As musicals go, The Sound of Music captivated a generation of moviegoers and lives on as one of the preeminent examples of Hollywood’s ability to entertain audiences with story, music, action, and drama. The 1965 American musical was produced and directed by Robert Wise.  Starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the film single-handedly saved Twentieth Century Fox from the brink of bankruptcy following the debacle of Cleopatra and became one of the most successful musicals of the 1960s. While the film captivated audiences, its path to the big screen was paved with drama and the casting calls went wide and far in looking for the right collection of actors to take up the key roles.  It’s interesting to imagine what the film might have been like had the film come together differently – with without Andrews and Plummer in the iconic roles. For more on the story, check out our Vella series, Not Playing at a Theater Near You which includes a chapter on The Sound of Music.