The Trapp Family (1956)
"Die Trapp-Familie" (original title)

A novice nun, Maria, is sent to care for the unruly children of a weathy Baron. The Baron and Maria fall in love, Maria leaves the convent and they marry. Under Maria's guidance the family ... See full summary »

Director:

Wolfgang Liebeneiner

Writers:

George Hurdalek, Herbert Reinecker (dialogue),

Stars:

Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, Maria Holst

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ruth Leuwerik	...	Baronin Maria von Trapp
Hans Holt	...	Baron von Trapp
Maria Holst	...	Prinzessin Yvonne
Josef Meinrad	...	Dr. Wasner
Friedrich Domin	...	Gruber, Bankier
Hilde von Stolz	...	Baroness Mathilde
Agnes Windeck	...	Äbtissin
Gretl Theimer	...	Köchin
Liesl Karlstadt	...	Raphaela
Karl Ehmann	...	Diener
Hans Schumm	...	Petroff
Joseph Offenbach	...	Samish
Peter Capell	...	Ellis Island Officer
Michael Ande	...	1. Kind von Trapp
Knut Mahlke	...	2. Kind von Trapp

Storyline

A novice nun, Maria, is sent to care for the unruly children of a weathy Baron. The Baron and Maria fall in love, Maria leaves the convent and they marry. Under Maria's guidance the family becomes a nationally-acclaimed singing group, but when the Baron is comissioned to join Hitler's army the family flees to the United States where they endeavour to become established as singers once again. Based upon the true story of the Von Trapp family.

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Plot Keywords:

nun | children | novice | convent | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

The Happy, True, and Wonderfully Uplifting Story of the Beautiful Girl Who Left Her Convent To Give Her Love to a Man-And Her Songs to the World...All the More Wonderful Because All of It Is True...!

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Genres:

Family | Romance | Comedy | Drama | Musical

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

19 April 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Família Trapp

Filming Locations:

Murnau, Bavaria, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Divina-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Movie seen by Mary Martin who took the story to Rodgers and Hammerstein who wrote the musical "The Sound of Music."

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Connections

Followed by The Trapp Family in America (1958)

User Reviews

Huge money-making hit of yesteryears

Just when everybody thought that German post-war cinema was on the downward hill financially, along came this warm, often tender, sometimes touching, colorful hit of gargantuan proportions.

Produced on the lavish side, with Germany's top box-office attraction, regal Ruth Leuwerik in the lead, 'Die Trapp Familie' broke all records, second only to 'Schwarzwaldmaedel' as Germany's most popular Heimatfilm and easily became the biggest hit in Miss Leuwerik's chain of successes.

Largely forgotten today, the pic holds up quite well. The story is not too exciting, there's nothing that might offend blue-noses and all takes place against an pastoral background of green meadows and snow-capped mountains.

Ruth Leuwerik does what she can with the wafer-thin part and her warmth and natural beauty prevent the whole thing form being too syrupy.

Interesting sideline: while 'The Sound of Music', a lavish musical version of the same story, broke box-office records in 1965 all over the world, it flopped miserably in Germany and Austria, still faithful to 'Die Trapp Familie'.