Some Memories in Honor of The Sound of Music's 60th Anniversary

Today, my favorite movie of all time is celebrating its 60th Anniversary! The Sound of Music premiered on March 2, 1965.

I often find it difficult to write about my favorite movies, in the same way that I have a hard time writing cards to friends or family members I’m closest to. What do I even say? Where do I begin?

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few Sound of Music memories that are special to me.

My grandma’s VHS tape

I do vaguely remember being shown the movie a few times when I was very small. Of course, my parents always paused it after the wedding scene.

Several years later, I was with my mom while she was at work, and it was playing on the television there. I sat down on the couch and started watching—it was during the scene when the Baroness was walking with the Captain on the villa grounds. My mom had to run an errand, so she dropped me off at my grandparents’ house. I immediately asked my grandma if she had a copy of The Sound of Music, and she brought this VHS off the shelf and handed it to me.

That day, I watched the movie for the first time in its entirety, and I’ve never looked back.

Every single time I went to my grandma’s house, I’d go straight to the TV, pop the tape in again, and rewatch my favorite scenes over and over and over and over again. Maybe for old time’s sake, I’ll play the movie from that VHS today. I’d be curious if it even works—from what I remember, most of the scenes are all scratchy because of how many times I played it!

My grandma’s copy of “Forever Liesl” By Charmian Carr

At some point during this period of obsessive rewinds, my grandma went into the guest room and emerged with a book she’d pulled off the shelf. “You might be interested in this,” she said. Forever Liesl became the first entertainment biography I ever read; and to this day, it’s still my favorite. So then I had a new routine when I went to my grandma’s: Pull the book out of the magazine rack she’d set aside for my books, and read. And reread. And reread.

My blue strawberry (signed by Charmian Carr!)

When I was in sixth grade, we got to go to the Sound of Music Singalong at the Hollywood Bowl with some dear family friends. Part of the event involved a costume contest, and for weeks we all sat around in our living room, in their dining room, on our patios; trying to come up with clever costume ideas. It was eventually decided that the kids would go as blue strawberries (it’s been so cold lately, they turned blue!”).

A huge factor in my wanting to go to this event was that Charmian Carr was going to be there, helping to announce and moderate the contest. Actually, the only reason I was willing to dress up as a cardboard strawberry was because it was so I could get close to her. So off we went.

If you were to watch the video my mom took, you’d mostly just see my back. Because pretty much the minute we walked on stage, I made a beeline for Charmian. She was wearing a gorgeous champagne-pink dress that was all sparkly. When I approached her, she immediately put her arm around me and looked at me. I will never forget how kindly she looked at me. She seemed so interested in what I might have had to say to her. There was so much I wanted to tell her—how I’d read her book, how much I loved the movie and 16 Going on 17, how I loved her as Charmian and not just Liesl. But all that came out was…

“Will you please sign my strawberry?”

She obligingly took the sharpie I’d held out, and signed the blue cardboard. And that was all there was time for. The other moderator was wrapping up talking about my fellow strawberries, and we left the stage.

We didn’t win—we lost to a bunch of other kids dressed as the Oscars the film won (coincidental, then, that the 60th anniversary should also fall on Oscars day)—but that didn’t matter. I got to meet my hero.

It should go without saying, but I still have that giant cardboard strawberry. She’d signed it “Liesl.”

Salzburg

These are from my first trip to Salzburg with my dad and sister in 2019. While we were planning the trip, I was asked “if you could go anywhere in Europe, hypothetically, where would you go?” Naturally, you can guess my answer. At first, it didn't seem like it would be a possibility, but a few weeks later, my dad announced that we could in fact make it work!

Salzburg is a topic I’ll have to dedicate an entire blog post to (and spend more time looking for photos for). But for now, let me just say: Magical. Even without its connection to The Sound of Music, Salzburg is the most beautiful city in the world. I’ve been there twice now, and both times, our family stayed at the Schloss Leopoldskron, where the two horse statues from the Von Trapp Villa are. (The logistics of the set location are a bit more complicated, but that’s a story for another day.) The room that housed the breakfast buffet was replicated (and made much bigger) for the film, and it’s featured as the room that Maria walks into and pretends to bow to suitors. Of course, we saw a lot of other film locations, too, including the Hotel Mirabell (where the kids stayed during the filming) and the Bristol (where several of the adult cast and crew members stayed).

The Sound of Music has brought be so many wonderful memories, and to say I’m grateful is an understatement. It shaped who I am today, and continues to inspire people of all ages, all over the globe.

Thank you to everyone involved in the filming of the movie, and to those who continue to keep the legacy alive. Happy Anniversary!