10 hit movies you didn’t know were based on real stories
‘The Sound of Music’
Maria von Trapp (Julie Andrews) was a real woman, although the classic musical film took liberties with her story. In real life, Maria grew up as an orphan before entering the convent as a novitiate on the path to becoming a nun. The abbess of the convent sent Maria to tutor one of Baron Georg von Trapp’s (Christopher Plummer) children, while in the film, she becomes governess to all seven kids. The widower and his children quickly fell in love with Maria, and the Baron’s proposal forced her to choose between her devotion to the church or her affection for this family.
She married the Baron in November 1927. The children didn’t begin their musical education until the 1930s, and after settling in America, the Trapp Family Choir made its debut at a concert in New York City. Unlike their film depictions, Georg was warm with his children and shared their love of music while Maria had a fiery temper.