The Sound of Music Two-Disc Collector s Edition

Additional Features The double-digipack edition of The Sound of Music includes the same features as the previously released Five Star Collection edition. The first disc of the two-DVD set includes the film, plus the option to listen to audio commentary by director Robert Wise. During the songs and underscored passages, Wise's commentary is silent and the vocal tracks are removed, allowing the viewer to hear the score in isolation (or even sing along). The second disc is reserved for bonus material. In a 14-minute featurette from 1965, "Salzburg: Sight and Sound," Charmian Carr (Liesl) narrates as she explores Salzburg and works on the set. More substantial is The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon, an 87-minute documentary from 1994. Narrated by Claire Bloom, it includes biographical information and photos of the real Maria, clips from the 1956 German film Die Trappe Familie that inspired the Broadway musical, and details of the musical's subsequent transformation into film. The movie's creators and principals, including Robert Wise, Saul Chaplin, Julie Andrews, and Christopher Plummer, as well as members of the von Trapp family, contribute extensive comments, spotlight Maria von Trapp's cameo in the film, explain the various sets and locations, and discuss the film's effect on the family. The DVD also has seven previews and TV spots, four radio spots, several audio interviews with Andrews, Plummer, Wise, and others, and "The Sound of Music Gallery," which offers stills and texts giving a history of Salzburg, production diaries and notes, and credits and a bibliography of recommended materials. DVD-ROM features include games and Web links. --David Horiuchi