Q: Other than the Von Trapps, were any of the significant characters in “The Sound of Music” based on real people? If so, what happened to them?
—Randy Eidson, Rome
A: Max Detweiler was the family's manager and promoter in the movie, but he was fictional. The Rev. Franz Wasner was the Von Trapps' real musical director and conductor for more than 20 years. He later was a missionary to Fiji and rector of the Collegio Santa Maria dell'Anima, where German theology students lived in Rome. Wasner died in 1992. The Baroness Elsa Schraeder, Maria's rival for Georg Von Trapp's love, likely was patterned after a Princess Yvonne, a Viennese countess. Maria Von Trapp mentioned Yvonne in her book, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," and it's been written that Georg proposed to Yvonne several times, but she never accepted. The children called her "Aunt Yvonne," and she was a cousin of Georg's deceased first wife. Maria also married Georg, who was 25 years older than her, in 1927, not closer to the start of World War II, as the movie suggests.
Q: According to the AJC’s Hartsfield-Jackson Guide, if you go to the wrong terminal, you might still be able to check in for your flight. How do you find out which international flights you might be able check in for at the main terminal?
—Craig Kimbrough, Atlanta
A: Certain airlines allow international travelers to check in to their flights at the domestic terminal, airport spokeswoman Monica Fuentes told Q&A on the News in an email. "We encourage all of our international travelers to check in at the international terminal and all of our domestic travelers to check in at the domestic terminal," she wrote.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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