Mary Poppins Pops Back Onto DVD For Her 45th Anniversary

Practically perfect in every way, the world’s most famous nanny touches down on rooftops everywhere when Mary Poppins: The 45th Anniversary Edition ($30 list price, $22 at Amazon) arrives on new 2-disc Special Edition DVD January 27, 2009.

I feel like everyone has probably seen Mary Poppins at least once, but in case you haven’t, here’s a synopsis. The rowdy and neglected Jane and Michael Banks (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber) find themselves in for a surprise when their want ad for a new nanny is answered to the T by a flying, magical Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). Her chimney sweep friend/suitor Bert (Dick Van Dyke) comes along for the ride. 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 has become my daughter Anya’s favorite new movie. She wants to watch it at least once a day and for once, I don’t mind. It brings me back to when I was a kid and used to sing along to the soundtrack LP (yes, I’m that old), pretending to be Jane Banks. As an adult, the story continues to appeal to be as I understand the workaholic father’s detachment, the mother’s need to be involved in a cause larger than herself, Bert’s ireverance and a nanny’s love for her charges.

Bonus features include:

• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins—The definitive behind-the- scenes look at how this unique and beloved film came into being.
• Movie Magic—A look at the special effect techniques used to bring the magical world of Mary Poppins to life.
• Mary Poppins from Page to Stage —First a beloved children’s book, then a classic movie and now a smash hit Broadway musical! Fans can follow the story of Mary Poppins from page to stage as the creative team and cast prepare to take the long running show on tour.
• Step in Time—The Broadway cast of Mary Poppins performs the never-before-filmed number “Step in Time” from the show.
• Step in Time – A downloadable MP3 featuring the Broadway cast of Mary Poppins singing “Step in Time,” featuring Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and Gavin Lee as Bert.
• Video Intro By Scenic & Costume Designer, Bob Crowley
• Bob Crowley’s Design Galleries—Concept art, costume designs, set designs and set models for the Broadway musical
• Audio Commentary—Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice and Richard Sherman recall the making of Mary Poppins.
• Poppins Pop-Up Fun Facts—Select this option and fun-filled facts about the creation of this classic film pop up during viewing.
• The Gala World Premiere—Footage from the Red Carpet.
• Dick Van Dyke Make-Up Test
• Trailers, Ads and More from the Original Release and Reissue of the Film
• Mary Poppins Still Art Galleries
• Disney’s Song Selection—The whole family can sing along to “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and any of the film’s other memorable songs as the lyrics pop up on screen. Each song can be selected separately or while watching the film.
• Magical Musical Reunion—Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and songwriter Richard Sherman eminisce about making Mary Poppins and the music that makes it so special.
• A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman —A delightful magical journey through some of the film’s locations with co-composer Richard Sherman, who reveals surprising secrets about the music of Mary Poppins along the way.Bonus Short: The Cat That Looked at a King—Live action and animation bring a chapter of P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins Opens the Door to life! Julie Andrews takes viewers into a magical animated world created in the style of the whimsical chalk drawings in Mary Poppins.
• Deleted Song: “Chimpanzoo”—A reconstruction of a song that did not appear in the movie using original storyboard and concept art, accompanied by a new rendition of the song performed by co- composer Richard Sherman.

— Danielle