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MARY POPPINS, A LOOK BACK (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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I wore out my first Mary Poppins LP and had to buy a second one, but they were Buena Vista labels, I think.
 
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Joe Caps

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Julie Andrews careeer was amazing.
Mary Poppins was Disneys biggest money maker. a year later, sound of music was anyones biggest money maker.
Than Thoroughly Modern Millie was Universals biggest film until Jaws.
 
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stevenHa

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I don't know if someone with knowledge of the restoration can answer this (or maybe restoration expert Robert Harris) : it is stated above that a Technicolor dye transfer was used as reference but there are some scenes on the blu ray that look different from when it was shown in the theaters in 1964, for instance the beautiful shot of Mary first descending along the tree tops had a more detailed daylight appearance whereas now the scene is dark blue and the details obscured. Why was this changed/allowed to occur ?
 

RobertSiegel

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Wow thanks for posting the RCA version of the soundtrack. I would assume the album msounded better than the Buena Vista soundtrack due to the quality of RCA's pressings.
 

RobertSiegel

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Correct, which is why Thoroughly Modern Millie was not Universal's biggest hit until Jaws. Millie was outgrossed by Airport (1970), The Sting (1973), Earthquake (1974) then came Jaws (1975).
Which still makes it very sad that there is no blu-ray disc for Thoroughly Modern Millie. For a few years it was their biggest grossing film. Kino has said they have tried to get it in one of their Universal deals and Universal said it wasn't available, so that is 2 years they have said that yet they do not release it themselves. And I imagine that getting Flower Drum Song is a far away dream. Flower Drum Song was shown on TCM last month and within 10 seconds one could tell that the film has been completely remastered, the colors and clarity were gorgeous, it looked like it's never looked before, and they also remastered the sound, the movie never sounded so good. Ah what a blu-ray it would make! Those are my 2 most wanted Universal films for blu-ray, and actually are in my top 5 wanted from any studio.
 

RobertMG

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Got to meet Ms. Andrews and her daughter at Macy's one Sunday morning after she has appeared in the parade days earlier === could have cut the line thanks to my association with the parade but we waited - when we got to meet her she raved about my Mom's pendant and apologized for the long wait! Was thrilled to be able to tell her Mary Poppins was the first film I saw in the theater in 64' Bet she heard that thousands of times --- then our parents took us to buy the soundtrack album! Did send her a copy if my book though thru her agent! Ms . Andrews is one classy lady - she comes from the old school and respects her fans!!!
 

RobertSiegel

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Got to meet Ms. Andrews and her daughter at Macy's one Sunday morning after she has appeared in the parade days earlier === could have cut the line thanks to my association with the parade but we waited - when we got to meet her she raved about my Mom's pendant and apologized for the long wait! Was thrilled to be able to tell her Mary Poppins was the first film I saw in the theater in 64' Bet she heard that thousands of times --- then our parents took us to buy the soundtrack album! Did send her a copy if my book though thru her agent! Ms . Andrews is one classy lady - she comes from the old school and respects her fans!!!
That is exactly how I would have imagined a meeting with her. It's been one of my biggest dreams to meet this lovely human being, but now I am 58 and she's not so young anymore, and I am nowhere close to where there could be a book signing except Minneapolis. What book have you published if I may ask? I hope you enjoyed my Mary Poppins piece here.
 

RobertMG

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That is exactly how I would have imagined a meeting with her. It's been one of my biggest dreams to meet this lovely human being, but now I am 58 and she's not so young anymore, and I am nowhere close to where there could be a book signing except Minneapolis. What book have you published if I may ask? I hope you enjoyed my Mary Poppins piece here.
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RobertMG

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That is exactly how I would have imagined a meeting with her. It's been one of my biggest dreams to meet this lovely human being, but now I am 58 and she's not so young anymore, and I am nowhere close to where there could be a book signing except Minneapolis. What book have you published if I may ask? I hope you enjoyed my Mary Poppins piece here.
Really enjoyed your piece on Mary Poppins you should post the link on her FB page!
 

John Skoda

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In so-called comprehensive record guides, I have never seen any soundtrack reference to the original soundtrack LP I bought back in 1964 via the RCA Victor Record Club.


"Mary Poppins" was a featured record one month and the soundtrack was issued on the RCA label for that record club and remained in their catalog for a period of time.


I wonder if anyone else out there recalls that the Buena Vista label wasn't the only one on which the soundtrack appeared!
In a book called MOUSE TRACKS: THE STORY OF WALT DISNEY RECORDS they mention this RCA version.

Disney Records had been around since the late 1950s, but it worked through independent distributors and wasn't on the same scale as the major labels. RCA and Columbia both tried to get the album on their labels by arguing Disney wouldn't be able to handle a release on the scale of POPPINS. The Disney Records people were miffed--they argued that, if they couldn't handle a major Disney soundtrack, why were they in business? They needed to step up their game. And they did.

But in the meantime, RCA did this version for the RCA Record Club, and, although the book doesn't say so specifically, I'm guessing it was done by RCA to assist during the growing pains of Walt Disney Records.

As a old record collector, I can attest that pre-1964 Disney albums are a lot harder to find than those from 1964 on.
 

Nick*Z

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I know it's nitpicking in such a wonderfully detailed and enjoyable post, but Robert Wise took over directing TSOM from William Wyler, not Billy Wilder. Thanks for the post. MARY POPPINS is the best film of 1964, and holds a special place in my heart. Julie's place in my heart goes back even further than that!
Everyone's entitled to an opinion, of course, but I think it's a bit gauche to claim Poppins 'the best' - especially in a year where such an embarrassment of riches existed on cinema screens. For those interested, the gross alone affords Poppins her place in movie history. But lest we forget that in addition to the top money-makers listed below, 1964 also saw the release of
The Americanization of Emily, Becket, The Chalk Garden, Cheyenne Autumn, Circus World, Dead Ringer, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Fail-Safe, The Fall of the Roman Empire, A Fistful of Dollars, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Night of the Iguana, The Pawnbroker, Seven Days in May, The Train, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Viva Las Vegas, The World of Henry Orient, Zorba the Greek, and, Zulu, some very distinguished company indeed!

 

RobertMG

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David Tomlinson seemed like such a nice chap --- sadly what tragedy he had in his life in the mid 1940's his first wife jumped from a NY Hotel Window killing herself and their two children it is a miracle he survived that tragedy
 

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