The Tills Were Alive in '65

Rating: Null/10 (25 November 2000)

Dragged to see this musical by a girlfriend whom I ultimately didn't marry, it was difficult to swallow the militaristic heel-clicking of what appeared, even in 1965 to be sweet' American stage children. The Austrian location photography somehow accentuated the movie's vulgar origins in American showbiz. Richard Rodgers' repeated following of the tonic with its diminished, for him proved big biz over the years. But even had the cast acted and sang in German, like the proverbial peroxide blond, this one's roots show. The principals' age range conforms to the formulaic American TV series model. Julie Andrews, romance hope of archetypal spinster and plain amateur-operettist wannabe; Christopher Plummer, the available knight in widower's armour; Daniel Truhitte [Rolf] and Charmian Carr [Leisal] the teen interest; and doler of dubious wisdom Climb Every mountain, ford every stream,' Peggy Wood [the Abbess], presumably the geriatric interest. Julie Andrews' ebullience may have helped rescue inanity from insanity but talent could not prevent the intrusiveness of big-gun, 70mm American six-track slickness in the Austrian Tyrol. The soft-pedalled historical baloney about Austrian invasion is nauseating. Austria was annexed not invaded by Nazis. Nazis were welcomed there with open jackboots because Austria was -and still is -full of Nazis. The Von Trapp Family were classicists, long past the doh-re-me stage. Having or not having confidence, solving problems, etc. are American not European predilections. One cannot resist the feeling that by escaping, these movie Von-Trapps did Hitler a favour. Whilst this musical may confirm who the star of MY FAIR LADY should have been, unfortunately Julie Andrews' runaway success ultimately deprived her of clothes and equilibrium, her eventual topless appearance in THE TAMARIND SEED [1974] doing for sexuality what headless chickens do for vegetarians. She never shone again, as perhaps she should have. Pity.