Watching The Sound of Music last night, I got to thinking about the Von Trapp kids and the Brady Bunch kids. Both broods sang, and both won prizes in singing competitions (the Von Trapps in the Salzburg Festival and the Bradys in Hal Barton’s TV Talent Review).

But did you know that two of the actors who portrayed Von Trapp children also appeared on The Brady Bunch as Brady dates?

Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich von Trapp (second from left in the above photo), lives in infamy as Doug Simpson, “the big man on campus” who broke a date with Marcia after her nose became swollen from being hit with a football.

Clip from The Brady Bunch, “The Subject Was Noses,” with Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich, The Sound of Music) as Doug Simpson (1973)

Kym Karath, who played Gretl von Trapp (third from left in top photo), was Kerry, a friend of Jan’s who mistakenly thought Greg was into her when it was really Peter who liked her.

Here’s something to think about: If the Von Trapp mansion had had an open-riser staircase like the one in the Brady house, Gretl would have fallen through the gap when she backed up the steps on her ass during “So Long, Farewell.”

Clip from The Brady Bunch, “Cyrano de Brady,” with Kym Karath (Gretl, The Sound of Music) as Kerry (1972)

And finally, did you know that Florence Henderson played Maria in the national touring company of The Sound of Music? She discusses the experience below.

Florence Henderson interview, Archive of American Television (Oct. 1999)