by Paula Rosenberg

Created on: September 21, 2008

Forty three years after its premiere, the hills are still alive with "The Sound of Music". The beloved musical staring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer has inspired late night re-releases in theaters where the audience arrives in costume and sings along. There is even a popular tour of exteriors used in the film that has visitors flocking to Salzburg, Austria.

"The Sound of Music" is so well known that it is one of the most referenced and sometimes lampooned films in American cinematic history. Some of the more memorable references to "The Sound of Music" include:

The popular series, "Family Guy" did homage to "The Sound of Music" in the episode "Mr. Saturday Knight". Peter invites his boss over to dinner. His children bid him goodnight with their rendition of "So Long, Farewell."

"Family Guy" offered other spoofs of "The Sound of Music." There is a sequence in an episode where baby Stewie sings "I Have Confidence" while decked out in Frauline Maria's dowdy dress and hat.

There was one final "Sound of Music" lampoon on "Family Guy". In the episode, "You May Now Kiss TheUhGuy Who Receives", Stewie watches "The Sound of Music" on TV. The climax of the film shows that the nuns have not only disabled the Nazi's car but they have also beheaded Rolf.

During the final season of "Will and Grace" the episode appropriately titled, "Von Trapped" was practically a love letter to "The Sound of Music". Grace brings Will, Jack, and Karen to a showing/sing a long of the film.

The opening title sequence of the film, "Bridget Jones the Edge of Reason" has Bridget and Mark running on a mountain side to the title song from "The Sound of Music".

The live comedy show, "MADtv" offered a collection of alternative endings to "The Sound of Music".

The cartoon show "The Critic" lampooned many popular films. One of the show's various opening sequences had Maria singing on the hill, only to be eaten by a T-Rex.

During the 1990s reincarnation of "The Muppet Show" there was an episode that featured Michelle Pfeiffer and Miss Piggy in a singing battle of "My Favorite Things".

In the 1993 film "Adams Family Values", the Adams children are sent to the Harmony Hut to watch "The Sound of Music" as punishment during camp.

In an episode of "Saturday Night Live" there is a skit about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brokaw singing "My Favorite Things".

References

www.imdb.com
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