The Sound of Music (film) of the film; the actor accepted after being assured that he could work with Lehman to improve the character; Plummer later described himself as having become quite arrogant at the time, "spoiled by too many great theater roles". Wise also spent considerable time and effort on casting the secondary characters. For the role of Max Detweiler, Wise initially considered Victor Borge, Noël Coward, and Hal Holbrook among others before deciding on Richard Haydn. For the character of Baroness Elsa Schraeder, Wise looked for a "name" actress—Andrews and Plummer were not yet widely known to film audiences—and decided on Eleanor Parker.
The Sound of Music Music" strives for nothing in the way of smash effects, substituting instead a kind of gracious and unpretentious simplicity." The "New York World-Telegram and Sun" pronounced "The Sound of Music" "the loveliest musical imaginable. It places Rodgers and Hammerstein back in top form as melodist and lyricist. The Lindsay-Crouse dialogue is vibrant and amusing in a plot that rises to genuine excitement." The "New York Journal American"s review opined that "The Sound of Music" is "the most mature product of the team ... it seemed to me to be the full ripening of these two extraordinary talents". Brooks Atkinson of