THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

Now before you hop on your high horse and exclaim “But The Sound of Music isn’t gay, or even queer!” remember that it is camp, with a capital K!

Much loved by families, and fondly recalled by many gay men and lesbians as a childhood delight – and yes, we all used to go to bed before the Nazis took over – The Sound of Music is a timeless classic.

Highlights include the lascivious Liesel singing ‘I Am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen’ with more double entendres than a 16-year-old should be aware of to the very Aryan (and cute) Rolf; Christopher Plummer’s tongue-in-cheek performance as the militaristic Captain Von Trapp; and Maria’s dab hand with a sewing needle and some old curtains, among many other joyous moments.

The film also features Eleanor Parker - one of the bitchiest and most glamorous women of 60s cinema - as the Baroness. Her line about not bringing her harmonica is true gold.

But what most gay men know The Sound of Music for is the Reverend Mother’s (in)famously misquoted “What is it you can’t face?” It’s become part of our vocabulary, and has been used in drag shows, skits, even Welcome to Woop Woop, Stephan Elliott’s messy follow-up to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It’s no wonder that a sing-along version of the film has been enjoyed by many a queer audience, who know all the words, around the world!

Bright, optimistic, and innocent, and featuring some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most memorable compositions, The Sound of Music holds a proud place on our queer cinema DVD shelf.