Charmian Carr Explained

Charmian Carr
Birth Name:Charmian Anne Farnon
Birth Date:December 27, 1942
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California
Alma Mater:San Fernando Valley State College
Education:San Fernando High School
Years Active:1964 - 1967
Known For:Liesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music

Charmian Carr (born Charmian Anne Farnon; December 27, 1942 – September 17, 2016) was an American actress best known for her role as Liesl, the eldest von Trapp daughter in the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music.

Early life

Carr was born Charmian Anne Farnon in Chicago, Illinois, the second child of vaudeville actress Rita Oehmen and musician Brian Farnon The couple divorced in 1957. She had two sisters, both actresses (Shannon Farnon and Darleen Carr). Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 10.[1] While a student at San Fernando High School, graduating in 1960,[2] Carr was a cheerleader and played basketball and volleyball. "She had never had a singing lesson and had never tried to act" before she was signed to be in The Sound of Music.[3]

The Sound of Music

Carr was studying speech therapy and philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College[4] when a friend arranged for her to audition for a role in The Sound of Music. In a newspaper article published November 9, 1964, Carr related the story behind the tryout as follows:

Director Robert Wise thought that Farnon was too long a surname paired with Charmian. He gave her a list of single syllable surnames and she chose Carr.[5] She won the role of Liesl over Geraldine Chaplin, Kim Darby, Patty Duke, Shelley Fabares, Teri Garr, Mia Farrow, and Lesley Ann Warren.[6] The film was on the whole a very happy experience for her. However, during the filming of her dance scene with Rolf in the gazebo, the costumers had forgotten to put no-slip pads on her shoes. She slid through a window of the gazebo, and she "had to complete the scene in agony."[7]

Later life

In 1965, Carr worked with Van Johnson on a pilot for the television program Take Her, She's Mine.[3] She then appeared in Evening Primrose, a one-hour musical written by Stephen Sondheim which aired on ABC Stage 67 in 1966.[8] During the same year, she accepted the Golden Globe award for best picture, musical or comedy on behalf of Robert Wise.[9] The following year, she married dentist Jay Brent, and left show business; they divorced in 1991. They had two daughters.[10]

Carr owned the interior design firm Charmian Carr Designs in Encino, California, and she wrote Forever Liesl and Letters to Liesl.[11] She reunited with many of her co-stars from The Sound of Music on The Oprah Winfrey Show in October 2010 to celebrate the film's 45th anniversary.[12] In 2014, Carr recorded "Edelweiss" with the great-grandchildren of the von Trapps on the album Dream a Little Dream by the von Trapps and Pink Martini.[13]

Death

Carr died in Los Angeles on September 17, 2016, from complications related to frontotemporal dementia at the age of 73.[14]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleType
1965 The Sound of Music Liesl von Trapp Feature film
1965 Take Her, She's Mine TV-series pilot
1966 Evening Primrose Ella Harkins TV-series episode

Notes and References

  1. News: Real-Life Cinderella Story Makes Actress Of Therapist . . November 9, 1964 . Zanesville, Ohio . 6 . . November 26, 2015 . December 8, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208054427/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/3709205/the_times_recorder/ . live .
  2. Web site: Classmates – Find your school, yearbooks and alumni online. 2021-12-24. secure.classmates.com. December 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224212626/https://secure.classmates.com/auth/login?successUrl=%2Fsiteui%2Fyearbooks%2F6307%3Fpage%3D50. live.
  3. News: Hopper. Hedda. In Hollywood. Valley Morning Star. March 7, 1965. Harlingen, Texas. A7. Newspapers.com. November 26, 2015. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628233947/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3709388/valley_morning_star/. live.
  4. News: Hopper. Hedda. Looking At Hollywood. Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. March 20, 1964. 20. Newspapers.com. November 26, 2015. August 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180815045753/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3709106/colorado_springs_gazettetelegraph/. live.
  5. News: Idato. Michael. Charmian Carr, Liesl in The Sound of Music, dies aged 73. September 20, 2016. The Sydney Morning Herald. September 19, 2016. September 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160920075519/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/charmian-carr-liesl-in-the-sound-of-music-dies-aged-73-20160918-grj647.html. live.
  6. Book: Carr. Charmian. Strauss. Jean A. S.. Forever Liesl: A Memoir of the Sound of Music. March 15, 2001. Penguin. New York. 978-0140298406. 24. March 5, 2021. May 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220517195216/https://books.google.com/books?id=K7xsTkA-JIsC&q=patty+duke. live.
  7. News: Liesl at 64 going on 70. November 26, 2020. The Daily Telegraph. London. December 26, 2007. subscription. January 31, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131073055/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3670150/Liesl-at-64-going-on-70.html. live.
  8. News: '60s Sondheim TV Show Is Now on (Legal) DVD. Piepenburg. Erik. The New York Times. October 25, 2010. November 26, 2020. subscription. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628212135/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/theater/25primrose.html?_r=1&ref=television. live.
  9. Web site: Golden Globe Award, 1966 – Excerpts – P. 2 . YouTube .
  10. News: Shearer . Lloyd . Intelligence Report . . June 3, 1973 . 189 . Newspapers.com . November 26, 2015 . December 8, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208064957/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/3715716/oakland_tribune/ . live .
  11. News: Sound of Music 'Liesl' actress Charmian Carr dies. September 19, 2016. BBC News. September 18, 2016. September 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160919002358/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37403372. live.
  12. News: Pilkington. Ed. The Sound of Music cast reunite. September 19, 2016. The Guardian. London. October 28, 2010. September 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927200837/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/29/sound-of-music-cast-reunite. live.
  13. Web site: Dream A Little Dream . Pink Martini . February 14, 2014 . July 4, 2015 . June 28, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150628112652/http://pinkmartini.com/discography/dream-a-little-dream/ . live .
  14. News: Charmian Carr, Liesl von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' Film, Dies at 73 . . The New York Times . September 18, 2016 . subscription . February 24, 2017 . September 23, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160923091657/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/movies/charmian-carr-liesl-von-trapp-in-the-sound-of-music-film-dies-at-73.html?_r=0 . live .

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