Charmian Carr

Charmian Carr
Carr in Evening Primrose (1966)
Born
Charmian Anne Farnon

(1942-12-27)December 27, 1942
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 2016(2016-09-17) (aged 73)
Los Angeles, California
EducationSan Fernando High School
Alma materSan Fernando Valley State College
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • author
  • businesswoman
Years active1964–1967
Known forLiesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music
Spouse
Jay Brent
​
​
(m. 1967; div. 1991)​
Children2

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 on December 27, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, the second child of vaudeville actress Rita Oehmen and musician Brian Farnon.[1] Carr had two sisters, actresses Shannon Farnon and Darleen Carr, and two brothers, Michael and Brian.[2] Her family moved to Los Angeles when Carr was 10.[3] Her parents divorced in 1957 after her father had an affair.[4][5] Carr's relationship with her father was tumultuous, as was her relationship with her mother, an alcoholic who was spitefully jealous of her daughter's success.[4]

While a student at San Fernando High School, graduating in 1960,[6] Farnon was a cheerleader and played basketball and volleyball. Prior to being signed to be in The Sound of Music, "[s]he had never had a singing lesson and had never tried to act."[5]

Career

1964–1965: The Sound of Music

Carr was studying speech therapy and philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College[7] 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:

I was going to college and getting extra spending money by modeling in fashion shows in one of the stores. One of the girls who modeled with me knew that Robert Wise, producer-director of The Sound of Music had been conducting a four-month search for someone to play the part of 16-year-old Liesl. My friend, without my knowing it, sent in my picture and explained in a note that I sang and danced. I received a call from Mr. Wise to come for a tryout. It took me completely by surprise.[3]

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.[8] She won the role of Liesl von Trapp over Geraldine Chaplin, Kim Darby, Patty Duke, Shelley Fabares, Teri Garr, Mia Farrow, and Lesley Ann Warren.[9] Overall, the film was a very happy experience for Carr. However, during the filming of her dance scene with Rolf Gruber (played by Daniel Truhitte) in the gazebo while performing the musical number "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", the costumers had forgotten to put no-slip pads on Carr's shoes. As a result, slid through a window of the gazebo, and Carr "had to complete the scene in agony."[10][11]

1965–2014: Retirement and other ventures

In 1965, Carr worked with Van Johnson on a pilot for the television program Take Her, She's Mine.[5] She then appeared in Evening Primrose, a one-hour musical written by Stephen Sondheim which aired on ABC Stage 67 in 1966.[12] That same year, Carr accepted the Golden Globe award for best picture, musical or comedy on behalf of Robert Wise.[13] She retired from acting after getting married in 1967.[4]

Carr owned the interior design firm Charmian Carr Designs in Encino, California, and was Michael Jackson's interior designer for five years.[4] She wrote the books Forever Liesl and Letters to Liesl.[14] Carr 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.[15] 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.[16]

Personal life

After finishing The Sound of Music, Carr experienced "several depressed years when I trusted nobody, not knowing if people liked me or wanted to be Liesl's friend." As she got older, Carr came to appreciate the role and participated in events celebrating it. She suffered panic attacks, cold sweats, and a nervous breakdown while working as an interior designer for Michael Jackson; terrified by his odd habits, Carr quit after five years, shortly before he bought Neverland Ranch.[4]

In 1967, Carr married dentist Jay Brent. They had two daughters: Jennifer (born 1970) and Emily (born 1974).[17] At some point, Carr began an affair with childhood sweetheart Gary Oldham after reuniting at a school reunion. This led to her and Brent divorcing in 1991.[4]

Carr died in Los Angeles on September 17, 2016, from complications related to frontotemporal dementia at age 73.[18] She is survived by her four siblings, two daughters, niece, and four grandchildren.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Type
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

References

  1. ^ Carr & Strauss 2001, p. 205.
  2. ^ a b Fierberg, Ruthie (September 18, 2016). "Charmian Carr, Liesl from Sound of Music, Dies at 73". Playbill. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Real-Life Cinderella Story Makes Actress Of Therapist". Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. November 9, 1964. p. 6. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Charmian Carr". The Times. September 19, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Hopper, Hedda (March 7, 1965). "In Hollywood". Valley Morning Star. Harlingen, Texas. p. A7. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Classmates – Find your school, yearbooks and alumni online". secure.classmates.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Hopper, Hedda (March 20, 1964). "Looking At Hollywood". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. 20. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Idato, Michael (September 19, 2016). "Charmian Carr, Liesl in The Sound of Music, dies aged 73". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  9. ^ Carr, Charmian; Strauss, Jean A. S. (March 15, 2001). Forever Liesl: A Memoir of the Sound of Music. New York: Penguin. p. 24. ISBN 978-0140298406. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  10. ^ "Liesl at 64 going on 70". The Daily Telegraph. London. December 26, 2007. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  11. ^ "Sound of Music 'Liesl' actress Charmian Carr dies". BBC News. September 18, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  12. ^ Piepenburg, Erik (October 25, 2010). "'60s Sondheim TV Show Is Now on (Legal) DVD". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  13. ^ "Golden Globe Award, 1966 – Excerpts – P. 2". YouTube.
  14. ^ "Sound of Music 'Liesl' actress Charmian Carr dies". BBC News. September 18, 2016. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  15. ^ Pilkington, Ed (October 28, 2010). "The Sound of Music cast reunite". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  16. ^ "Dream A Little Dream". Pink Martini. February 14, 2014. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  17. ^ Shearer, Lloyd (June 3, 1973). "Intelligence Report". Oakland Tribune Parade. p. 189. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Charmian Carr, Liesl von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' Film, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 18, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charmian_Carr