The Sound of Music Opens

Setting the scene

1960s movie musicals were fading after television stole family audiences, yet The Sound of Music on Broadway had run for years with Mary Martin. Twentieth Century Fox, recovering from Cleopatra's losses, bet on Rodgers and Hammerstein's final collaboration filmed on location in Austria. Julie Andrews, fresh from Mary Poppins, was the obvious choice for novice nun Maria.

What happened

The Sound of Music opened in March 1965, directed by Robert Wise, with Andrews as Maria tutoring the von Trapp children and Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp. Songs like Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, and Climb Ev'ry Mountain framed the family's flight from Nazi annexation. The Salzburg meadows and abbey steps became tourist landmarks.

Why it still matters

It became the highest-grossing film of 1965, won Best Picture, and kept Fox afloat while fueling Austria's tourism industry for decades. Its wholesome image also made it a target for later parodies like The Simpsons. Memorable detail: Plummer reportedly nicknamed the film The Sound of Mucus and drank to endure the sweetness during filming.

Background

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical topped the box office and Salzburg tourism.