Ernest Rister

The Black Cauldron -- Eilonwy's baubel as well as a boat and a gate during the escape sequence were all created via computer.


"The ego has landed" -- LOL...too right. Too much holiday cheer. My apologies for such ill-chosen words.

Al (alweho)

On October 14, 1994 Leonard Maltin hosted a 30th anniversary reunion screening of Mary Poppins at the Academy. Special guests included Marc Breaux & Dee Dee Wood, Edward Colman ASC, Karen Dotrice, Peter Ellenshaw, Bill Justice, Irwin Kostal and the Sherman Brothers. (Can you tell I still have the flyer?)

At that screening we saw a bit of silent film, a matte painting of London into which Mary Poppins flew into and across. Maltin indicated it was done for Radio City Music Hall, and that it hadn't screened anywhere else.

Les, did this clip make it onto the DVD, and could this be something that fueled all those overture/intermission/exit music rumors?

By the way, the panel discussion afterwards was a real treat - with so many wonderful stories told by all the participants. (Sadly it was also probably the last time Kostal was seen in public. Andrews was in Europe at that time and sent her regrets.)

\"Politics is the profession whereby the inevitable is made to seem a great human achievement\" - Quentin Crisp

Ernest Rister

"I'm not sure if the region one versions have them, but the region 4 DVDs of Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", "Peter Pan", "Dumbo" and "Pinocchio" all start with the original RKO RADIO PICTURES logo.( fabulous)"

In Region 1, of the established animated features distributed by RKO, only "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Saludos Amigos" have come to DVD missing the original RKO title cards (although, in the case of Snow White, the original cards are included as a supplement as they were on the 1994 laserdisc box set). In the case of "Saludos Amigos!", the DVD carries a Buena Vista title card.

All of the R1 DVDs for the other animated features pre-1985 have either the original RKO title cards, or original Buena Vista cards and full musical opening fanfare. Some, like "Lady and the Tramp", start with a WDP card, followed by the original BV card.

Some of the more obscure live action titles that have just been released, like the excellent Greyfriar's Bobby, do not have their original title cards. Meanwhile, others do, like the acclaimed Treasure Island, Darby O'Gill and Third Man on the Mountain. Even the stunt-packed romp Hot Lead and Cold Feet has the opening BV logo, it is becoming more and more uncommon for a classic Disney title to not have its original opening title cards. I have quite a few Anchor Bay titles on DVD, and I cannot speak for these:

The Bears and I
The Black Hole
Candleshoe
Cat From Outer Space
Great Locomotive Chase
Happiest Millionaire
Napoleon and Samantha
Never Cry Wolf
Watcher in the Woods

The existing Gold Collection DVD for Mary Poppins does have both the WDP logo, and then the Buena Vista logo with the brief Kostal fanfare. If the original card and opening fanfare is indeed missing on the new DVD, it is hardly a deal breaker for me, but it makes me hang on to my GC edition of Poppins instead of giving it away to a relative as I originally planned.

I for one am not as hung up on absolute fidelity to original presentation as some, particularly where Walt was concerned. He was known to alter his films after the fact on several occasions, but most importantly, were he around today, knowing how trend-breaking he was in regards to refusing to sell TV rights to his classic films or air them on television, it is possible we might not have these films on DVD at all. Walt wanted them to be seen in theaters, and knew they had tremendous re-release value. Of his animated features, he only allowed Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland to be shown on TV in his time. All we can do is wonder what Uncle Walt would have made of home video -- it is entirely possible that were he alive, the landscape of Disney DVD would be dramatically different, and several titles that we have had the pleasure of watching in the home (including Mary Poppins) would be on home video moratorium, reserved only for theatrical re-issue.

Es posible.

Mike Frezon

I would like to join the others in thanking Les Perkins for sharing his information with us. I hope he will continue to be a presence here at the HTF.

Welcome!

There's Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Bullseye, he's Woody's horse. Pete the old prospector. And, Woody, the man himself. Of course, it's time for Woody's RoundUp. He's the very best! He's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Doug Bull

Thanks Les Perkins for your highly interesting and informative comments.
This is the kind of precious insider information that members of this Forum crave for. Thank You.

I'm sure everybody will be really thrilled by the extensive and entertaining supplementary features on the up-coming Region 1 Disc.
The short but sweet unused underscoring excert during the rooftop sequence on disc 2, is for a film score buff like myself, a real bonus.

Les, do you have any answer as to why the original Buena Vista card has gone missing from the movie itself?


Ernest, Thanks for the list of Disney region 1 DVD releases that contain the RKO logo.

Chris Farmer

Thank you Les for the informative post. As I've also said about Charlie de Lauzirika (God I hope I spelled his name right), it really is fantastic to have the very people who are working so hard on these DVDs as active participants on this forum. Your insights and discussion about what is and is not on the disc and the rationale behind it is welcome and informative, and very much appreciated.

MikeEckman

Thanks for the review. Perhaps Ive been living under a rock, but I wasn't even aware a new SE was on its way. I will definitely pick it up in R1 when it eventually comes out!

Mike Eckman
Chicago Heights, IL
Music Webpage: http://www.metalreviewcentre.com
Car Webpage: http://www.metalreviewcentre.com/transam.htm

Reagan

Thanks, Les. The amount of research you've done is mind-boggling.

-Reagan

The truth doesn't care whether you believe it.

Andrew Priest

I'll admit I'm really looking forward to this new Mary Poppins release. The old Gold Edition really isn't very exciting, and the clip holding the DVD in my copy is even damaged. It's about time a good version of it comes out.

I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.

DaViD Boulet

I plan to have the review of the R1 disc up in the next few days...please be patient!

Not the expert in matters of intermission music and what not but I'll do my best to let you know how it looks and sounds...

One thing...I am personally disappointed by the missing "old fashioned" Buena Vista logo which I remember so fondly from my youth.

Mary Poppins is a very special film for me. It was the first "record" I ever wanted to buy (got my partents to get me the double-soundtrack/storybook LP when I was about 4 years old) and I spend *hours* listening to that vinyl and staring at those pictures in that book. What a special privilege to now review the latest 16x9 5.0 DVD!

-dave

Be an Original Aspect Ratio Advocate

Supporter of 1080p24 video and lossless 24 bit audio.

SteveK

David - I'm very much looking forward to your review, and to adding this title to my collection to replace my current copy. I remember seeing Mary Poppins in grade school. I also had the soundtrack, but I don't remember it having a book along with it, so apparently my folks didn't get me the deluxe version. But I'm looking forward to owning the deluxe DVD!

Steve K.