The sound of music - Julia Antopol Hirsch

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the beloved 1965 classic movie, "The Sound of Music"

When "The Sound of Music" was released in 1965 it took the world by storm, earning five Oscars (including Best Picture), and went on to command the number-one spot at the box office for five years running. For millions of people, the film is that rare combination of a powerful and moving story, first-rate music, and breathtaking scenery. The Sound of Music: The Making of America's Favorite Movie is a tribute to this beloved movie musical and a fascinating, behind-the-scene account of the creation of a Hollywood classic.

Through exclusive in-depth interviews with cast and crew, stills from the movie's most memorable scenes, snapshots from personal scrapbooks, and papers from the Fox Studios archives, Julia Hirsch re-crates the magic that is "The Sound of Music." Julie Andrews recounts some of her more humorous memories of the filming, from her "first kiss" with Christopher Plummer, when neither of them could stop laughing, to rushing up the mountain for the famous opening scene only to be continually knocked down by the downdraft from the cameraman's helicopter. The book reveals details both fans and film buffs will enjoy, such as the fact that Yul Brynner, Walter Matthau, and Sean Connery were all considered fro the role of the Captain (while teenagers Mia Farrow, Sharon Tate, and Richard Dreyfuss auditioned for juvenile roles) and that director/producer Robert Wise, already fielding calls from Fox's Dick Zanuck for being over budget, almost didn't finish the location shoot in Austria because it simply wouldn't stop raining.

But most of all, Hirsch captures the extraordinary camaraderie shared by everyone involved, a group whose friendships would last a lifetime. This engaging narrative is both an insider's guide to, and a delightful celebration of, a film that truly is "the happiest sound in all the world."