The von Trapp family had no control over how they were depicted in the film and stage musical, having given up the rights to their story to a German producer in the 1950s who then sold the rights to American producers. Robert Wise met with Maria von Trapp and made it clear, according to a memo to Richard Zanuck, that he was not making a ``documentary or realistic movie'' about her family, and that he would make the film with ``complete dramatic freedom'' in order to produce a ``fine and moving film''--one they could all be proud of.
Robert Wise
Richard Zanuck