Mary Poppins

One of the all-time favorite Disney blockbusters, Robert Stevenson's 13-Oscar-nominated 1964 fantasy mixing live-action and animation remains a whole generation's favorite children's film. Based on the novels by P. L. Travers, the story begins with the search for a nanny to watch over the Banks' children--Michael and Jane. When the children's own wishful ad is discovered and ripped up by the elderly Banks (David Tomlinson), a breeze sweeps up the pieces, puts them back together, and lo and behold, Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in an Oscar-winning performance) flies in--sans airplane--the next day to apply for the job. It's the first of many wondrous scenes as the prune-faced prospective nannies are all blown down the street. Mary Poppins is, of course, every child's dream nanny: she makes the room tidy itself up (with a wonderful song, to boot), takes the children to see a sidewalk painter's (Dick Van Dyke) creations spring to life, and introduces them to the hysterical Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn), who floats to the ceiling whenever he has a laugh attack. Before saying goodbye, Mary Poppins imparts to the parents a lesson that remains valuable today: wealth is no substitute for love and attention. In addition to featuring the longest one-word song on record, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," the film also contains the haunting "Feed the Birds," the gay "Chim-Chim-Cheree" (an Oscar winner for Best Song), and the lively "A Spoonful of Sugar." Making its second appearance on DVD in a 40th anniversary edition, Mary Poppins looks and sounds supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and boasts a number of extras, including audio commentary by Andrews and Van Dyke; the all-new animated short "The Cat That Looked at a King" (based on a story by Travers); a reunion with Andrews, Van Dyke, and co-composer Richard Sherman; a new rendition of the never-before-heard deleted song "Chimpanzoo"; a new definitive "making of" with never-before-released footage and new interviews; the new set-top game "I Love to Laugh"; a karaoke option for the classic songs; and much more. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Jan. 20, 2009—Walt Disney, 2 discs, 139 min., G, $29.99—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1964's Mary Poppins (45th Anniversary Edition) features a good transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include audio commentary (by costars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and Karen Dotrice, and composers Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman), a 51-minute “making-of” featurette, a 48-minute “From Page to Stage” featurette on the transition of Mary Poppins from the novel to the Broadway stage production, the Broadway musical number “Step in Time” (7 min., also available as a downloadable MP3), “A Musical Journey” featurette with Richard Sherman (21 min.), a “Magical Music Reunion” featurette (18 min.), the 10-minute animated short “The Cat That Looked at a King,” a “Movie Magic” featurette (7 min.), a deleted song, a “Disney Song Selection” with optional onscreen lyrics, a pop-up fun facts viewing option, a design gallery from costume designer Bob Crowley, and trailers. Bottom line: if you own the 40th anniversary edition already, you won't need this one (which essentially adds a plug for the Broadway musical); if not, however, this is a must-have for any collection.][Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Jan. 14, 2014—Walt Disney, 139 min., G, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $39.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1964's Mary Poppins sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. Extras include the new bonus features “Becoming Mr. Sherman” with composer Richard Sherman and actor Jason Schwartzman (14 min.), a “Mary-Oke” sing-along option, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Extras from previous releases include audio commentary (by costars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and Karen Dotrice, and composers Richard and Robert Sherman), a “making-of” featurette (51 min.), a “From Page to Stage” featurette on the Broadway stage production (48 min.), the Broadway musical number “Step in Time” (7 min.), the production segments “A Musical Journey” with Richard Sherman (21 min.) and a “Magical Music Reunion” (18 min.), the 2004 animated short “The Cat That Looked at a King” (10 min.), a “Movie Magic” segment (7 min.), the deleted song “Chimpanzoo,” a “Disney Song Selection” with optional onscreen lyrics, a pop-up fun facts viewing option, a design gallery from costume designer Bob Crowley, and trailers. Bottom line: a beloved Disney classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]