Soundtrack Saturday: Mary Poppins (1964)

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With yesterday's release of Saving Mr. Banks, I thought it would be appropriate to listen back to the wonderful Mary Poppins soundtrack.

If you do not know the story, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Go watch it now! 

But if you are otherwise engaged, Mary Poppins is about the magical nanny who ends up working for the Banks family, looking after the children Jane and Michael. Combining live action and animation, Mary (Julie Andrews) opens the eyes of the Banks family and brings them closer together. Chimney sweep, Bert (Dick Van Dyke), adds plenty of comedy, least because of Van Dyke's infamous 'cockney' accent but we will ignore this! 

How can you not love these songs? Listening to the orchestral overture immediately captures the charm and magic of the film. If you grew up watching Mary Poppins, a grand wave of nostalgia comes with listening to this soundtrack. 

Remember these tunes?

A Spoonful of Sugar

Jolly Holiday

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

And what about these musical gems?

Stay Awake

Chim Chim Cher-Ee

Let's Go Fly a Kite

There are so many highlights, nearly every song is a treat. The Step In Time sequence has been featured several times on Ticket Stub - for the dance sequence and for the fireworks effects. However, my personal favourite song has to be Feed the Birds:

The Sherman Brothers certainly created one of the best loved motion picture soundtracks. I urge you to listen again to truly appreciate their genius. 

It is practically perfect in every way! 

Best Track? How could I possibly pick? Let's go for the Overture - it captures every favourite tune.

 (See below)

Available on Spotify? Yes

What's your Soundtrack Saturday? 

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Trailer Tuesday: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

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I have wonderful memories from watching Mary Poppins when I was growing up. Especially with the opening overture up in the clouds as the credits begin and the unforgettable chimney sweep scene on the rooftops of London. (We’ll ignore Dick Van Dyke’s infamous “cockney” accent though). So why is this relevant to Trailer Tuesday? Is there going to be a sequel to this classic?

Thank God, no there isn’t a sequel. Saving Mr. Banks stars Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers (the author of the magical nanny) and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. The film is the back story to how Mary Poppins was made or how it nearly wasn’t, since Travers objected to nearly everything that Disney suggested as he tried desperately to get the rights. But there is a reason why Travers is so protective over her character and Walt has to seek out what it is to understand her story and make one of the most treasured films in history.  

This trailer is charming and hearing the songs on the piano instantly makes me want to reach for the DVD and watch Mary Poppins all over again. Tom Hanks is a genius piece of casting and I am a massive fan of Emma Thompson’s work. I expect it will be rather cheesy – hey, that’s Disney – but if the film is as delightful as the trailer then I’m sure it will be thoroughly enjoyable.

There’s certainly a positive buzz and the word ‘Oscar’ has been associated with this movie – I suspect for Tom Hank’s performance. Saving Mr. Banks will be closing the London Film Festival in October but won’t be released in the UK until 17^th January 2014.

Seen any exciting trailers that you think I should check out? 

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