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Northwest Prime Time
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Celebrating Life After 50
The Sound of Music is 50! SERVING THE PUGET SOUND REGION SINCE 1986
www.NorthwestPrimeTime.com
VOL. 15
NO. 4 MAY 2015
Northwesterner Duane Chase
reminisces about his time with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, the ‘von Trapp children’ and meeting the real von Trapps The Sound of Music is one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time and after 50 years it still endures as a classic family favorite. The Northwest is home to one of the actors from that film—Duane Chase played the youngest von Trapp brother, mischievous Kurt. Northwest Prime Time is pleased to bring you a conversation with Duane as he walks down memory lane with The Sound of Music.
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orthwest resident Duane Chase is part of cinematic history for his role as Kurt von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Duane, now 64, was only 13 when he was cast in the role. “It was such an adventure and, even though we had to pay attention and act like mini-adults for long hours every day, it was fun,” says Duane. “At the time, it was a job with a lot of repetition. But looking back, it was such an unscripted adventure for all of us. No one knew the movie would become what it has become,” he adds. “It was an incredible experience.” As you can imagine, when people learn that Duane was in The Sound of Music, they are surprised and very curious. “It’s not something I trumpet about. And so when they find out they say, ‘Wow.’ Then ‘Gee, why didn’t you tell us!’ People usually share their experiences with the movie, often how watching it every year has become a family tradition. And the questions he is asked haven’t changed much over the years. Questions like: What was it like on the movie set? “It was a lot of fun but a lot of work.” What was Julie Andrews like? “She was great.” And, Is it true that Christopher Plummer didn’t like children? “No, that isn’t true. One of my favorite memories is of Chris and me sitting on directors’ chairs, having a laugh. He gave me photos of that time and signed the back, To the laughing boys, your friend Chris.”
Duane Chase with Elisabeth von Trapp. Duane's character Kurt was based on Werner von Trapp, Elisabeth's father. In this photo, Duane is wearing Werner's jacket, a gift from Elisabeth
One question that many ask is why he feels the movie has remained so popular. “The music, the scenery, the joy, the historical background and themes of family and overcoming adversity all enter into that answer,” says Duane. But he likes to turn the question around and ask, “ ‘Why have you continued to watch it over the years?’ However they reply is the best answer to that question.” Duane says that everyone on set was kind and supportive of the children—although sometimes they received a fatherly lecture from the director of the film: “Hey kids, this is business. You need to focus.” And Duane disappeared from time-to-time, but only because of his curiosity. “I was known for taking off unannounced. All of the sudden people would ask, ‘where’s Duane?’ Maybe I was just around the corner talking to the cameraman, or maybe I was gone. Once I took off for lunch break during the bicycle scene, down the road on a bike to one of the castles in the area.
Duane with Christopher Plummer on The Sound Music set. Duane has fond memories of the No one knew where I was. Then of moment captured in this photo
I thought, ‘ooh, I’d better get back!’ I hadn’t realized how long I’d been gone. I held up production for 20 minutes.” Duane has several favorite scenes from the movie: “Falling out of the rowboat, some of the bicycling during Do Re Mi, the final scene where we ‘hiked’ over the mountains and the picnic scene,” he reports. “The last two are favorites because of the scenery. In the mountains behind the picnic scene are the Werfen Ice Caves which we visited on as a school outing.” Duane recalls how several of the children lost teeth during the filming. “Me included. So we had plates made with our missing teeth. Made for some interesting singing rehearsals trying to sing clearly. And many of us needed lifts in our shoes to maintain our relative heights over the six month filming.” The youngsters playing the von Trapp children bonded during rehearsal and filming, and remain in touch to this day. “In Austria we had to go to school
together until mid-June. After that the tutor would take us out to see the ice caves and salt mines, or field trips to other parts of the country…gorgeous, gorgeous mountains. For the most part, we got along because we were in our own little groups. The youngest girls were only five and six or seven. Heather and Angela were Beatle-crazy. I hung out with Nick sometimes (who played Friedrich), but I was also interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff, talking to the grips, to the sound guy or the camera operator. “Everyone always wants to know about Julie Andrews. She was quite funny, with a British sense of humor. And she was really very sweet; I know she kept an eye on us kids, she tended to herd us, nanny us at times. Her daughter Emma was only about two and oftentimes during our breaks Julie would spread out a blanket on continued on page 18