Why Did Christopher Plummer Dislike the Sound of Music?

Why Did Christopher Plummer Dislike the Sound of Music? Many people love the Sound of Music, but Christopher Plummer famously did not. Here’s why.

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Christopher Plummer’s early life and career

Christopher Plummer was born on December 13, 1929, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His father, John Orme Plummer, was a businessman and stockbroker; his mother, Isabella Mary (Abbott), was a secretary to the dean of Sciences at McGill University. Plummer is of English and Scottish descent. He has a sister, Nancy Plummer, who is an actress and former wife of Nicholas Young (they are the parents of Duncan Kennedy).

The Sound of Music and its place in Plummer’s career

As one of the most prolific and respected actors of his generation, Christopher Plummer has had a long and varied career. He is best known for his work in film, but he has also appeared in many stage productions. In 1965, he appeared in the musical The Sound of Music, which was adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name. The film was a huge success, but Plummer later said that he ” detested every moment” of filming it.

Plummer’s main issue with the film was that he felt it typecast him as a sentimental leading man, which led to him being offered roles in similar films. He has said that he regrets not turning down the role, as it caused him to be pigeonholed in Hollywood. In recent years, Plummer has been more open about his experience on The Sound of Music, and has even joked about it in interviews. While he may not have enjoyed making the film, it remains one of his most iconic roles.

Plummer’s thoughts on the film and its music

Christopher Plummer has never been shy about expressing his thoughts on The Sound of Music and its music. In a recent interview, he once again shared his opinion on the film and its songs.

“I still don’t much care for the film,” he said. “I think it’s terribly sweet and sugary and all that. But I was totally wrong about the music. I thought it was going to be this awful throwaway Broadway show music and it turned out to be some of the most beautiful movie music ever written.”

He also had some kind words to say about Julie Andrews, with whom he worked closely on the film.

“She’s an extraordinary woman, and so lovely,” he said. “I think we were both rather grumpy on that movie. It was a very long shoot and we were both getting a bit tired of it by the end.”

The critical reception of The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is one of the most beloved musicals of all time, but not everyone was a fan. In fact, some people HATED it – including Christopher Plummer, who played Captain Von Trapp in the film.

Plummer famously said that making The Sound of Music was “like being caught in a terrible dream.” He was not a fan of the script, the music, or the director, Robert Wise. In fact, he was so unhappy with the experience that he drank heavily throughout filming and even considered quitting at one point.

So why did Plummer dislike The Sound of Music so much? There are a few theories.

Some have speculated that Plummer was simply too serious and intense for a project like The Sound of Music. He was known for his dramatic roles, and perhaps he felt that The Sound of Music was beneath him as an actor.

Others believe that Plummer resented the fact that Julie Andrews – not he – was the true star of The Sound of Music. This theory is supported by the fact that Plummer openly clashed with Andrews on set and even called her “a tiresome perfectionist.”

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that Plummer’s negative attitude towards The Sound of Music had an impact on his performance. He has since admitted that he “played every scene as if [he] were swatting flies.”

The Sound of Music’s place in popular culture

When “The Sound of Music” was first released in 1965, it was not an immediate critical or box office success. In fact, it wasn’t until the film’s television debut in 1967 that the musical truly found its audience, becoming one of the most beloved films of all time.

While the film’s popularity has never been in question, its place in popular culture has been hotly debated. For some, “The Sound of Music” is a heartwarming story of love and family set against the backdrop of World War II; for others, it’s a treacly melodrama rife with historical inaccuracies.

One person who falls firmly in the latter camp is Christopher Plummer, who famously starred as Captain Von Trapp in the film. In a 2013 interview with Larry King, Plummer called “The Sound of Music” “a piece of crap” and claimed that he only took the role because he needed the money.

Plummer isn’t alone in his assessment of the film; many critics have taken issue with its portrayal of history, particularly its treatment of the Third Reich and the rise of Nazism. Set in 1938, “The Sound of Music” paints a rosy picture of Austria under Nazi rule, depicting Nazis as bumbling buffoons rather than deadly serious threats. This depiction has been criticized as sugar-coating history and whitewashing the reality of life under Nazi occupation.

Plummer’s later career and thoughts on The Sound of Music

Although Christopher Plummer’s dislike of The Sound of Music is well-known, it’s important to remember that the movie was only a small part of his illustrious career. Plummer was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for his role in Beginners (2010), and he enjoyed a long and successful career both on stage and on screen.

As for his thoughts on The Sound of Music, Plummer has said that he felt it was “awfully saccharine” and that he didn’t like the way it “trivialized” the experience of living under Nazi occupation. However, he also acknowledged that the movie was a huge success and that people seem to enjoy it regardless of its shortcomings.

The legacy of The Sound of Music

It is no secret that Christopher Plummer, who played Captain von Trapp in the 1965 film The Sound of Music, was not a fan of the movie. In fact, he famously said that making The Sound of Music was “like being stuck in one of those cuckoo clocks.”

Why did Plummer dislike the film so much? There are a few possible reasons. First, Plummer was not a fan of musicals in general. He thought they were “false” and “inherently corny.” Second, Plummer felt that The Sound of Music was too saccharine and sentimental. He felt that it glamorized the von Trapp family’s experience during the Nazi occupation of Austria, and he didn’t think that was appropriate.

Ultimately, Plummer’s biggest problem with The Sound of Music was that it typecast him as a “good guy.” He wanted to be seen as a more nuanced actor, and he felt that The Sound of Music pigeon-holed him. As a result, Plummer had a notoriously difficult time promoting the film. He even skipped the film’s première because he didn’t want to be associated with it.

Despite his misgivings about the film, Plummer went on to give a stunning performance as Captain von Trapp. He even won an Academy Award for his work in the film. In retrospect, it’s clear that Plummer’s talent helped to make The Sound of Music into the timeless classic that it is today.

The Sound of Music in the 21st century

The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise, and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, with Richard Haydn and Eleanor Parker. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical of the same name, composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The film’s screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, adapted from the stage musical’s book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949), the film is about a young woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a widowed naval officer widower.

The film was released on March 2, 1965 in the United States, initially as a limited roadshow theatrical release. Although critical response to the film was widely mixed, the film was a major commercial success, becoming the number one box office movie after four weeks, and winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. By November 1966, The Sound of Music had become the highest-grossing film of all-time—surpassing Gone with the Wind—and held that distinction for five years.

The Sound of Music and its place in musical theatre

The Sound of Music is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical from 1959. The show was a smash hit on Broadway, winning several Tony Awards, and later spawned a hugely successful film adaptation in 1965. The movie starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, and was directed by Robert Wise.

However, despite the success of the film, Plummer famously hated it. In an interview with Barbara Walters in 1979, he called it “the most awful garbage I’ve ever seen in my life.” So what caused this famous actor to dislike the movie that made him a household name?

There are a few possible explanations. Firstly, Plummer hated the character he played, Captain von Trapp. He thought the character was “bland and one-dimensional,” and that he had no real arc throughout the course of the film. Secondly, Plummer felt that the film was trying to be too serious, and that it took itself too seriously. Thirdly, Plummer felt that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s music was not up to par with their previous work.

Whatever the reasons for his dislike of the movie, there’s no denying that Christopher Plummer is one of its most famous (and talented) alumni.

The Sound of Music and its place in film history

The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise, and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical of the same name, composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The film’s screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, adapted from the stage musical’s book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Based on Maria von Trapp’s 1949 autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, the film depicts a period in the life of the von Trapp family from after the Anschluss in 1938 to Nazi Austria’s surrender to American-occupied Austria in 1945.

The film was released on March 2, 1965 in the United States, initially as a limited roadshow theatrical release. By November 1966, The Sound of Music had become the highest-grossing film of all-time—surpassing Gone with the Wind—and held that distinction for five years. The film was just as popular throughout the world, breaking previous box-office records in twenty-nine countries. Following its success on home release in 1965 and 1966, The Sound of Music became one of the first motion pictures to be regularly broadcast on television over a single decade, from 1967 through 1976; it was shown annually during that time on either ABC or NBC. It has since been broadcast numerous times on many television channels worldwide.