Auf Wiedersehen, Darling

It is with great sadness that I note the passing yesterday of Eleanor Parker, who portrayed one of the most delicious villains in screen history, The Baroness from "The Sound of Music." If you only read the script, you would have simply written Parker's character off as a money-grubbing heartless shrew.



Thanks to her acting chops though, she infused humor and even sympathy to what could have been a one-dimensional supporting role. Because of Parker, the movie is given a bit of balance, keeping it from being too sickeningly sweet. She delivers some of the film's funniest and most memorable lines with understated relish:

"Darling, haven't you ever heard of a delightful little thing called boarding school?"

Can't you hear the audience hissing?



After hearing Maria and the gang sing, she quickly neutralizes the saccharine with this quip:

The Baroness: Why didn't you tell me?
Max: What?
The Baroness: To bring along my harmonica.



Only Parker could have made jealousy so much fun:

The Baroness: My dear, is there anything you can't do?
Maria: Well, I'm not sure I'll make a very good nun.
The Baroness: If you have any problems, I'll be happy to help you.



I mean really...how could a Baroness even begin to compete with a nun for an audience's affection? And yet, when she gives a tearful and knowing goodbye to her almost-husband Captain Von Trapp, you can't help but feel sorry for the woman who nearly had it all.



"Somewhere out there is a lady who I think will never be a nun. Auf Wiedersehen, darling."



And while we're saying goodbye...Micechat recently posted that Disney has announced the impending demolition of the Fantasyland Skyway Station, featured here in this publicity art from March 1956, just three months before the Skyway opened to the public.



An August 1958 view of the finished structure:



The Fantasyland Station has been allowed to rot away, just like Fort Wilderness before it. Having seen firsthand what Historic Preservationists can do with dilapidated buildings, I find it hard to believe that nothing could be done to restore this adorably detailed little Chalet.



On the flipside though, while it is very sad to lose another part of the park's early history, there really is no point in keeping this building unused on a valuable piece of real estate hidden behind a canopy of trees that made it almost invisible to the public.



One thing I do feel strongly about though...they better put something damn good in its place.

See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos on my Skyway web page.

Screen Gem Saturdays: You Love To Hate Her

Eleanor Parker gives one of the most underrated performances as Baroness Elsa Schraeder, the villainess from Vienna. Is she evil? Well, not really. She’s just a woman who wants to continue living an extravagant lifestyle without any children to get in the way. Parker is perfectly cast in this role, giving the audience just enough bitchery to make them root for Maria.



The Baroness has some of the film’s funniest lines, delivered in Parker’s perfectly understated way. Being the only character not involved in the saccharine singing and dancing, some of the more cynical audience members can’t help but relish this particular bit:

The Baroness: "Why didn't you tell me?"
Max: 'What?'
The Baroness: 'To bring along my harmonica.'

To her character’s credit, she does step away at the last minute when she realizes that The Captain loves Maria, not her. Had this been a true torrid melodrama, she would have fought tooth and nail to keep her wealthy meal ticket!

Parker had previously been nominated for three Academy Awards: “Caged,” “Detective Story,” and “Interrupted Melody.” She has long since been retired and now resides in Palm Springs.

To see more classic movie photos, visit my main website.