Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)

There is no excuse for this. Disney should offer refunds and/or replacement discs to those who purchased them on good faith.

In addition to the forced commercials, the tech specs are misleading and plain wrong. While the film is widescreen, it is NOT anamorphic as is claimed... this means that while it is in letterbox format, it is not in proper proportion and the images are slightly distorted.

Just throwing a movie on a round disk does not a DVD make and this is proof.

The movie is fantastic despite these shortcomings... but as the title of this review states - this is a DVD review, not the film. I'd advise waiting until a collector's edition comes out. A collector's edition is likely to contain more features such as interviews with the cast, out-takes and scenes from the Oscars for that year... and (one can only pray) no forced commercials.


One Word Sums It Up: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!   February 13, 2003
M. Hart (USA)
44 out of 47 found this review helpful

In 1964, Walt Disney Pictures, under the directorship of Robert Stevenson, released what became a timeless, musical, fantasy called "Mary Poppins". Starring Julie Andrews as the mysterious & magical Mary Poppins, the film is a fictional account of a dysfunctional family living in London circa 1910. The father, George W. Banks (David Tomlinson, who played Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" in 1971), is obsessed with his job at a prestigious Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and with maintaining a professional atmosphere at all times at home. The mother, Winifred Banks (Glynis Johns, whose film career began in 1938), is preoccupied with demonstrating as a suffragette and maintaining a clean home. Their young children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber, who died at the young age of 21 in 1977), are allowed minimal time with their parents, who prefer to have a nanny look after and raise their children for them. Unfortunately, Jane and Michael rarely like any of their nannies, who regularly quit after the children do something mischievous to each of them. Also working for Mr. & Mrs. Banks are the maid Ellen (Hermione Baddeley, who played Mrs. Cratchit in the 1951 classic "Scrooge") and the cook Mrs. Brill (Reta Shaw, who played in "Pollyanna" in 1960 and "The Ghost & Mr. Chicken" in 1966), neither of which have the time or the desire to look after Jane and Michael.

Following the departure of yet another nanny, George decides to hire an appropriate nanny himself. Jane and Michael write their own advertisement for a nanny, but George regards their innocent description as rubbish as he intends to find a nanny that will uphold his every professional expectation. Mysteriously, the children's advertisement, that George tossed out, comes to Mary Poppins. When a very lengthy line of perspective nannies are seen at the Banks' front door early one morning, all of them are blown away by a strong wind. Coming down from the sky via an umbrella is the magical Mary Poppins. Expecting a rush of perspective nannies to race through the door, only Mary Poppins waits to enter the Banks' home. George interviews Mary, but he is quickly confused by her wit and unexpectedly hires her. From that point on, nothing is quite the same in the Banks home and the children get a nanny that not only fulfills their expectations, but becomes something much more to them. Along the way, the children are also introduced to several interesting people, including the handyman Bert (Dick Van Dyke, who starred in his own 1961 TV show and starred in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn, who also played the toy-maker in "Babes in Toyland" in 1961) and the bird woman (Jane Darwell).

Many of the songs in the film are well known by people who have never seen the film, including:

* "Sister Suffragette" (4.5/5, Glynis John). Winifred calling for the rights of women to be able to vote.
* "The Life I Lead" (5/5, David Tomlinson). George describing his life and what a British home should be.
* "The Perfect Nanny" (4.5/5, Karen Dotrice & Matthew Garber). Jane & Michael telling what they want in a nanny to their parents.
* "A Spoonful of Sugar" (5/5, Julie Andrews). Mary encouraging the children to clean their rooms upon her arrival.
* "Pavement Artist (Chim-Chim-Cheree)" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert's carefree life.
* "Jolly Holiday" (4.5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert describing how wonderful it is to be with Mary Poppins again within the sidewalk chalk painting.
* "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (5+/5, Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke). A word you use when you don't know what else to say.
* "Stay Awake" (5/5, Julie Andrews). A lullaby to Jane and Michael.
* "I Love To Laugh" (4.5/5, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Ed Wynn). Uncle Albert is visited who is suffering from incurable laughter.
* "A British Bank (The Life I Lead") (5/5, David Tomlinson & Julie Andrews). Mary telling George that he'll be taking the children to the bank with him.
* "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" (5/5, Julie Andrews). Mary describing the life of a poor woman who enjoys feeding birds.
* "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson) Mr. Dawes Sr. (also played by Dick Van Dyke), the CEO of George's bank, sings praises to the British banking system with George to Jane and Michael.
* "Chim-Chim-Cheree" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert describing the carefree life of chimney sweep.
* "Step in Time" (4/5, Dick Van Dyke). Song and dance upon the sooty rooftops of London.
* "A Man Has Dreams" (4.5/5 Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson) George singing his woes to Bert.
* "Let's Go Fly a Kite" (4.5/5, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns). George & Winifred spending time with Jane and Michael.

It is not surprising that so many children and adults alike love "Mary Poppins". It's catchy songs and fantastic situations propel the audience into a magical world of laughter and love that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. It also made Julie Andrews a household name with her unforgettable performance as Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews went on to play leading roles in "The Americanization of Emily" (1964), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "10" (1979) and "Victor/Victoria" (1982).

I highly recommend the purchase of "Mary Poppins" on DVD, where it can be fully appreciated in its widescreen format. I rate this DVD with 5 out of 5 stars.


I loved it as a child. I love it more as an adult   April 16, 2002
Melissa P. Cooper (Indianapolis, IN)
27 out of 32 found this review helpful

Like many folks here, I saw this one when I was very young--right after second grade, I think. By the time it came to the theater in my little rural hometown a year after its release, Julie Andrews had already won an Oscar for her work as the title character. Not that that mattered. To the kids in my class at school, this was the hot, must-see movie of that summer--the way "Star Wars" would be in the next decade. I can still remember laughing over Dick Van Dyke tap-dancing with the penguins and crying during the "Bird Woman" song (which was as much social commentary as a sentimental tune about our feathered friends). I became a fan of Dick Van Dyke's show after this--he basically won my heart as Bert--the jack-of-all-trades special friend to Mary and the Banks' children. For the rest of that summer, man, I WAS Mary Poppins. My mom bought me a record of all the songs, I used her old Avon sample case as my carpetbag, and I acted out the movie every day. If VCRs and DVDs had been everyday household items then, I would have asked for "Mary Poppins" for Christmas. (It would have been worn out by Easter, most likely!)

As happens to children almost overnight, my interests changed over the next year and I sort of got over my fixation with Mary, Bert, et. al. After all, Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke went on to other things after that, so why not me?

And then in the 90s, Disney re-released "Mary Poppins" as a video. I bought it for my daughter (or at least that was the excuse I gave my husband). Though she was too young to understand everything in the movie--just as I was the first time I saw it--she, too, loved "Mary Poppity" as she called it. We must have played it at least 3 times a week during the first summer we had it, while living in temporary housing and waiting for our house to be built. She, too, loves to act this one out and to sing the songs for hours on end. The apple does not fall far from the tree, I guess.

As for me. . .it's all I remembered it to be, and then some. For starters, the music. . .what was missing from the old record I had were the overture, underscores, and closing score--they were beautifully put together. And the little details are delightful, too. Among them: Mrs. Banks, who is a feminist (at least when Mr. Banks isn't around) wears bloomers--and later in the movie, we discover Mary Poppins does, too. (don't blink, or you'll miss seeing them) The relationship between Mary and Bert. . .as a child I thought they were probably a couple but never had time to see each other because of their work. Now? I think they would be a couple if they got a lucky break. Let's face it--she's a nanny and he's a lower-level tradesman. Even if they did get married, in 1910, the realities of British society were such that if you weren't part of the gentry, you worked for a living, and changing your "class" or status didn't happen. A shame, because their characters obviously love children very much. So they do the next best thing--work together as a team to bring happiness to British middle-class homes--mainly by shaking up the parents. Mary was no ordinary nanny, but Bert made her an even better one--he was the idea man, and she handled the implementation.

And therein is the secret: this movie was not as much about Mary, Bert, and the kids as it is about Mary, Bert, and Mr. and Mrs. Banks. It's when Mr. Banks realizes that his children don't need a nanny to be happy--they just need their parents to love them and give them their attention--that he also becomes the man that the Bank needs. The scene between Bert and Mr. Banks at the house is one of the best in the movie.

As for the ending? When I was a child, I didn't understand it. Now, as an adult, I do. The mission was accomplished, and it was time to move on. As one of the main characters said, all was as it should be.

So is this movie. Enjoy it with your own daughter. . .