Opinion: Christopher Plummer's awesome power

Following the sound, the captain reaches the door of a room, inside which his seven children are standing, dripping wet (they had fallen out of rowboat earlier) and singing. Caught off guard, the captain watches them for a few seconds, before stepping inside to join in. Nervous, the children stop to listen, before they all finish the song together.

The captain then hugs them all, while Maria watches from outside, spellbound. As she turns to leave, the captain rushes out to stop her. Within about two minutes, Plummer captures rage, surprise, tenderness, warmth, humor, and then contrition. Also, he’s wearing a pale gray suit. If by some accident you’ve never seen the film before, approach this scene with caution: it has awesome power.

Christopher Plummer’s portrayal of Captain von Trapp was so impeccable, and “The Sound Of Music” so wildly successful, that had he halted his acting career in 1965 immediately after the film’s release, his legacy would already have been secure. Instead, the beloved Canadian actor, who died this past week aged 91, threw himself into a diverse and challenging career on both stage and screen, distinguishing himself as among the greatest actors of his generation, but also as one who palpably enjoyed every minute of his work.

Though Plummer had reservations about the role as the captain, even kicking up a fuss until there was a little more “edge” injected into the character, his sense of fun was evident on the set of “The Sound Of Music.” He and Julie Andrews were so unable to stop laughing during the shooting of the romantic gazebo scene that they inspired director Robert Wise’s decision to shoot it in silhouette, to better mask the actors’ giggles.

Unsure of his dancing abilities, Plummer showed up to rehearse for the ballroom scene wearing tights – looking as he put it, “like one of those Albanian vampires.” He credited Andrews with “carrying him through” the dance, joking in an interview for the film’s 40th anniversary: “I’d already…

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Opinion: Christopher Plummer's awesome power

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