From Walt Disney Home Entertainment:
With its revolutionary blend of live action and pioneering Disney animation, Mary Poppins became an
instant hit and was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar®. The film stars the incomparable Dame
Julie Andrews, who won the 1965 Best Actress Academy Award for her film debut, and Dick Van
Dyke as Bert, the dancing chimney sweep.
"The Sherman Brothers" (Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)
received Oscars for Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"), and Best Score, which includes such
unforgettable numbers as "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Sister Suffragette," "The Life I Lead,"
"The Perfect Nanny," "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Stay Awake," "I Love To Laugh," "Feed
the Birds," "The Fidelity Fiduciary Bank," "Step in Time" and "Let's Go Fly a Kite."
Based on the popular children's stories by P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins has won the hearts of
generations of kids and their parents with its enchanting tale of a magical nanny who changes the
lives of two rowdy but neglected kids with determination, discipline and "Just a Spoonful of Sugar."
Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) takes Jane and Michael Banks (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber) on
magical, musical outings including a play date with adorable animated penguins, a race through the
country side on merry-go-round horses and a trip across the rooftops of London on a stairway made
of smoke-and always gets them home in time for dinner! With her foolproof mixture of good manners
and unpredictable fun, Mary not only introduces order to the chaotic Banks household, but brings the
whole family together in the process.
Mary Poppins Cast List
Julie Andrews
Dick Van Dyke
David Tomlinson
Glynis Johns
Karen Dotrice
Matthew Garber
Reginald Owen
Ed Wynn
... Mary Poppins
... Bert/Mr. Dawes - Senior
... Mr. Banks
... Mrs. Bankds
... Jane Banks
... Michael Banks
... Admiral Boom
... Uncle Albert
There's not much that we really need to say about Mary Poppins, a Disney classic. With its innovative use of special effects and animation, the film has much in common with Disney's animated films. The film has a wonderful cast led by the charming Julie Andrews. Dick Van Dyke's accent in the film only adds to the comedy. Though the film is now well over forty years old, its visual effects still hold up remarkably well. The story, the casting, the visual effects and the music all come together in Mary Poppins to create a timeless film that should be part of every family's collection.
The DVD:
We were mostly impressed with the extras. The DVD includes an audio commentary with stars Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins), Dick Van Dyke (Bert), Karen Dotrice (Jane) and the Sherman Brothers. The second disc starts with nearly an hour devoted to promoting the stage version of Mary Poppins, which is the only material that we ended up not finishing. Two featurettes nearly an hour in length talked about what it took for Walt Disney to bring the film into production as well as the innovative special effects used in to bring several scenes to life. We also enjoyed two other featurettes that focused on the music of the film. Another wonderful extra brought the world premier to life by splicing publicity photos, radio broadcasts and television footage together. A make-up test, still art galleries and trailers are also included. Lastly, Julie Andrews narrates an animated short "The Cast That Looked at a Kin" adapted from P.L. Travers' works. The set includes approximately five hours of extra content (including the feature length audio commentary and we found much of it rich with information and enjoyable to watch. As if the film itself weren't enough, the extras make adding this particular DVD well worth adding to ones collection.
Mary Poppins 2-disc 45th Anniversary Special Edition DVD Extras: DISC 1:
— Audio Commentary with Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice, Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman & Dick Van Dyke
— Disney Song Selections with optional on-screen lyrics
— Poppins Pop-Up Fun Facts DICS 2:
— Disney on Broadway - Mary Poppins: From Page to Stage [48:00]
— Disney on Broadway - Step in Time Musical Number From Mary Poppins on Broadway [7:00]
— Disney on Broadway - Bob Crowley's Design Gallery
— Disney on Broadway - Download an MP3 of "Step in Time"
— Backstage Disney - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins [50:00]
— Backstage Disney - Movie Magic [7:00]
— Backstage Disney - The Gala World Premiere [17:40]
— Backstage Disney - Dick Van Dyke Make-up Test [1:00]
— Backstage Disney - Publicity:
• Original Theatrical Teaser Trailer [2:50]
• Original Theatrical Trailer [4:10]
• Julie Andrews Premiere Greeting [:40]
• Original TV Spot #1 [:30]
• Original TV Spot #2 [:30]
• 1966 Re-issue Trailer [1:00]
• 1973 Re-issue Trailer #1 [1:10]
• 1973 Re-issue Trailer #2 [1:00]
— Backstage Disney - Mary Poppins Still Art Gallery
— Music & More - A Magical Music Reunion Featuring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman [17:15]
— Music & More - A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman [20:40]
— Music & More - Deleted Song: Chimpanzoo [1:35]
— Bonus Short: "The Cat That Looked At a Kin" From "Mary Poppins Opens the Door" by P.L. Travers [9:10] Buy the Mary Poppins 2-Disc 45th Anniversary Special Edition DVD Now!
