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After five years and viewing the two later versions, I think that this primordial effort in filmed operetta is far too severely criticized.I agree with all the observations by other IMDb critics, but there are particularly expansive film production values: good tenor and bass voices among the soloists and choruses,such as those of Sid El Kar and Ali Ben Ali,including the choral settings of "One Alone", "Eastern and Western Love," and let's not overlook Clementina and her ladies in "Castanette", "On the streets of Spain","There is a key.".etc.,and much else.Much would be very non-PC today. The writers have not overlooked comedy in the shapes of Johnny Arthur and Louize Fazenda as Bennie and Susan.Bennie's reaction after a bad experience with a horse is priceless.(see the film, I'm not telling you) It's funnier still when he is dressed in an overlong night shirt, and when Ali Ben Ali, the much turbaned,whiskered,ear-ringed,feathered tribal chief and he argue about Bennie's future. He is much funnier than the newspapermen in the later versions,Lynn Overman, and a later forgotten actor; while Ali Ben Ali's wide-eyed ogling with Clementina is quite farcical. I liked John Boles' rendering of "Then you will know",but in the whole contrast with later musicals (and really this is operetta with some sung dialog) Boles is much more dashing than many later singing heroes unless you include the energetic prancing in "Seven Brides for seven brothers". Louize Fazenda and Arthur make a very comic couple and are full of wisecracks: "Why do men marry their secretaries?" Susan (Fazenda)"Well, if you're going to let a man dictate to you,you might as well marry him" On the whole, this is a large scale,very musical and unusual operetta,full of choruses,combining "the desert magic",horses,exterior scenery, men in uniform,very much ahead of its time. But this very essence of romance has its serious moments;the characters,so different from the pasteboard casts of other works, are almost three-dimensional:they have pasts,presents,futures and personal philosophies. Thus Margot,asked by her fiancé why she wears riding habit quips: "I don't suppose you noticed there was a moon out tonight" Gen.Birabeau" See,Margot wants to be carried off by a shiek,as in the story books.." Margot:" I know that Frencnmen are only shieks to the women they don't intend to marry." In the serious episodes, the "Red Shadow's", Pierre's, tentative nervousness during her solo of the "Desert Song" is well portrayed; Captain Fontaine,the fiancé, gets down to business in "I MUST go,Margot"; finally,the epitome of drama shows,when informed by a legionnaire of the "signal fires",Fontaine points up his revolver,fulminating,"A challenge! This will be his last!" In sum, a great orchestration of exotic choreography,comedy,romance,betrayal,crisis and resolution which significantly outperforms its successors decades later.

I always thought that an operetta or a musical film should contain fairly fast moving action,choruses,humor, perhaps some uniforms,catchy music and singing talent. "The Sound of Music" contains only some of these.There are uniforms but not necessarily ones you'd want to run into.They're not Austrian Hussars,Russian officers,Mounties, but Nazis at the time of the Anschluss. Nor are they the most exciting voices: the Mother Superior exhorts,somewhat out of place, the "Climbing of every Mountain", the Baron (or Count),if he does at all, sings in an uninteresting bland voice; Julie Andrews is no Lily Pons or Kathryn Grayson, or even Jeanette MacDonald,but vocalizing in "Pediatric".walks us through her favorite places where "the dog bites" or "the bee stings". "When you're sixteen" etc. is rather insipid, and the nuns' chorus is on the juvenile side. The Baroness acts insecure rather than malicious and the whole cast of characters is not more than unidimensional. The photography and scenery are excellent,but apart from this I would feel that this is a children's picture; perhaps that was what was intended.

This is probably one of their best,equalling "Top Hat" in this Astaire-Rogers series. Perhaps the wit and dialog are old fashioned and wordy by modern standards,but after looking over this film again, I would say that there is now no modern talent or effort to match it. Just watch the detail and hard work put into the 15-20 sequence of "The Continental" and try to imagine anything these days that would compare. This is a song and (very good) dance musical appearing in the Depression years.It's an absolutely uplifting picture. It seems that after "Roberta","Top Hat" and "Swing Time" and a few others, the style seems to fade a bit until we get into the more serious, later films.These early films are unique. And when Astaire is partnered with other dancers,somehow the panache isn't there;and Rogers goes off to be a character actress.