Hablemos, Tele

By: Tele Figueroa

Date: Sept 12, 2025 – Updated June 27, 2026

Introduction

There are times of the year when hidden emotions and memories surface without warning. I am talking about those traditions and experiences shared with our loved ones…especially with someone very special…during the Christmas season.

“The Sound of Music” – What a Masterpiece!

I have just watched the beginning of a true jewel of Hollywood cinema; a film that left an permanent mark on us forever. I am not lying when I say I have watched it close to sixty times…curiously, the same number of years since its release past September. It is a ritual I must fulfill calmly, without interruptions, and surrounded by people who truly appreciate its value. And, of course, a box of Kleenex can never be missing by my side for the tears that, inevitably, well up.

Once or twice a year, back when I lived in Puerto Rico, the entire family…Elvia M., Elvia I. (the chief), Juan Carlos, Iris (Irisita), and myself…would gather in front of the TV to enjoy this cinematic masterpiece together. How I miss those times!

I am referring to “The Sound of Music”. This masterpiece, winner of five Academy Awards and starring the unforgettable Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premiered in 1965 after years of success as a Broadway musical. Its songs became pop culture icons, such as My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, and So Long, Farewell.

For those of us who love this story, there are always fascinating details. For instance, in the scene where Maria leaves the convent singing “I Have Confidence”, the real Maria von Trapp makes a split-second cameo appearance, walking in the background under a stone archway.

A couple of extra secrets from the set: > Did you know that Christopher Plummer didn’t actually sing? Despite his incredible performance as Captain von Trapp, his singing voice was dubbed by playback singer Bill Lee. Also, while the film looks like a warm Austrian summer, the cast was actually freezing during many of those outdoor scenes, filming through a notoriously rainy and chilly Salzburg spring.

It is also curious that in the emotional final scene, when the family escapes through the mountains toward “Switzerland,” they were actually climbing Mount Untersberg. If they had followed that path in real life, they would have walked straight into Germany, right next to Hitler’s mountain retreat! But that is the magic of Robert Wise’s filmmaking: he preferred a heroic ending over geographical accuracy.

There are so many more details to tell, but the history is immense. For now, I will stick with the music and the feeling. I am sure that, just like me, this movie has given many of you back a piece of your own history.