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As often happens in Hollywood musicals, Plummer did not sing the final tracks himself. Here's him singing Edelweiss in his own voice.
His voice isn't bad, but it's not great either. I can see why they substituted somebody else.
I've been a Sound of Music fan ever since my 6th grade class performed it for our yearly play. In my play, Phillip Ludwig played Captain Von Trapp and Rebecca Benn played Maria. Was really sad to hear this this morning. I always thought it funny Plummer didn't even like the role.
It’s interesting that Plummer affected a British accent, even though he didn’t study acting there or grow up there.
I agree he had a more British influenced accent and speaking manner than most other Canadians, but if I had to guess, I would attribute that to two things:
1. He was an only child and grew up raised by his Mother's family outside Montreal where his family was very well established. His great grandfather (or maybe gg grandfather) on his Mother's side was a Canadian Prime Minister. He attended private schools throughout his education and I believe his family was wealthy.
2. Most of his acting training was classical and he did a lot of theatre, primarily Shakespeare. The old school theatre actors always seem to go above and beyond with the affectations, at least in my recollection (people like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi etc).
Last edited by Texas Ag 93; 02-06-2021 at 07:27 AM..
Quite a long life. The Sound of Music's the only movie I've ever seen him in and then he guest starred in a Cosby Show episode in '87, but I'm not familiar with his movies.
Just out of curiousity, if you have reason to reference Mr. Plummer, which work of his do you reference most?
Me, it's The Return of the Pink Panther. There are a lot of things in that movie that I can pull from and unlike the later flicks, still enjoyable. For example, one's co star, in this case Mr. Plummer, isn't reduced to rubble being in a movie that has become all about Sellers.
..........though his work in Oedipus the King runs a close second for me.
Just out of curiousity, if you have reason to reference Mr. Plummer, which work of his do you reference most?
Me, it's The Return of the Pink Panther. There are a lot of things in that movie that I can pull from and unlike the later flicks, still enjoyable. For example, one's co star, in this case Mr. Plummer, isn't reduced to rubble being in a movie that has become all about Sellers.
..........though his work in Oedipus the King runs a close second for me.
That's a good one. Imagine having to play the straight man in anything with Peter Sellers.... I also liked him in The Insider and more recently in Knives Out. But, he's been in tons of movies and shows I've enjoyed, so really for me, I think his body of work is one where the sum is greater than the whole of the parts. In a lot of the articles and obits I've read over the past day, it's pointed out that Plummer was a character actor rather than a leading man, though he certainly had the looks and charisma to have pulled that off. I think going the character actor route (in movies and TV anyway) was a conscious decision he made rather early on.
And, not gonna lie, I had a huge crush on him from the first time I saw Sound of Music as a 9 year old, and I think he remained a very attractive man until the end of his life.
As often happens in Hollywood musicals, Plummer did not sing the final tracks himself. Here's him singing Edelweiss in his own voice.
His voice isn't bad, but it's not great either. I can see why they substituted somebody else.
I've been a Sound of Music fan ever since my 6th grade class performed it for our yearly play. In my play, Phillip Ludwig played Captain Von Trapp and Rebecca Benn played Maria. Was really sad to hear this this morning. I always thought it funny Plummer didn't even like the role.
I still think Bikel should have played the part in the movie. He was Austrian, he actually witnessed the Anschluss (and Hitler parading down his street) and he was a professional singer who originated the role on Broadway.
My wife and I have in the past made a habit of watching "The Sound of Music" on Thanksgiving after everyone goes home.
We had the experience in 2018 of going on a trip that included Salzburg, Austria and taking the Sound of Music Tour. For real fans, I recommend that. We got to see many of sights filmed in the movie including the Mondsee Church where Plummer and Andrews were married.
I enjoyed many movies since Sound of Music that Plummer acted in. He was a professional and you could always tell.
RIP, Christopher Plummer.
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