Mary Poppins turns 45!

On January 27th, Disney's iconic tale of a mythical nanny turning the lives of her English charges completely upside down, Mary Poppins, celebrates its 45th anniversary.

I remember that, as a kid, I loved watching Dick Van Dyke dancing with the penguins, and singing along to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" or "A Spoonful of Sugar" (which is still the best way to give medicine, though I never remember that with my own kids now that I'm a Mom!). My first trip to London, which didn't happen until I was an adult in my twenties, had me imagining the city would look just as it did in that movie, with its smokey factory chimney tops. And there's something magical (well, naturally) about that very first time we see Mary with her umbrella.

It's a testament to Disney that the movie brings her world so vividly to life, that by the time Mary Poppins lifts that famous umbrella aloft and floats off to her next assignment, we've come to accept that this is a perfectly natural thing for a nanny to do!

There are just so many great moments in the film--ones that each new generation can share with their own kids and re-live again and again, together as a family.

And now, you can do experience all the wonder again with a spectacular new offering from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. To honor the 45th anniversary of Mary Poppins, they are releasing a commemorative DVD edition that includes a whole treasure trove of bonus features--really, folks, just look at what they've included in this DVD:


BONUS FEATURES

Backstage Disney
Disney on Broadway

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

Music & More

• 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.

This Mary Poppins
45th Anniversary EditionCommemorative DVD
has a suggested retail price of just $29.99--
but you can WIN IT from Cool Moms Rule!

Just leave a comment below on your favorite scene (or song) from Mary Poppins to be entered to win our giveaway, and you can win the DVD for your family!

As always, make sure you include an email address so we can contact you. Contest is open to residents of the continental US. Deadline for entries is midnight, February 1st.

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