Charmian Carr: Chicago’s Own Liesl von Trapp
- Chicago Movie Tours
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 7
Charmian Carr's journey from Chicago to international fame began with a role that captured audiences around the world and continues to resonate decades later.
I’ve seen The Sound of Music so many times that I know virtually all of its dialogue, its songs, and even the characters’ smallest mannerisms. I can also tell you exactly when the film will cut to a commercial break during its annual Christmastime broadcast.
Only one primary cast member has ties to Chicago—and growing up, she was my favorite: Charmian Carr.
A Windy City Pedigree
Born Charmian Anne Farnon in Chicago in 1942, Carr is best known as Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter.
She was 21 when she made her screen debut in The Sound of Music. At thirteen, she moved with her family to California—a transition she later recalled with reluctance.
Her Chicago roots run deep.
Carr’s mother, Rita Oehmen (1917–1995), was also born in Chicago, where she began performing alongside her brother Edward as the Oehmen Twins on the Midwest’s thriving vaudeville circuit.
One of their stops included the Hotel Sherman, at Randolph and Clark streets.
At age 20, Rita was discovered by RKO Pictures and appeared in several films—The Jam Session (1937), Gun Law (1938), and Sea Melody (1938)—though none made a significant impact.
Carr’s father, Brian Farnon (1911–2010), was born in Toronto, and raised in Ireland and England. He became a bandleader and arranger known for projects like The Polka Parade (1955), The Spike Jones Show (1957), and BBC Show of the Week (1965).
Before their (by all accounts, messy) divorce, Rita and Brian had three children—Shannon, Charmian, and Darleen—all of whom followed their parents into show business.
According to the 1950 census, the family lived in what Carr later described as “a butter-yellow brick house” at 7956 S. Peoria St.
In her memoir Forever Liesl, Carr recalls how much she resisted leaving Chicago for the San Fernando Valley:
“I hated leaving Chicago, leaving my best friends, leaving the yellow house where we’d had such good times.”
Personality in a Small Parcel
Carr's performance as Liesl drew glowing reviews. Critics called her “wonderful,” a newcomer to “watch out for,” and “aptly named” (Charmian means "delight").
Even Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper—not exactly known for restraint—praised Carr’s debut as “brilliant,” adding that she had “never seen more personality packed into a small human parcel.”
It’s precisely that combination—charm, presence, and ingénue appeal—that made my younger self watch Carr as Liesl over and over again. As my poor brother can attest, I practically wore out our family’s VHS copy of The Sound of Music.
Also perfect in my 10-year-old mind—and in my adult mind, if I'm being honest—are the pink dress Carr wears during the gazebo scene with (the good-for-nothing Nazi soldier) Rolf, and the way she looks at Christopher Plummer's Captain Von Trapp when he first sings "Edelweiss."
Beyond the Gazebo
For someone with no prior professional experience in film—or even singing and dancing—Carr made the Hollywood dream feel attainable.
After the film’s release, she received countless letters: from young girls hoping to follow in her footsteps, and from boys nearly proposing marriage.
One of her favorite letters came from a Chicago teacher, Sister Mary Florence, who attended a screening of The Sound of Music with 800 other nuns. She wrote to assure Carr she’d done alright “music-wise”—despite having “tried in vain to teach [her] piano in second grade.”
Carr stepped away from acting in the mid 1960s but continued to build a successful career. She founded an interior design firm, Charmian Carr Designs, and authored two books: Forever Liesl (2000) and Letters to Liesl (2001).
She died in 2016, far too young, from complications related to dementia.
Charmian Carr’s work—onscreen and beyond—continues to inspire generations of young girls (and, admittedly, a few adults) to pursue their ambitions, whether in Chicago or far from it.
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