Now you’re going to find loads of articles and eulogies about these two mentioning the highlights of their careers, but I’d like to honor Holbrook and Plummer for the roles that didn’t win them the usual acclaim. To me, hallmark of any great actor isn’t in excelling in classic films: rather, it’s the ability to elevate less-than-classic fare with their performances. Hal Holbrook had two performances that come to mind for me, especially since I was a child of the seventies and eighties. The first is a rare villainous role as a corrupt police officer running a crew of traffic cops who moonlight as assassins in “Magnum Force,” the second of the popular Dirty Harry films. The second is a wonderful role as a henpecked professor in the fourth story of the George Romero directed/Stephen King scripted horror anthology “Creepshow.” Entitled “The Crate” Holbrook plays a college prof whose social climbing wife (an excellent Adrienne Barbeau) is the very definition of a domineering harridan. When a colleague discovers a carnivorous beastie on campus, Holbrook’s character gets the fantastic idea of feeding her to said beastie. Both performances showcase Holbrook creating a full character in films that don’t necessary rely on character development for their success, and the films are better for his performances.
With Plummer, like Holbrook, he isn’t afraid to take roles to pay the bills. There is this illusion that prestigious actors only take roles that will shower them with awards and glory. The truth is acting is a job like any other and those bills won’t pay themselves. It doesn’t mean that Plummer didn’t bring his A-game to every role he played. The first is one of my personal favorites of the eighties: a science fiction film called “Dreamscape” in which Plummer plays Blair, a powerful government official using dream assassins to murder the President of the United States. The second role is as Van Helsing in the ambitious but ultimately subpar “Dracula 2000.” Plummer is great in both, especially in “Dreamscape” where his villainous Blair is all oily charm until he’s not.
As you can see, both actors made their roles legendary in less than legendary films. Their respective bodies of work will stand the test of time and remind us of the outstanding performers they were! The will be missed but they will always be remembered! So Sayeth The Kendog!
