FOREVER LIESL: A Memoir of The Sound of Music.

• Author: FISCHER, RAYMOND L.
• Position: Review

FOREVER LIESL: A Memoir of The Sound of Music BY CHARMIAN CARR WITH JEAN A.S. STRAUSS VIKING PENGUIN 2000, 245 PAGES, $23.95

Although a few of the billion or so moviegoers who saw "The Sound of Music" consider it too "schmaltzy" nice, or sweet, a vast number of viewers consider it to be their favorite film. Many have viewed it over and over--one woman watched it 307 times, and another sees it an average of 20 times a year. Recipient of many honors, such as Golden Globe Awards for best picture and best actress and five Academy Awards, including best director and best picture, the film broke box-office records around the world and made millions for Twentieth Century-Fox. The sound track, which sold more than 1,000,000 copies in the first month, ultimately became the most successful such recording of all time.

Charmian Carr, who played Liesl in "The Sound of Music," has written a memoir of the motion picture, including several letters she has received from movie fans detailing how watching the film changed their lives. Those who termed the movie schmaltzy will probably consider the book schmaltzy, too. So what's the matter with sweet and nice? Neither an expose about shooting the picture nor criticism of individuals involved in it, Forever Liesl is a delightful recollection of seven of the most wonderful, influential months in Carr's life.

Although the author describes making the film in detail--how it was cast (Charmian almost failed to get the part because of the color of her eyes), how and where the director shot the scenes, how vocalists prerecorded songs, how the cast practiced dances, who was responsible For various aspects of the movie--the major thrust of the book concerns the actors who played the seven Von Trapp children.

The youngsters developed very close relationships, and the author considers the other six her second family. All seven have kept in touch over the years and have had reunions For film anniversaries, special movie-related events, individual family occasions, and appearances on television. When they...