Posted on 12/11/2013 1:36:59 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Eleanor Parker, who was nominated three times for a best-actress Oscar but whose best-known role was a supporting one, as the marriage-minded baroness in “The Sound of Music,” died on Monday in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 91.
A family friend, Richard Gale, told The Associated Press that the cause was complications of pneumonia.
Ms. Parker was an elegant, ladylike yet sensual film actress. Still, her most recognizable role, as the Baroness who loves Christopher Plummer’s character, Captain von Trapp, in “The Sound of Music” (1965), called for an icy demeanor. Uninterested in his houseful of children, she loses him to the governess, played memorably by Julie Andrews. (Laura Benanti played the part in the recent version on NBC.)
The highest accolades of Ms. Parker’s career came a decade before.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I guess that hideous spectacle of that NBC musical did her in.
She was GORGEOUS!!!! I had NO idea of who she was!
Luckily the damage from that disaster was only to most people’s ears.
RIP. She was great in “The Naked Jungle” with Charlton Heston. Heston vs. a billion ants.
sure there was no nudity or "f..k you" or demeaning beatings and no sex....ah, that's why you didn't like it...
I applaud NBC's efforts to bring a LIVE musical to the television audience...
Those were the days!
“I applaud NBC’s efforts to bring a LIVE musical to the television audience... “
Agreed, agreed. Underwood was very weak in the acting dept., that can’t be denied; but her singing was excellent and on the whole it was a very enjoyable show.
And the ratings were spectacular, and the buzz could not have been better. People tweeting it all over and here we are days later still talking about it.
I heard that they are going to re-run it before Christmas, so they must be please with how it did, flaws and all.
I certainly hope they’ll do more of these.
Peter Pan might be a good candidate, although why don’t they show the old one anymore? I think that’s about the only Mary Martin performance that’s on film, it’s certainly the only thing I’ve ever seen her in. (someone will straigten me out if I’m wrong.)
Wow, another one for the “I didn’t know she was alive” list. RIP.
I thought it was okay, especially for a live performance. I don’t watch television, but my wife really, REALLY wanted me to watch it with her, since I love her, I did.
I could accept Carrie Underwood in her role (not comparing her voice to Julie Andrews) because I never really thought one way or another about Julie Andrews as a character, but had difficulty swallowing the roles of Mother Superior and the Captain. Especially the Captain. Nobody will ever be able to play that part in my brain except Christopher Plummer.
I will say that in one way, I was shocked. There was more religiousity on that show than I had seen on a network station in years. It very nearly offended me, knowing how the vast majority of the media people view God and religion.
May be wrong, but believe it'll be this Sat.
R.I.P.
When I was in the show in a stage version, we joked that we could rewrite the musical and tell it from the Baroness’s perspective. It would be called “Maria: the slutty nun who stole my fiance”.
I thought the Baroness was hotter than Maria.... but it’s just me. :)
FYI — I know you like these threads.
She was beautiful. But, hell, we were ALL beautiful at that age.
Very good post!
I really liked her in “The Naked jungle” with Charleton Heston! It was set on a plantation in South America.
“She was beautiful. But, hell, we were ALL beautiful at that age.”
I don’t think I would go quite that far.
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