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'Sound of Music' Gets Anniversary DVD Edition

The film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music turns 40 this year. To mark the occasion, Fox is issuing a two-disc anniversary DVD package, full of nostalgic commentary and background information.

Over the years, fans of the movie have proven that they don't need a DVD release to make them revisit the film. For example, 18,000 people pack the Hollywood Bowl for its annual sing-along screening.

And in Salzburg, visitors regularly take bus tours that ferry them to sites made famous by the story of a young Austrian woman who becomes the governess of a naval captain's rowdy children.

Many viewers will welcome the anniversary reissue, which offers reminiscences from star Julie Andrews (Maria), Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp), Charmian Carr (Liesl) and others who helped make the film. Johannes von Trapp, the youngest son of the real Captain von Trapp, is also heard.

Part of the new DVD version's appeal lies in its extensive background materials. Emmy-winning documentarian Michael Kantor contributed new footage to the reissue, some of it shot on a recent trip he took to retrace the original filmmakers' steps.

Jeff Lunden visits with Andrews and others involved with the creation of a musical classic.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jeff Lunden is a freelance arts reporter and producer whose stories have been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, as well as on other public radio programs.