5 behind-the-scene secrets from “The Sound of Music”
The Sound of Music has undeniably become a film classic and the history of the film continues to live on through various film tours in Salzburg. Here are five secrets that happened during the filming of this hit movie that might surprise you.
1. The opening song was filmed on a mountain in Bavaria
The film begins with Andrews singing “My heart wants to sing every song it hears” at the top of a mountain. It was very hard for the film crew to get enough sunshine to film the shot as there were consistent clouds. Julie Andrews also kept getting blown over by the helicopter’s blade winds. On the fifth day of attempting to shoot the scene, the crew had twenty minutes of solid sun. If you watch the opening scene closely, you can see that the sky isn’t as bright as when the scene starts.
2. Nonnberg Abbey had studio and authentic shots
In the film, when we see the interior of Nonnberg Abbey it is actually a Hollywood studio but the exterior shots of the picturesque Abbey are authentic.
3. The von Trapp house is actually a university
The stunning von Trapp family home is actually the Mozarteum Salzburg, a music and dramatic arts university which was founded in 1841. The university is named after the city’s most renowned artist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
4. The back of the von Trapp house is a different location
The back of the von Trapp home where we see scenes with the Captain and Baroness Schraeder was filmed in a different location. It was filmed in Leopoldskron which is now a five-star hotel.
5. Government officials did not want the film crew to hang swastika flags in the streets
The movie reveals a shot of the cathedral and square after the Germans overtook the city. The film crew encountered some issues trying to organise this scene as local government officials did not want swastika flags hung in public. The director then told the officials he would use real footage of Hitler’s visit to the city but officials decided it was better to recreate the scene so that Nazi sympathisers would not be displayed. The scene was filmed just after sunrise so there would be less crowds but some residents were still unsettled. It was only 20 years after the war had finished.
What is your favourite part of the movie? Let us know in the comments below.