The Sound of Music (film) - Cast

Cast

• Julie Andrews as Maria von Trapp, a free-spirited young Austrian woman, studying to become a nun. Due to her often singing and running seeming somewhat out of place in the abbey, Mother Abbess sends her to the nearby city of Salzburg to be governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp.

• Christopher Plummer as Captain Georg von Trapp, a veteran Austrian navy captain whose wife died, leaving behind their seven children. He extends his military background into raising them, at first represented as a strict disciplinarian. However, his attitude toward both the children and Maria softens considerably after she reintroduces music into the family. His singing voice was dubbed by Bill Lee.

• Richard Haydn as Max Detweiler, a good friend of both the Baroness and the Captain, and an impresario. In searching Salzburg for talented singers, he finds what he wants in the von Trapp family, and constantly tries to convince the Captain to let him enter the children in the Salzburg Music Festival.

• Eleanor Parker as Baroness Elsa Schraeder, the Captain's lady friend from Vienna, and later fiancée for a short period. She becomes jealous of Maria's talent, and convinces her to leave during a grand party at the house by exploiting her inner conflict about becoming a nun and her discomfort at the Captain's obvious affection towards her.

• Charmian Carr as Liesl von Trapp, the first and eldest child, sixteen "going on seventeen". She believes she doesn't need a governess at first, but soon comes to trust Maria. She is in love with a messenger named Rolfe, who delivers their telegrams, but he later betrays her and her family.

• Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp, the second child, fourteen. He is very quiet and is also something of a gentleman, despite his involvement in the tricks against the previous governesses, which the children confess were merely to get the Captain's attention. After Maria arrives, he tells her that he "is impossible" according to "Fraulein Josephine: four governesses ago".

• Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp, the third child, thirteen. She and Brigitta are often together, and she is a bit of a daydreamer. Her two favorite tricks on governesses are to fill their beds with spiders and pretend that she is one of the other girls, such as Brigitta- she tries this ruse on Maria, but fails.

• Duane Chase as Kurt von Trapp, the fourth child and youngest boy, eleven. He often tries to act manly and is outspoken against the previous governesses and often questions Maria about things, once trying to learn an Austrian folk dance.

• Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp, the fifth child, ten. She is very sharp-witted, honest, somewhat nonconformist, and not afraid to speak her mind about things (e.g., Maria's dress being ugly). Brigitta also reads books as she first appears. Maria later remarks that Brigitta notices everything.

• Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp, the sixth child- she is six when Maria meets her, but announces that her seventh birthday is approaching. She gets along well with Maria. She is the first child to show Maria kindness. She shares Maria's love of the color pink, and hopes to get a pink parasol for her birthday.

• Kym Karath as Gretl von Trapp, the seventh and youngest child, five. She initially comes across as shy- her father has to give Maria her name- but she's soon warm towards Maria.

• Peggy Wood as Mother Abbess, the head of Nonnberg Abbey, who convinces Maria to leave there and explore life as a governess for a while. When she returns, she has her explain why she left and realizes she is in love, and convinces her to return and face her problems, to see what might come of this love. Peggy Wood was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her performance. Her singing voice was dubbed by Margery McKay.

• Anna Lee as Sister Margaretta, a nun who looks fondly on Maria. She, as well as Sister Berthe, helps her to escape by sabotaging the cars of the Gauleiter and his soldiers.

• Portia Nelson as Sister Berthe, a nun who does not believe Maria belongs in the abbey; she nevertheless helps her escape by sabotaging the cars of the Gauleiter and his soldiers.

• Marni Nixon as Sister Sophia. She appeared on screen first telling her opinion to the nuns about Maria and then singing for herself. She was cast in the role by director Robert Wise.

• Daniel Truhitte as Rolfe, a messenger who is in love with Liesl. The two become estranged after his enthusiasm for the Nazi cause leads him to forsake Liesl, partly as he realises that her father does not support Adolf Hitler and thus has no regard for him.

• Ben Wright as Herr Zeller, Gauleiter, an enthusiast for the Third Reich and the Anschluss, and the main antagonist of the film. He is oppositional against the Captain as early on as the party held for the Baroness. After the Anschluss he is appointed Gauleiter of the region.

• The famous marionette puppet sequence for the song "The Lonely Goatherd" was produced and performed by the leading puppeteers of the day, Bil Baird and Cora Eisenberg-Baird.