Part Six
Scene 41 Movie location: von Trapp Home Balcony and Lakeside; Actual location Leopoldskron Lakeside and Frohnburg Palace (?)
Elsa: There you are. I really must speak to cook about the wiener schnitzel. It is entirely too delicious for my figure. And it make you much too quiet at the dinner table
Georg: Hmm
Elsa: Or was it the wine?
Georg: Oh, undoubtedly the wine
Elsa: You have no idea what kind of trouble I’m having trying to decide what to give you for a wedding present. Oh, I know, I’m enough. But I do want you to have some little trifle for the occasion. At first I-I thought of a fountain pen, but you’ve already got one. And then, then I thought perhaps a villa in the south of France, but they are so difficult to gift-wrap. Oh, Georg, how do you feel about yachts? A long sleek one for the Mediterranean or a tiny one for your bathtub, hmm?
Georg: Elsa
Elsa: And, and where to go for our honeymoon? Now, that is a real problem. I thought a trip around the world would be lovely, then I said: “Oh Elsa, there must be someplace better to go”. Don’t worry, darling, I’ll
Georg: Elsa
Elsa: Yes, Georg?
Georg: It’s no use. You and I. I’m being dishonest to both of us and utterly unfair to you. When two people talk of marriage
Elsa: No Don’t. Don’t say another word, Georg, please. You see, um, there are other things I’ve been thinking of. Fond as I am of you, I really don’t think you’re the right man for me. You’re, um, you’re much too independent. And I- I need someone who needs me desperately or at least needs my money desperately, or at least needs my money desperately. I’ve enjoyed every moment we’ve had together and I do thank you for that. Now, if, um, if you forgive me, I’ll go inside, pack my little bags and return to Vienna where I belong. And somewhere out there is a young lady who, I think, will never be a nun. Auf Wiedersehen, darling.
Scenes 42 & 43 Movie Location: von Trapp Home Grounds, Actual Location: Leopoldskron Lakeside and Studio USA (?)
Georg: Hello. I thought I just might find you here
Maria: Was, was there something you wanted?
Georg: Hmm?. No, no, no, no. Sit, sit down please. Please. Uh, may I? You know, I was, I was thinking and I was wondering two things: Why did you run away to the abbey and what was it that made you come back?
Maria: Well, I had an obligation to fulfill and I-I came back to fulfill it
Georg: Hmm, is that all?
Maria: And I missed the children
Georg: Yes. Only the children?
Maria: No. Yes. Isn’t it right I should have missed them?
Georg: Oh, yes, yes, of course. I was only hoping that perhaps you, perhaps you might, uh
Maria: Yes?
Georg: Well, uh, nothing was the same when you were away and It’ll be all wrong again after you leave, and I just thought perhaps you might, uh, change your mind
Maria: Well, I’m sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you
Georg: Maria, there isn’t going to be any Baroness
Maria: There isn’t?
Georg: No
Maria: I don’t understand
Georg: Well, we’ve, um, called off our engagement, you see, and uh
Maria: Oh, I’m sorry
Georg: Yes. You are?
Maria: Mm-hmm. You did?
Georg: Yes. Well, you can’t marry someone when you’re in love with someone else, can you?
Maria: The Reverend Mother always says: “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window”
Georg: What else does the Reverend Mother say?
Maria: That you have to look for your life
Georg: Is that why you came back? And have you found it Maria?
Maria: I think I have. I know I have
[scene 43]
Georg: I love you
Maria: Oh, can this be happening to me? Perhaps I had a wicked childhood. Perhaps I had a miserable youth. But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past, there must have been a moment of truth. For here you are standing there loving me, whether or not you should. So, somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could. So, somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good
Georg: Do you know when I first started loving you? That night at the dinner table when you sat on that ridiculous pine cone
Maria: What? I knew the first time you blew that silly whistle
Georg: Oh, my love. For here you are standing there loving me, whether or not you should
Maria: So, somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good
Maria and Georg: Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could
Maria: So, somewhere in my youth
Georg: Or childhood
Maria: I must have done something
Maria and Georg: Something good
Georg: Maria?
Maria: Hmm
Georg: Is there anyone I should go to, to ask permission to marry you?
Maria: Well, why don’t we ask
Maria and Georg: The children?
Scenes 44 & 45 Movie Location: Nonnberg Abbey, Actual Location: St. Michael’s Church, Mondsee Austria, Studio USA
Choir: How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you find a word that means Maria? A flibbertigibbet. A will-o’-the-wisp. A clown. Many a thing you like to tell her, many a thing she ought to understand. But how do you make her stay and listen to all you say? How do you keep a wave upon the sand? Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
Foreground Picture: St. Michael's church Mondsee exterior. Pictures below: Church's interior
Scene 46 Movie and Actual Locations: various Salzburg sites including the Toscaninihof courtyard and the Felsenreitschule
Herr Zeller: Herr Detweiler! Heil Hitler
Max: Oh, good afternoon, Herr Zeller
Herr Zeller: Perhaps you’ve not heard. I am now the Gauleiter. Heil Hitler
Max: Uh, Heil Hitler
Herr Zeller: I have just come from the house of Captain von Trapp. Incidentally, the only one in the neighborhood not flying the flag of the Third Reich since the Anschluss. But we have dealt with that situation
Max: I don’t think the Cap…
Herr Zeller: The housekeeper told me that I would find you here. It was the only information the woman would give me
Max: What kind of information are you looking for?
Herr Zeller: We want to know when the Captain will be returning
Max: Well, he’s on his honeymoon trip. Uh, he’s not been in touch with us
Herr Zeller: Are you asking me to believe that the Captain has not communicated with his children in over a month?
Max: Herr Zeller, how many men do you know who communicate with their children while on their honeymoon?
Herr Zeller: When he does return he will be expected to fill his proper position in the new order
Max: Naturally, naturally. And may I congratulate you, that is, your people, on deciding to allow the festival to go on tonight as planned
Herr Zeller: Why should it not go on? Nothing in Austria has changed. Singing and music will show this to the world. Austria is the same. Heil Hitler
Max: Heil Hitler. Come on, children, let’s go home
Gretl: Why was he so cross?
Max: Everybody’s cross these days, darling
Marta: Maybe the flag with the black spider on it makes people nervous
Liesl: Is father going to be in trouble?
Max: Well, he doesn’t have to be. The thing to do these days is to get along with everybody. I want you all to remember that tonight at the concert
Brigitta: Are we really going to sing before a whole lot of people tonight?
Max: Of course, look, the von Trapp Family Singers. And here are your names: Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Kurt, Marta and Gretl [NOTE: the order is not chronological!]
Gretl: Why am I always last?
Max: Because you are the most important
Gretl: Oh
Max: There we go
Scene 47 Movie and Actual Location: Toscaninihof Courtyard
Brigitta: Uncle Max, are you sure father will approve of our singing in public?
Max: Oh, he’ll be pleased and proud
Brigitta: Liesl, do you think so?
Max: Don’t you trust me?
Brigitta: No!
Max: You’re a very intelligent girl
Rolf: Liesl, Liesl!
Liesl: Rolf! Rolf, I’m so glad to see you. It’s been such—
Rolf: Good afternoon. You will take this, please, and deliver it to your father as soon as he comes home
Liesl: He’s on his honeymoon
Rolf: I know that
Liesl: You do?
Rolf: We make it our business to know everything about everyone
Liesl: Who’s “we”?
Rolf: See that he gets it
Liesl: What is it?
Rolf: It’s a telegram from Berlin
Liesl: Don’t you want to come over tonight and deliver it yourself?
Rolf: I’m now occupied with more important matters. And your father better be too if he knows what’s good for him
Liesl: But, Rolf
Picture at right: tunnel connecting Monastery of St. Peter and Toscaninihof Courtyard
Scene 48 Movie Location: von Trapp home. Actual Location: Frohnburg Palace, Studio USA
Children collective: Father!
Friedrich: We didn’t expect you so soon
Georg: Hello, hello, hello
Liesl: Whe did you get back?
Louisa: We didn’t expect you home until next week
Kurt: Did you bring us any souvenirs from Paris?
Maria: Hello! Oh, how are you? Hello
Friedrich: Oh, why didn’t you telephone us?
Maria: Well, we tried to but we-we couldn’t get through, we tried…
Max: I had nothing to do with that, Georg
Georg: I came back as fast as we could
Louisa: Did you see the Eifel Tower?
Georg: Well, well, well, well, well! We missed you!
[one of the children, Gretl?, seems to say “we missed you too]
Maria: We missed kissing you goodnight
Georg: We missed all the noise you make in the morning telling each other to be quiet
Maria: Mostly, we missed hearing you sing
Brigitta: Oh, you came back just in time. Look, Fräulein Maria—I mean, mother. We’re going to sing in the festival tonight.
Maria: What?
Children collective: Yes
Friedrich: We’ve been rehearsing all…
Max: Surprise, surprise
Georg: All right, surprises for you on the terrace
Marta: Presents!
Georg: We’ll talk about this inside
Max: Georg, I would have told you but you were away. I had to make a last-minute decision. I was fortunate to enter them at all.
Georg: Max
Max: They’ll be the talk of the festival
Georg: Max
Max: Imagine, seven children in one family
Georg: Max! Somehow I recall having made it quite clear to you how I feel about my family singing in public!
Max: But the committee heard them, they were enchanted
Maria: Oh Max, what did they say?
Max: I have never heard such enthusiasm
Maria: Oh, darling, don’t you think just this once?
Georg: Absolutely out of the question
Max: Georg: this is for Austria
Georg: For Austria? There is no Austria
Max: But the Anschluss happened peacefully. Let’s at least be grateful for that
Georg: Grateful? You know Max, sometimes I don’t believe I know you
Liesl: Father, I forgot. This is for you
Max: Maria, he has got to at least pretend to work with these people. You must convince him
Maria: Max, I can’t ask him to be less than he is
Max: Then I’ll talk to him. If the children don’t sing at the festival, well, it will be a reflection on Austria. Oh, I know it wouldn’t do me any good either, hmm