the shadow of something? PLEASE MAKE IT STOP), repetition of facts in consecutive sentences or in the same sentence (here we go again: Born in Moscow, he studied painting in his native Moscow...); misplaced commas; and other offenses against accurate grammar, syntax, and good writing to go into in great detail here.
I'm not being a pedantic, hyper-aware, eye-rolling, haughty grammar/syntax/writing cop. I swear I'm not (though I am capable, and guilty, of it from time to time). What I'm being is a reader who expects AND DESERVES better than she got from this publisher. And it's St. Martin's Press, for God's sake; this isn't some vanity-published piece. This is downright insulting -- somebody was careless or arrogant enough to unleash this on an unsuspecting public and should be held accountable for the misdeed. It's as if the manuscript was just typeset, or whatever they do these days, and out it went into the bookstores.
As for the content, yawn -- I read an interview with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in "Vanity Fair" a while back that was much more engaging and personal than this thing was.
DON'T BOTHER.
April 14, 2015
Synopsis: In 1965, The Sound of Music hit the big screens. What is the back story to this long held, classic family favorite that remains popular to this day?
My rating: 5 Stars
My opinion: OK, first a disclosure: I am a HUGE Sound of Music fan. When I say huge, I mean behemoth huge. I have seen this movie well over 200 times in my 47 years on this earth. I own three copies of the DVD. I have scenes from this movie memorized. I have read almost every book put out on this movie and, I believe, all of the von Trapp family books and it is on my bucket list to visit the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.
I found Mr. Santopietro's book to be incredibly well researched and beyond detailed oriented. I find it easy to say that of all the books on this subject I have read, Santopietro's is easily the best. The book did have periods of dryness or that seemed to drag in over describing occurances, but those were few and far between and I found that I was able to overlook them with some new things that I had learned.
This book would have been 10/5 stars if photos were included. Especially with this book, couldn't figure out why photos weren't included. I will say that a member of Goodreads did comment on my preliminary review that she had purchased a copy and that there were pictures included in her version.
My rating: 5 Stars
My opinion: OK, first a disclosure: I am a HUGE Sound of Music fan. When I say huge, I mean behemoth huge. I have seen this movie well over 200 times in my 47 years on this earth. I own three copies of the DVD. I have scenes from this movie memorized. I have read almost every book put out on this movie and, I believe, all of the von Trapp family books and it is on my bucket list to visit the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.
I found Mr. Santopietro's book to be incredibly well researched and beyond detailed oriented. I find it easy to say that of all the books on this subject I have read, Santopietro's is easily the best. The book did have periods of dryness or that seemed to drag in over describing occurances, but those were few and far between and I found that I was able to overlook them with some new things that I had learned.
This book would have been 10/5 stars if photos were included. Especially with this book, couldn't figure out why photos weren't included. I will say that a member of Goodreads did comment on my preliminary review that she had purchased a copy and that there were pictures included in her version.
July 5, 2018
3.5, and I love The Sound of Music. I felt the author was a little condescending to his own subject.
The story of the making-of was fun and fascinating, and the cultural impact noted. But I never got the sense the author actually liked the movie for its own sake. He kept calling it "too sweet" in different adjectives and basically said people like it as wish fulfillment--disregarding their own know-better views on real life to willingly enter into this happy, historical Austrian fairytale. Not that he's judging them for it, of course. Of course.
The story of the making-of was fun and fascinating, and the cultural impact noted. But I never got the sense the author actually liked the movie for its own sake. He kept calling it "too sweet" in different adjectives and basically said people like it as wish fulfillment--disregarding their own know-better views on real life to willingly enter into this happy, historical Austrian fairytale. Not that he's judging them for it, of course. Of course.
February 17, 2015
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Typically, I really enjoy a 'behind the scenes' look at the icons such as The Sound of Music. Yet while this book is full of information about the movie, nothing felt new, interesting, or what I couldn't have found either on IMDB or having watched the several anniversary appearances of the cast on Oprah or Good Morning America. A lot of the book is just putting facts into perspective (e.g., telling about the accomplishments of every single cast member, from editor to star) rather than riveting perspectives from 'insider' knowledge. It amounts to a lot of congratulatory statements about how amazing and perfect each person was who worked on the movie and how the movie is so incredibly perfect as to be canon. The last 25% of the book is pretty much the author's opinion on the movie's impact and how well it has held up over time. So, again, although not a terrible book, I really didn't feel I finished it knowing that much more about the subject than if I had watched a few Youtube clips or looked on IMDB.The book takes a chronological approach, starting with the broadway play and the decisions on whether a movie would be made from what was considered at the time a dying breed: the saccharine musicals. With the exception of Andrews and the child actors, few people wanted to do the movie and the studio was hurting for cash after big name flops (read: Cleopatra). There was a bit of information about the Von Trapp family, changes for dramatic purposes from the real story, and a little known German film telling their story.
The book then delves into the filming - talking mostly about the musical numbers and the daunting task of filming them. Of course, the serendipitous moments that improved them and the obstacles (constant Austrian rain) come up a lot. Plummer's reluctance to do the movie and his recalcitrance on the set to interact with the other actors are dismissed as almost method acting to play the uptight Captain. And there are a lot of pages dedicated to talking about how the actors, children and adults alike, were the most amazing ever put on film.
More plaudits follow as the film is released and starts to do very well. There isn't a lot discussed about any negative impacts on the actors following the success of the movie - the book really does focus nearly exclusively on the positives. E.g., discussions about rain causing massive delays during filming turns into a "but we all got to know each other better in the tent at those times" or "Andrews never once complained and was always smiling and pleasant to everyone even after sitting in a tent outside of the rain for all day."
Ironically, for me this book echoed the film in that it is a very pleasant and sweet dissembling that, while at heart a true story, somehow feels like a very slick big studio production. If Rogers and Hammerstein were still alive, passages in the book could be put to music and it would be as applicable to the reality of making Sound of Music as the movie was to the Von Trapp family's actual lives. Definitely not a terrible book but I was hoping/expecting more depth. Reviewed from an advance readers copy provided by the publisher.
June 29, 2018
Like probably every human of my generation, I'm an enormous fan of Julie Andrews, and unlike many, I love musicals. So I was hoping to love this book...but was disappointed. A better subtitle would be "The story of the making of the movie and other events seemingly related." And it's important to note that, like our reviews, the book is largely opinions - written by one who loves the movie, viewed through his lens.
The details about selecting the cast were interesting - particularly now, when it's hard to picture anyone else in the picture. I also liked the "where are they now" portion, especially members of the original von Trapp family. I thought what was written about Maria von Trapp was unfair; she couldn't have accomplished what she did without leaving the traditional 1930's wife & mother role behind. A little appreciation might have been nice.
By chapter 21 I was tired of the defensive posturing of the author -the indignation that anyone would dislike our beloved film was constant throughout the book. A large number of contemporary critics did find the movie overly sweet; it certainly didn't keep people from going to the movie, or the industry from giving awards. The same tone was there about Julie Andrews (and Sidney Poitier - not sure how he got so many paragraphs in the book - did I miss him in the cast?).
Those seemingly related events included entire chapters each on the Broadway Reprise, the Television Phenomenon, etc. I would have thought there would be at least 300 pages to devote to the making of a film, but there's only 196 (including the Academy Awards) - you're just past the surprisingly limited set of photos and then we're off to talk about the after effects, like Julie is a Star thanks to Mary Poppins + Sound of Music, but then She Makes The Wrong Films.
I'm lucky enough to have read "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" and "Yesterday, Today and Forever" by Maria Von Trapp - "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" by Mary Martin. Those books left me with far greater insight into "How A Beguiling Young Novice, a Handsome Austrian Caption, and Ten[ish] Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time"(the subtitle of this book).
Although it's clear that this author of "the Sound Of Music Story" loves the movie, and has done a yeoman's work of research (per his bibliography), I wish that there was more to show for it.Not a keeper.
The details about selecting the cast were interesting - particularly now, when it's hard to picture anyone else in the picture. I also liked the "where are they now" portion, especially members of the original von Trapp family. I thought what was written about Maria von Trapp was unfair; she couldn't have accomplished what she did without leaving the traditional 1930's wife & mother role behind. A little appreciation might have been nice.
By chapter 21 I was tired of the defensive posturing of the author -the indignation that anyone would dislike our beloved film was constant throughout the book. A large number of contemporary critics did find the movie overly sweet; it certainly didn't keep people from going to the movie, or the industry from giving awards. The same tone was there about Julie Andrews (and Sidney Poitier - not sure how he got so many paragraphs in the book - did I miss him in the cast?).
Those seemingly related events included entire chapters each on the Broadway Reprise, the Television Phenomenon, etc. I would have thought there would be at least 300 pages to devote to the making of a film, but there's only 196 (including the Academy Awards) - you're just past the surprisingly limited set of photos and then we're off to talk about the after effects, like Julie is a Star thanks to Mary Poppins + Sound of Music, but then She Makes The Wrong Films.
I'm lucky enough to have read "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" and "Yesterday, Today and Forever" by Maria Von Trapp - "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" by Mary Martin. Those books left me with far greater insight into "How A Beguiling Young Novice, a Handsome Austrian Caption, and Ten[ish] Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time"(the subtitle of this book).
Although it's clear that this author of "the Sound Of Music Story" loves the movie, and has done a yeoman's work of research (per his bibliography), I wish that there was more to show for it.Not a keeper.
March 19, 2015
When I saw this on the USA Today website, I knew I had to read it. The Sound of Music is one of my all time favorite movies so I splurged and spent the $14+ for the Kindle version. After reading, I want my money back. This was nothing but filler material to make the book longer. The only parts I enjoyed was how they found the cast, and how certain parts were filmed. This made up about 25%. Very disappointing. :(
August 22, 2022
Love the movie, the music and the story, but, goodness, this was a slow book for me. I learned a lot, remembered a lot and cried.
"Sound of Music" postage stamps are sold at local (Salzburg) post offices. Of course!
This is my third nonfiction read in August, and my 200th book in 2022.
"Sound of Music" postage stamps are sold at local (Salzburg) post offices. Of course!
This is my third nonfiction read in August, and my 200th book in 2022.
Want to read
November 6, 2014How do you solve a problem like Maria?
March 13, 2015
Loved the story, not the storytelling
July 27, 2022
The Sound of Music movie evicts feel-good memories of my childhood. The storyline, the characters, the cast, and the setting blaze on in my mind. I jumped at the opportunity of reading The Sound of Music Story. It filled in gaps and gave reality to the dreamy thirteen-year-old girl who watched the movie play out on the large screen in San Francisco. If you are as big a fan as I am, you may want to pick up The Sound of Music Story to discover the background information surrounding the making of the film and the facts about the real people in the story. From interviews to behind-the-scenes information, Tom Santopietro fills you in on what you always wanted to know about The Sound of Music. He has done a thorough job of research. It's a satisfying read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this book. My opinions are my own and were not required. The Sound of Music Story by Tom Santopietro. #NetGalley
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this book. My opinions are my own and were not required. The Sound of Music Story by Tom Santopietro. #NetGalley
May 6, 2025
The Sound of Music is my favorite movie, so I was like a sponge soaking this book in. I learned so much about the story, the actors and the filming. I don’t think you’d enjoy this book if you aren’t a Sound of Music fan.
April 1, 2016
This book clearly would appeal to superfans of The Sound of Music, and I definitely lean in that direction. Tom Santopietro (I just love his name) has basically compiled tidbits from interviews he did as well as all the material ever published on the 1965 movie loosely about the Von Trapp Family Singers. The writing/editing is not spectacular, and there's little information I found new, but the work is notable mostly for the sheer amount of information all in one place.
January 16, 2015
I really do love all things Julie Andrews and The Sound of Music is high on that list. This book, however, is not. For every page it spends telling you who was in the movie, who made the movie, who hated the movie, or who regretted the movie- it spends three pages telling you who wasn't, didn't, loved, or relished the movie. I am clearly not enough of a super fan to appreciate this tome.
March 2, 2015
For sure, I thought that when I finished this book, I was going to give it five stars. Unfortunately, I almost didn't finish it, because it goes on and on interminably. Much of it is quite deadening. I think there's way too much information that's not needed and is just filler. The best part is when the author writes about the cast making the movie.
April 9, 2015
I liked this book - especially the earlier parts that talked about how the film came together and the parts that the director, cast and crew played. The behind the scenes anecdotes were great. But the overall tone is hagiographic and by the end I was a little weary of the tone and the laundry list of Sound of Music related trivia.
May 17, 2015
The Sound of Music is the most beloved musical film ever. And no wonder, the enormous talent put together created a timeless classic. Director Bob Wise was truly an artist and a great gentleman, Julie Andrews was simply adorable, and Chris Plummer a bad boy. The real Maria was more complicated and complex than the movie character. Enjoyable reading for sure!
May 26, 2015
Some interesting information, but too much. The book could have ended about 100 pages before it did. I really didn't need a comparison of Julie Andrews to Sidney Poitier for a few pages, for example. Seemed like a synthesis of previously written information on the movie with the author making sure we know what a huge fan of the movie he is and how perfect the movie and Julie Andrews are.
December 21, 2015
It was a delight to read about one of the greatest classic musicals. This behind the scenes stories of the Academy Award winning movie is definitely among "my favorite things".
April 13, 2015
Boring! I love SoM but the writing style on this is a slog to get through. I don't mind if an author is enamored with his material, but heaping 100% praise on anything just isn't interesting.
June 8, 2015
This expertly-written and highly entertaining book is rich in revelations about the third most popular movie of all time. Well-worth a few hours of your time.
June 18, 2015
The first half of the book was very interesting. The second half was...easily skimmed.
March 16, 2025
Bloated, over-written history of the famous movie musical by a cheerleader author who finds all sorts of ways to act effusively over the popular film. Halfway in he goes so overboard with his adulation for virtually every minor person or incident that he proclaims the film to be "perfection" losing any credibility. The bottom line is that no matter how much you love it, there are plenty of things wrong with The Sound of Music.
An example of the author's writing style is when he devotes a four-page chapter to the world premiere in New York City. "The audience seemed to hold its collective breath...The countryside onscreen seemed a model of old-world grace, suspended in time and space...(Julie Andrews) twirled into the audience's collective sight and heart. The audience exhaled. And fell a little bit in love. It was all going to be okay."
Huh? What is he talking about? The guy wasn't even there, how does he know what the audience did or was thinking? His overdone descriptions of the opening night crowd for the movie are ridiculous, as are many other things he writes in the book.
Certainly one of the worst is the section comparing Julie Andrews to Doris Day. Seriously. The guy wrote a book on Doris Day so he must have thought there were similarities, but his logic is a real stretch. Andrews' fame was tied to a couple very specific movie musicals and then she had many years of no work or flops until her husband resurrected her career by turning her into a bawdy adult star. Day was a long-term box office success who did a variety of roles in different styles of hit films as well as continuing a huge recording career before her husband turned her into a sitcom star. In my mind the two actresses are so different that it would never occur to me to compare them, and Santopietro didn't convince me otherwise.
There are plenty of fun facts and notes taken from other volumes of history regarding the movie in this somewhat unoriginal work (you've heard most of this before). And there is one slightly negative tone to any mention of Christopher Plummer. But nothing is said about the miscast characters (a few of the kids and some of the adults), the senseless way Climb Every Mountain was shot (with Peggy Wood's back turned to the camera), or the obvious switching between location shooting and "outdoor" locations that were done in studio in California.
Instead, this author doubles down and actually goes overboard praising the movie for being perfectly cast, seamlessly shot, brilliantly directed especially in the dull Climb Every Mountain scene, and that Peggy Woods' expressionless one-foot-in-the-grave acting style was "superior acting ability (that) managed to infuse the song with a gravitas leavened by nobility." Seriously? She didn't even sing her own song, Tom!
There are a lot of great things about The Sound of Music movie and some people absolutely love it. But it honestly baffles me that Santopietro, who claims to be a movie expert, failed to see the flaws in the film and tried to convince us that some bad choices (particularly with casting, Plummer, and the new songs) were actually good.
The irony is that the book reflects the over-the-top, sappy, and unnecessarily rigid aspects of the movie itself. Maybe that was an intentional way to reflect the film, but instead of buying in to his propagandizing I left wanting a remake...of both the movie and the book!
An example of the author's writing style is when he devotes a four-page chapter to the world premiere in New York City. "The audience seemed to hold its collective breath...The countryside onscreen seemed a model of old-world grace, suspended in time and space...(Julie Andrews) twirled into the audience's collective sight and heart. The audience exhaled. And fell a little bit in love. It was all going to be okay."
Huh? What is he talking about? The guy wasn't even there, how does he know what the audience did or was thinking? His overdone descriptions of the opening night crowd for the movie are ridiculous, as are many other things he writes in the book.
Certainly one of the worst is the section comparing Julie Andrews to Doris Day. Seriously. The guy wrote a book on Doris Day so he must have thought there were similarities, but his logic is a real stretch. Andrews' fame was tied to a couple very specific movie musicals and then she had many years of no work or flops until her husband resurrected her career by turning her into a bawdy adult star. Day was a long-term box office success who did a variety of roles in different styles of hit films as well as continuing a huge recording career before her husband turned her into a sitcom star. In my mind the two actresses are so different that it would never occur to me to compare them, and Santopietro didn't convince me otherwise.
There are plenty of fun facts and notes taken from other volumes of history regarding the movie in this somewhat unoriginal work (you've heard most of this before). And there is one slightly negative tone to any mention of Christopher Plummer. But nothing is said about the miscast characters (a few of the kids and some of the adults), the senseless way Climb Every Mountain was shot (with Peggy Wood's back turned to the camera), or the obvious switching between location shooting and "outdoor" locations that were done in studio in California.
Instead, this author doubles down and actually goes overboard praising the movie for being perfectly cast, seamlessly shot, brilliantly directed especially in the dull Climb Every Mountain scene, and that Peggy Woods' expressionless one-foot-in-the-grave acting style was "superior acting ability (that) managed to infuse the song with a gravitas leavened by nobility." Seriously? She didn't even sing her own song, Tom!
There are a lot of great things about The Sound of Music movie and some people absolutely love it. But it honestly baffles me that Santopietro, who claims to be a movie expert, failed to see the flaws in the film and tried to convince us that some bad choices (particularly with casting, Plummer, and the new songs) were actually good.
The irony is that the book reflects the over-the-top, sappy, and unnecessarily rigid aspects of the movie itself. Maybe that was an intentional way to reflect the film, but instead of buying in to his propagandizing I left wanting a remake...of both the movie and the book!
December 9, 2025
a remarkably deep dive into the sound of music, i would recommend this to serious fans who truly want to know every fun fact there is to know about the musical.
i admire santopietro's dedication to covering all the ground here. he explores the history of the real von trapp family, the original stage play, and the cast and crew of the film (complete with biographical sections on all significant contributors to the film). then comes the story of the production process, all the trials and tribulations of filming, the editing, release, reception, and its cultural impact. then we have additional biographical sections covering the lives of the cast and crew in the aftermath of the film and the lives of the real life von trapps after the film. and finally, discussions of the legacy of the film and various tributes and revivals over the years. truly, santopietro endeavors to miss nothing.
the breadth and depth are wonderful, but the dry writing style does no favors. the sound of music is such a joyous story, reading about it shouldn't be drudgery. i also had some qualms with the lack of editing, the condescending tone, and the way santopietro ceaselessly sprinkles loosely-related old hollywood cinephile references into the text. he also makes some questionable statements from time to time, such as referring to "the feminist agenda" and "black militants" in those terms, which is concerning.
untrustworthy author notwithstanding, as i do adore the sound of music, i enjoyed reading this and having the opportunity to learn so much all in one place. here are a few of my favorite nuggets of information from the book:
‣ i love the parts about the real von trapps and their complex family dynamics. son johannes describes maria as the engine fueling their lives and georg as the governor who guided that energy and kept it steady. maria seems like a truly indomitable woman. i also liked the talk of her faith, and her decision to serve god due to her gratitude for god's gift of breathtaking nature.
‣ apparently there is a widespread misattribution of edelweiss as a traditional austrian folk song! i was told this as a child, and it's interesting to see that many people are under this misconception. all the more credit to rodgers and hammerstein for creating something of a national anthem.
‣ i had never heard of the 1948 supreme court decision to keep movie studios from owning their own chains of movie theaters. if only this set precedent could be revisited now, in the age of films and series with releases that are exclusive to one streaming service.
‣ there are many discussions of the heart of the film - how it came to be such a resonant success. i agree with ernest lehman's thought that we enjoy seeing the idealized depiction of a loving family unit - for viewers, "if the von trapps could live happily ever after, maybe their own fractured families could be healed as well."
‣ austrian audiences were greatly displeased with the film, perhaps partly because the majority of the country's population welcomed the anchluss. it may have been too much, too soon, for a population still holding some denial about their role in the atrocities of the holocaust.
‣ while it's clear that the von trapp family was deeply religious, it's discouraging to learn that in later years siblings rosmarie and lorli were fervent israel supporters, and lorli was "active with groups working to restore traditional family values in vermont." yikes.
‣ the trapp family lodge was the first cross country ski resort in the US! johannes holds a degree in forestry, and in 1968 he built a beautiful trail system on the property. i'm reminded of the secret to superhuman strength, where alison bechdel speaks of walking one particular trail that maria herself favored during her lifetime.
‣ the sound of music spent a record breaking five years and nine months being screened in theaters - people just didn't want to stop seeing this magical movie.
‣ i had fun with the discussion of movie singalong events! i was lucky enough to go to one of these as a sound of music-obsessed kiddo, and i remember being wowed by seeing so many elderly people - even very-very old men - singing their hearts out. i didn't realize that the singalongs at the hollywood bowl have reached a rocky horror adjacent level of devotion. so much joy in coming together to celebrated a beloved piece of media.
i appreciated the wealth of knowledge in this book, and i do think it was worth my time, but i did not care for the delivery.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest (and belated) review.
i admire santopietro's dedication to covering all the ground here. he explores the history of the real von trapp family, the original stage play, and the cast and crew of the film (complete with biographical sections on all significant contributors to the film). then comes the story of the production process, all the trials and tribulations of filming, the editing, release, reception, and its cultural impact. then we have additional biographical sections covering the lives of the cast and crew in the aftermath of the film and the lives of the real life von trapps after the film. and finally, discussions of the legacy of the film and various tributes and revivals over the years. truly, santopietro endeavors to miss nothing.
the breadth and depth are wonderful, but the dry writing style does no favors. the sound of music is such a joyous story, reading about it shouldn't be drudgery. i also had some qualms with the lack of editing, the condescending tone, and the way santopietro ceaselessly sprinkles loosely-related old hollywood cinephile references into the text. he also makes some questionable statements from time to time, such as referring to "the feminist agenda" and "black militants" in those terms, which is concerning.
untrustworthy author notwithstanding, as i do adore the sound of music, i enjoyed reading this and having the opportunity to learn so much all in one place. here are a few of my favorite nuggets of information from the book:
‣ i love the parts about the real von trapps and their complex family dynamics. son johannes describes maria as the engine fueling their lives and georg as the governor who guided that energy and kept it steady. maria seems like a truly indomitable woman. i also liked the talk of her faith, and her decision to serve god due to her gratitude for god's gift of breathtaking nature.
‣ apparently there is a widespread misattribution of edelweiss as a traditional austrian folk song! i was told this as a child, and it's interesting to see that many people are under this misconception. all the more credit to rodgers and hammerstein for creating something of a national anthem.
‣ i had never heard of the 1948 supreme court decision to keep movie studios from owning their own chains of movie theaters. if only this set precedent could be revisited now, in the age of films and series with releases that are exclusive to one streaming service.
‣ there are many discussions of the heart of the film - how it came to be such a resonant success. i agree with ernest lehman's thought that we enjoy seeing the idealized depiction of a loving family unit - for viewers, "if the von trapps could live happily ever after, maybe their own fractured families could be healed as well."
‣ austrian audiences were greatly displeased with the film, perhaps partly because the majority of the country's population welcomed the anchluss. it may have been too much, too soon, for a population still holding some denial about their role in the atrocities of the holocaust.
‣ while it's clear that the von trapp family was deeply religious, it's discouraging to learn that in later years siblings rosmarie and lorli were fervent israel supporters, and lorli was "active with groups working to restore traditional family values in vermont." yikes.
‣ the trapp family lodge was the first cross country ski resort in the US! johannes holds a degree in forestry, and in 1968 he built a beautiful trail system on the property. i'm reminded of the secret to superhuman strength, where alison bechdel speaks of walking one particular trail that maria herself favored during her lifetime.
‣ the sound of music spent a record breaking five years and nine months being screened in theaters - people just didn't want to stop seeing this magical movie.
‣ i had fun with the discussion of movie singalong events! i was lucky enough to go to one of these as a sound of music-obsessed kiddo, and i remember being wowed by seeing so many elderly people - even very-very old men - singing their hearts out. i didn't realize that the singalongs at the hollywood bowl have reached a rocky horror adjacent level of devotion. so much joy in coming together to celebrated a beloved piece of media.
i appreciated the wealth of knowledge in this book, and i do think it was worth my time, but i did not care for the delivery.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest (and belated) review.
January 4, 2018
A pleasant book about the making of the film, The Sound of Music. I felt it was quite fun and interesting to read and only took me a day to finish. It begins with the Roger and Hammerstein idea and musical and 20th Century Fox Studio's attempts to make it. The studio had just had a huge financial disaster with Cleopatra and was hemorrhaging money. The risk was great in making a musical at a time when musicals weren't as popular as they had before and The Sound of Music had tanked as a Broadway show. Slowly the movie came together and everyone was chosen to write, direct, act and edit the film. Some things I weren't aware of was how several Jewish writers and directors in Hollywood felt about the material. The true story of the Von Trapp family was as sunny or rosy as the musical made them out to be and several felt that the movie was about Nazis, not people escaping the Nazis. The book is an entertaining read but the tone changes after the movie is done and the premiere happens, many film critics did not like the movie and felt it was very saccharine. They were upset with a fairy tale story that wasn't close to the truth in many ways. I remember The Sound of Music as my first film in a movie theater and going with my parents when I was four or five, and I loved it. I also remember it as a film that is pretty saccharine and not as good as I thought it was as a child. The mention of criticism of the film after the high praise and cheery account of the development and the filming feels uncomfortable because there is no warning of it in the book's narrative. It slows the pace down and then when it is mentioned it was one of the highest grossing films of all time, the highest grossing soundtrack (I owned it and played it often), the success is bittersweet which actually might be the truth.
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