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From Barnes
& Noble's Editors
As a teenager, author Carr played "Sixteen
Going on Seventeen" Liesl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. In
this engaging memoir, she tells behind-the-sets tales about that most
famous film.
Synopsis
"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place
to start...." At the age of 21, Charmian Carr, then Charmian Farnon,
was cast as Liesl "16 going on 17" von Trapp in the now-classic
"The Sound of Music." In an instant Charmian went from
receptionist to screen ingenue and captivated audiences with her
effervescent performance. Charmian is now "57 going on 58" and
as beautiful and charming as ever.
"The Sound of Music"
is undoubtedly the most popular movie musical of all time. The winner of
five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and named one of the three
most popular films of all time by the People's Choice Awards, the film has
become a cultural icon. Just in time for the 35th anniversary of the
film's release, Forever Liesl is the book every fan has been
waiting for. It is the first book about the movie written by a cast member
-- someone who experienced the magic of making this movie firsthand.
Forever Liesl brims
with heartwarming anecdotes and funny moments, from romances on the set to
wild nights at the Bristol Hotel in Salzburg. Charmian recounts how she
won her role with no acting experience, the near-disaster as they filmed
the dance sequence in the gazebo, and her relationship -- then and now --
with her six celluloid siblings. She also answers the question she is
asked most often: What was Julie Andrews really like to work with?
When "The Sound of
Music" wrapped in 1964, Charmian Carr thought she would be saying
goodbye to Liesl forever, but in reality, it was just the beginning. Since
the March 1965 premiere, Charmian has served as the film's ambassador,
travelling around the world, meeting millions of fans. Perhaps her most
meaningful Liesl moment occurred more than 30 years after the film's
release -- when she met the real von Trapp children for the first time.
This wonderful book captures
why "The Sound of Music" has become the phenomenal success that
it is -- why it endures, and why millions of fans love it so passionately.
Stories from fans and friends whose lives were permanently changed by this
remarkable movie, and 30 of Charmian's favorite photographs make Forever
Liesl more than an affectionate memoir. It is a keepsake for anyone
who considers "The Sound of Music" one of their favorite things.
From the
Publisher
The Sound of Music is more than a classic movie
musical. It is a cultural phenomenon. Its magic lives on in the minds and
hearts of everyone it has touched. Now, one of the members of the 1965
film's cast tells what it was really like to be a part of the phenomenon.
Charmian Carr, who captivated moviegoers as Liesl "Sixteen Going on
Seventeen" von Trapp, shares her memories of making the movie that
shaped her life and captures just why The Sound of Music means so
much to so many.
Forever Liesl brims with heartwarming anecdotes and funny moments,
from romances on the set and scenes that were cut to the glorious alpine
locations and wild nights at the Bristol Hotel in Salzburg. Charmian
recounts how she won the role with no acting experience, the near disaster
as they filmed the dance in the gazebo, and her relationships--then and
now--with her six celluloid siblings.
As enchanting as its author, Forever Liesl celebrates the spirit of
the movie and what it stands for: family love, romance, inspiration,
nostalgia, and the joy and power of music. Perfect for a Valentine's or
Mother's Day gift, and a must-have for any fan of the film, Forever Liesl
is sure to be one of this season's favorite things.
Here at last are the answers to:
( What was Julie Andrews really like?
( Did everyone do his or her own singing?
( Who gained so much weight that in one scene she required a body double?
(Hint: It wasn't Charmian.)
( Why did Charmian leave motherhood and a new career in interior design
(with clients including The Sound of Music devotee Michael Jackson)?
Authorbio: Charmian Carr was twenty-one when she played Liesl von Trapp in
The Sound of Music, which won five Academy Awards, ran for almost
five years in its initial release, has been seen by an estimated one
billion people, was named the most popular film of all time by the People's
Choice Awards, and became the longest-running video bestseller in
history. Recently she hosted a segment of the A&E special Rodgers
& Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies. She lives in Encino,
California.
Jean A. S. Strauss is the wife of a college president and the author of Birthright
(Penguin) and lives in Claremont, California.
From the
Critics
From Library Journal
It's difficult to believe that even the upcoming 35th anniversary of The
Sound of Music could justify this memoir by the girl who played Liesl Von
Trapp. The title is apt: although Carr gave up acting to marry a dentist
not long after her debut, she doesn't seem to have gotten very far beyond
this period of her life. She spends a lot of the book drawing parallels
between the film and "life itself," telling her own story
alongside the stories of others--she lets us know what happened to her
former castmates (curiously, Julie Andrews is absent from her
acknowledgments) and reprints testimonials from Sound of Music fans about
how important this film was to their lives. A perhaps too-detailed look
inside the making of The Sound of Music (there is a whole chapter on why
Carr only likes dark chocolate), this is a fairly breathy puff piece. A
marginal purchase.--Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib.
Syst., Pacific Grove, CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
From Publisher's Weekly - Publishers Weekly
Published to coincide with the 35th anniversary of The Sound of Music,
this memoir by the actress who portrayed Liesl von Trapp offers a detailed
account of the creation of the classic, which won five Academy Awards.
Carr was 21 at the time she was chosen to play the 16-year-old daughter of
Baron von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy widow who falls in love
with a nun-cum-governess (Julie Andrews). Diehard fans of the tuneful
romance may savor these somewhat dated anecdotes, such as the one about
the day five-year-old Kym (who played Gretl von Trapp) nearly drowned
during a shoot on an Austrian lake or how the famous opening shot of
Andrews twirling in a meadow was captured by a camera man strapped to a
helicopter. However, those who share Plummer's reputed opinion that the
film lacks depth (he referred to the song "Edelweiss" as
"boring, schmaltzy and trite") will find wading through this
archival minutia tough slogging. One of the more interesting facts
imparted in this otherwise syrupy account is the anger Carr and other cast
members felt toward the studio, which took advantage of them by convincing
them to do free promotion and to sign releases that prevented them from
receiving any money generated by sales of the highly profitable sound
track. B&w photos. Agent, Lynn Franklin; 10-city author tour. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
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