As the guitar-strumming will-o’-the-wisp Maria von Trapp, Julie Andrews taught us a few of her favorite things.
And six decades on, “The Sound of Music” is still one of ours. Based on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway show, the beloved big-screen musical opened in theaters on March 2, 1965. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, it quickly became a box office and awards juggernaut, earning five Oscars, including best picture.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary, the movie will return to theaters nationwide beginning Sept. 12.
It’s a “wonderful film,” Andrews told USA TODAY in 2022, in a joint interview with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, about their children’s book “The First Notes.”
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The movie is based on the real-life story of the free-spirited Austrian novitiate Maria (Andrews), who was sent to be a governess for the seven children of Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a gruff retired naval officer who defied the Nazis. It’s both a sweeping romance and an inspiring family saga set against the backdrop of a looming World War II, featuring timeless songs including “Edelweiss,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” and “The Lonely Goatherd.”
One of the most memorable tunes is “Do-Re-Mi,” which Maria sings to the von Trapp kids on a lively stroll around Salzburg as she teaches them pitch and melody.
Looking back, Andrews, 89, has fond memories of shooting the “Do-Re-Mi” sequence in particular, as she and the children skipped through the streets, raced on bikes and hitched a ride on a wagon cart.
“Nobody told our producers that Salzburg has the world’s seventh (highest) annual rainfall,” Andrews recalled. “Although it’s a wonderful city and beautiful scenery, we spent a great deal of time under tarpaulins: sitting quietly and dashing out at the first glimpse of sun. The whole film ran about three weeks late, but it was a happy film to make.”
Fans of the musical may not know that it was also her idea to hit that magnificent high note at the end of “Do-Re-Mi,” as Maria and the kids are climbing up and down the stairs.
The choreography got exhausting, “just because you don’t shoot it once – it was several times,” Andrews says. “But I didn’t regret it. It fit nicely for me in my vocal range and it seemed like a good topper.”
In her 2019 book “Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years,” Andrews recalled her initial hesitation to star in “The Sound of Music.” She had made her Oscar-winning film debut in “Mary Poppins” and was worried about being typecast as a nanny. The British actress had also seen the stage version of “The Sound of Music” in New York with then-husband Tony Walton and wasn’t that impressed.
“We loved the music, but the show seemed rather saccharine to us,” Andrews wrote. But after some convincing from director Robert Wise and her Hollywood agent, Arthur Park, she eventually signed on and “I’ll forever be grateful.”
In addition to its theatrical re-release, “The Sound of Music” will be celebrated throughout September with a North American tour of the stage musical, a Hollywood Bowl sing-a-long and a 4K Blu-ray release restoration. Andrews, who recently won her third Emmy Award for Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” says she has been moved by the response to “The Sound of Music” around the world.
“One of the things that hit me most was in China, they use ‘Do-Re-Mi’ as a way of learning to speak English,” Andrews told USA TODAY. “I don’t quite understand it myself, but so many people have told me, ‘You cannot imagine how many youngsters in China use the film and “Do-Re-Mi” as a learning tool.’ I was very flattered about that.”
Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff