Mary Poppins Appreciation

[forthlin]

I enjoyed the Wizard of Oz thread here recently and this afternoon I was watching Mary Poppins so I thought I'd start a thread for this film.

I am a huge fan of Disney classics, and to me Mary Poppins is rivaled only by Wizard as the best "family" movie of all time. The songs are great, and there are so many wonderful performances by the actors here. Today I am particularly blown away by Dick Van Dyke. Had he done nothing else in the entertainment business this would qualify him for hall-of-fame material.

If I'm not mistaken Julie Andrews did this and Sound of Music within the same year. Wow.

Any other fans of this or other Disney films?

[JamieC]

But Julie Andrews wasn't good enough for the role she created in My Fair Lady.

[signothetimes53]

I loved the scene with Ed Wynn on the ceiling, "Uncle Albert", singing "I Love To Laugh".

Want to feel humbled by time?

When Ed Wynn was born, Grover Cleveland was President.

[xman]

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious :)

[sadie]

Personally I love the film. I have always felt that Dick Van Dyke was not given the credit he should have for his work. I love the scene with the penguins. For me, the Ed Wynn scene was the weakest part (though I do enjoy it). David Tomlinson is wonderful. So many great things to like about this film.

Sadie

[Vidiot]

This is one movie for which they could definitely do a modern sequel. Call me blasphemous (and many do), but I'd cast Amy Adams (recently in Disney's Enchanted) in the role. If she can do a British accent, she'd be perfect.

But to tell you the truth, Mary Poppins in the P.L. Travers books was supposed to be a plain, 50-ish spinster. Not a cute 28-year-old (which she was when Julie Andrews made the original film). I think commercially, though, Amy would be the right choice. Enchanted is a fantastic send-up of Mary Poppins in a lot of ways, and if you're a fan of the latter, you'll probably like the former.

BTW, there's a great story about Walt Disney calling Julie Andrews the week after the film opened in 1964 and asking her if she'd do a sequel. She said she'd love to, but he'd have to pay her $1,000,000. He hung up the phone and never spoke to her again -- at least, according to the version of the story I heard from a studio insider.

[apileocole]

It's a classic and arguably (but possibly) the closest thing to a "Wizard of Oz" to happen in live-action film since.

A favorite scene is one in which little happens, which a critical editor with an eye to making everything "punchy" may easily have dropped from the pre-shooting stages. "Pavement Artist," with a lovely, fanciful setting, Van Dyke in full ham, a whimsical bit of musing and atmosphere. "And it's all me own work / From me own memory..."

This is one movie for which they could definitely do a modern sequel.

The performers are around but to my opinion the film makers, "Hollywood" and mass media entertainment in general, all have the wrong sensibilities. At least no one has shown the right vibe in decades. They can do a rippin' send-up, but they can't do the "real thing." Many will want to make a classic "hit" but I'd be very surprised if anybody in the system today is interested in or motivated by the whimsy, sentiments or musicality of this film, let alone able to make it happen on screen. Musical stage folks have a better chance of making something more suitable.

BTW, there's a great story about Walt Disney calling Julie Andrews the week after the film opened in 1964 and asking her if she'd do a sequel. She said she'd love to, but he'd have to pay her $1,000,000. He hung up the phone and never spoke to her again -- at least, according to the version of the story I heard from a studio insider.

Who knows... But I'm afraid I can understand if he did. He had no use for Elizabeth Taylor.

In his final few years his involvement in making films was certainly patchy; perhaps someone else high-up called? Setting aside question of if he'd be wanting to launch into such a thing so readily that late on, the main reason I doubt it is his aversion to sequels of properties that would need creative lightening to strike twice. He would've tried it for Fantasia but in gradual stages and he tried (indeed was obliged) to make new batches from familiar recipies. But while most people would look at Poppins as lending itself to sequels, I have my doubts that Walt did.

77780
Andrews, Disney and Travers

[Jvalvano]

Great film. With 2 small kids I've been watching the song and dance scenes with them for the past several years. It's a favorite of theirs.

[John B Good]

The performers are around but to my opinion the film makers, "Hollywood" and mass media entertainment in general, all have the wrong sensibilities. At least no one has shown the right vibe in decades. They can do a rippin' send-up, but they can't do the "real thing." Many will want to make a classic "hit" but I'd be very surprised if anybody in the system today is interested in or motivated by the whimsy, sentiments or musicality of this film, let alone able to make it happen on screen. Musical stage folks have a better chance of making something more suitable.



I haven't seen Mary Poppins. I like Julie Andrews, tho I most prefer her vamping. But I love Lulu, and your current avatar.

[Mister Charlie]

Always been a favorite, right up there with Oz. As much as I love DVD, though, that 'cockney accent' attempt by him is awful. Especially with so many actual Brit performers in the movie, someone might have taken him aside and given him a tip or two.

But the music and performances and animation are delightful, and it wears well 40+ years later.

[bababooey]

Loved it as a youngster when it first came out. I had the hots for Julie Andrews so much that I had to see "S.O.B." when it came out. I loved the soundtrack as a kid but watching it recently the movie seems very dated and corny. But then again, I'm 51 now.

[Jamie Tate]

Why can't Disney make music like that anymore? How many classic tunes are in this one movie?

How's the DVD? I always loved the over saturated color of the VHS tape. Is the DVD anything like that?

[alexpop]

I had the hots for Julie Andrews so much that I had to see "S.O.B." when it came out. I loved the soundtrack as a kid but watching it recently the movie seems very dated and corny. But then again, I'm 51 now.

She was one hot mama cougar in that one for sure:D

Love William Holden"s golden boy/aging swinger part, which was fun..especially the scene where he picks up the two young hippie/valley girls ..drives off listening to Sinatra at full blast.

[Mark]

A magnificent time period piece. Viva the great Dick Van Dyke!

[rburly]

But Julie Andrews wasn't good enough for the role she created in My Fair Lady.

Fortunately for us. She was so angry that she didn't get the role that she took this one.

I was a child when this came out and think my older sister took me to see it at a drive-in. It's a great film filled with outstanding performances by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Unfortunately, it's not on TV very often, or at least I don't see it on. A great Disney movie.

[mr_mjb1960]

The Sherman Brothers Richard and Robert did the wonderful Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins",netting them an Academy Award...in 1968 they struck a golden vein once again with "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang",this time for United Artists (UA)..they'd never worked together again after that..sibling rivalry seperated the Bros. ...too bad...no telling what movie could've used the "Sherman Bros" touch!:shake: Michael Boyce

[Nobby]

Haven't seen the film!

However, I saw the stage show last week and it was fantastic.

There are around seven or eight new songs in the stage version.

[JamieC]

Loved it as a youngster when it first came out. I had the hots for Julie Andrews so much that I had to see "S.O.B." when it came out. I loved the soundtrack as a kid but watching it recently the movie seems very dated and corny. But then again, I'm 51 now.

I was up for SOB too. Haven't seen it for years though. I remember the guy from Soap kept trying to kill himself and Julie Andrews character had to get drunk to do a nude scene(she was known as children/family friendly actress).
"(silly drunkenly)Im gonna show my b**bies"!
I gotta find a copy of that.:eek:

[Mister Charlie]

Yes, as Johnny Carson said after seeing SOB "she proved the hills are still alive."
:D

[XMIAudioTech]

The Sherman Brothers Richard and Robert did the wonderful Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins",netting them an Academy Award...in 1968 they struck a golden vein once again with "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang",this time for United Artists (UA)..they'd never worked together again after that..sibling rivalry seperated the Bros. ...too bad...no telling what movie could've used the "Sherman Bros" touch!:shake: Michael Boyce


The Aristocats (1970) (some songs)
Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971) (some songs)
Snoopy Come Home (1972)
Attractions for Walt Disney World (1973)
Charlotte's Web (1973)


to say that it was all over by 1968 is incorrect...

-Aaron

[JamieC]

The Sherman bros. also wrote for Annette. Tall Paul is classic.
Also Jungle Book.

[wysi]

Fantastic film. I hadn't actually seen it as a child, but last year I rented it for the girls, and we all loved it. Ironically, several months later both girls were in a ballet based on the film. :)

[heaudio]

Not exactly a threadcrap since I do like the movie, but viewings as an adult left me less than appreciative of Dick Van Dyke's part. His Cockney was atrocious, and his acting wasn't much better. I have a greater appreciation of the kids and Glynis Johns, though.

[tyler8]

Out of all the music always liked "Feed the Birds". Mellowed me out I guess, thus my parents favorite part I'm sure.

[apileocole]

The whole film is such a synthesis of both stage (music hall and Broadway theater) and film (live action soundstage and animation) approaches to fantasy. Although filmed and recorded as effectively as possible I think, you have to be able to "get" the sense of fantasy from those staged settings as combined here. That might be one area some folks get hung up at. Perhaps it'd take more getting used to for such a viewer before it could work or grow on 'em.

Why can't Disney make music like that anymore? How many classic tunes are in this one movie?

Because as far as I can tell, too many of the people at Disney aren't Disney people, if you know what I mean. Then there's the problem that it's essentially classic pop music, which almost no one in the mainstream entertainment world seems to have successfully tuned into since the mid to late 1960s. The current Disney can't make a c1900 costume for a Main Street Disneyland worker that it doesn't look a little confused with Roger Rabbit. Then, many of those workers have had In-N-Out Burger wages since the '80s, but we digress.

How's the DVD? I always loved the over saturated color of the VHS tape. Is the DVD anything like that?

If you do try a DVD, grab the "40th Anniversary" DVD, it's the best one so far. Probably way more than you want to know Jamie, but for anyone interested I'll elaborate a bit. As my grandpa worked in sound for a while at Disney in Walt's day, I must admit to a bit of a personal interest in this stuff.

There must be a hundred reissues on video of this movie in the US alone. As you know and could probably assume from one glance at much of the sets and art, it was an IB Technicolor film in the old Technicolor eye-candy sense (1.66:1 or 1.75:1 aspect, forget which). The sound matched the imagery if you know what I mean. 35mm mag recordings. It was mixed to stereo (for special venues I suppose). Apparently pretty "live" sounding, thus also "noisy" with little regard given soundstage noises and echo picked up on set etc; I think the attention was on a colorful, lush and lively sound, not literal or clinical. Appropriate and effective I think.

Some of the better VHS versions tried to approximate that super-saturated Technicolor eye-candy look and had lively (even very hissy) sound from the stereo mix. Despite the quality shortcomings of old transfers and mass-produced VHS and the cropping of the picture, some of them are lively, effective presentations.

When we come to the DVD era, the "restoration," "enhancement," and "improving" comes in. "Improving" and "restoring" the sound evidently means no-noising away for a rather tinny, relatively dead sounding result. Some of the older DVDs I've seen looked pretty poor to me, overly "cleaned" to reduce film grain, with more muted colors, etc. Perhaps from dull or faded elements (or perhaps trying to approximate an old print without fully accounting for what it looked like projected at the time?). You can see the picture area on the edges look different from the center in many parts, coinciding, incidentally, with the areas that would have been cropped on 1.33:1 video. Seems to me that in spite of all the "resorations" and "enhancements" it needs some help.

Fortunately the latest DVD ("40th Anniversary") improved the situation somewhat so you'd have a trade-off; perhaps more subdued, scrubbed and de-noised, but with some advantages from newer transfer standards, the original aspect, no mass-produced VHS distortions, etc.

I haven't seen Mary Poppins. I like Julie Andrews, tho I most prefer her vamping. But I love Lulu, and your current avatar.

Ah Lulu. Isn't she a great character. Great film too, Pandora's Box. It might be the only film with Louise Brooks on DVD! Granted it's the greatest by far but... Was so sure there'd be half a dozen PDs and a quality box set or two by now... :sigh:

Gotta love this place. Mary Poppins, Disney, transfer quality, a drunken Julie's hills, S.O.B.s, Lulu and Louise Brooks on DVD all in the same thread. :D