Saving Mr. Banks - Review

Saving Mr. Banks - Review

Yesterday I went to see “Saving Mr. Banks”. What an amazing story and a well done movie!! I will not spoil the movie for those that have not seen it.

“Saving Mr. Banks” is the a mix of the stories about how Walt Disney encouraged P. L. Travers to sign over the rights to Mary Poppins so  he could keep his promise to his girls to make the movie and the story of the childhood of Helen Lyndon Goff (P. L. Travers).

As the trailers show Pamela Travers was a feisty woman set and determined not to allow Walt Disney to make a movie about her beloved Mary Poppins. Her reasons to withhold the rights are as complex as the woman herself.

As the story progresses you hear why it was so important to Walt Disney to make this movie. As he said, “As a daddy I made a promise to my girls and a daddy never breaks his promise!” You also see why Mrs. Travers does not want to let go. Both consider the characters “family”. Walt does understand that Mrs. Travers considers Mary Poppins and the Banks family her family and is protective of them. He remembers Oswald being stolen and attempts of some to take Mickey Mouse from him. Both are determined in their goals.

Some think this movie shows Disney as a pushy, aggressive movie producer, determined on getting what he wants without concern about the feelings of those whose intellectual property he wants to use. Others think it is an unfair and unflattering portrayal of P. L. Travers. In truth I think as a dramatization of 50 year old events. Some parts are on totally factual while some are “retellings” that you have to consider are stretched for better storytelling.

After hearing four of the Imagineers that worked with Walt Disney speak at the last D23 Expo about what Walt was like and their feelings about seeing early screenings of “Saving Mr. Banks” I believe it is a great look at Walt the man. It shows what drove him and what it was like to be around him. It was fun to hear one of the characters in the move quickly say, “Man is in the forest!” after hearing Walt’s cough as he neared the open door. From many accounts I’ve heard Walt would cough when approaching an open door to let people know he was coming and when he was known to be in a particular part of the building the warning, “Man is in the forest!” would go around letting people know he was there.

What I found interesting was what I took away from the movie. It was not anything to do with Disney or Travers. What I took away was a look at my own past and how it has shaped my own life and attitude. It makes me rethink my motivations and encourages me to let go of the past and keep moving forward.

If you are a Disney Fan I suggest you go see this movie. If you enjoy Mary Poppins and P. L. Travers I encourage you to check this movie out. I believe you will not be disappointed.

My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!

This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.

You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

For your Nook the link is:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-remembers-25-voices-of-christmas-carolyn-hoagland/1106912931?ean=2940032802624

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.

The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.

You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com

Happy Birthday Dick VanDyke!!

Happy Birthday Dick VanDyke!!

To all us Disney Fans Dick VanDyke is the lovable chimney sweep, Bert from Mary Poppins. He is a great comedic actor/dancer who never considered himself a dancer.

As a young man looking to make his way in acting Dick found himself in California. He decided to look up his comic hero in the white pages in hopes of asking him for advice. He was surprised to find that Stan Laurel (of Laurel and Hardy) was listed! He quickly went over and knocked on Mr. Laurel’s door! Thus started a long friendship where Mr. Laurel mentored the young Dick VanDyke. If you have watch old Laurel and Hardy movies you can see Stan Laurel in Dick VanDyke’s mannerisms at times.

Dick VanDyke wrote the introduction to a wonderful biography titled, “Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy, An Affectionate Biography by John McCabe. He tells about his time with Mr. Laurel in the introduction.

Dick was chosen for the lead role of Bye Bye Birdie after auditioning for a small role. In fact a song was written just for him in the show. He was chosen because after auditioning he was nervous and started adlibbing a little soft shoe dance. The choreographer for the show saw his dance and jumped right up and said he had the lead. When Dick told him he did not know how to dance he was told they would teach him.

At the 2011 D23 Expo Dick VanDyke and the Vantastix were performing. (The Vantastix is an acapella group that sings with Dick. They have released an album, Put On a Happy Face.) While performing Dick shared how he got the part as Bert in Mary Poppins. Dick had said in an interview he believed there should be more “family” entertainment offered in the movies. He said that he was told Walt Disney had read the interview and without ever seeing him perform decided he should be offered the part.

While reading the script for Mary Poppins Dick felt that he could do the part of the elder Mr. Daws, the president of the bank. Walt Disney would not hear of it and refused to even let him try out for the park. Dick got in full make up and came in and tried out. Walt was so taken by his performance he gave him the job but said it would have to be uncredited.

To learn a little more about Dick VanDyke check out the WikiPedia page about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Van_Dyke

My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!

This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.

You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

For your Nook the link is:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-remembers-25-voices-of-christmas-carolyn-hoagland/1106912931?ean=2940032802624

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.

The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.

You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com

Mary Popping Takes flight in Winter Issue of D23

MARY POPPINS TAKES FLIGHT IN THE WINTER ISSUE OF DISNEY TWENTY-THREE 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SAVING MR. BANKS STARS TOM HANKS AND 

EMMA THOMPSON HIGHLIGHT A SPECIAL ISSUE DEDICATED TO THE 

WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS NANNY 

Plus, D23.com online exclusives include video of the 1964 Mary Poppins premiere,
galleries of the film’s matte paintings, and an interactive map of the Walt Disney Studios
featuring locations used in Saving Mr. Banks.


BURBANK, Calif. – November 4, 2013 – To celebrate the release of Saving Mr. Banks and the
upcoming 50th anniversary of Mary Poppins, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club has dedicated the
entire winter issue of its flagship magazine, Disney twenty-three, to our beloved nanny. The
publication, available exclusively to Gold Members of D23, includes exclusive interviews with Saving
Mr. Banks stars Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Bradley Whitford, as well as director John Lee
Hancock. It takes readers behind the scenes of the making of this spectacular new film, which opens
this Christmas and looks at the creation of Disney’s Mary Poppins and the sometimes combative but
respectful relationship between the character’s creator, P.L. Travers (Thompson), and Walt Disney
(Hanks).



Disney twenty-three’s Winter issue also offers a look inside the fascinating life of P.L. Travers, with
a personal reminiscence by her friend, author Brian Sibley, whom she once told, “I don’t feel for a
moment that I invented her. I feel visited by her.” And original film composer Richard M. Sherman,
visual consultant Tony Walton, and choreographers Marc Beaux and Dee Dee Wood offer exclusive
insight into the creation of the 1964 Disney classic, which will officially celebrate its 50th anniversary
next August.

Also included in the Winter issue of Disney twenty-three:

•
A first-person account of the creation of the stage musical Mary Poppins from Disney
Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher
•
“Elements of Fun,” looking at 50 years of unique “Mary merchandise”
•
An in-depth look at the film’s groundbreaking special effects
•
A walk down the red carpet for the Mary Poppins premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
All D23 Members are invited to visit www.D23.com, where the fan club is kicking off its year-long
celebration of Mary Poppins’ 50th anniversary with a unique video reconstruction of the Mary Poppins
world premiere, containing five minutes of never-before-released material. Although the original
telecast of the event appears to have been lost forever, this 22-minute segment includes audio from
the premiere’s two separate interview locations, combined with all the surviving color film and blackand-
white newsreel footage—re-creating the excitement and glamour of this stellar premiere at
Grauman's Chinese Theatre on August 27, 1964.

Other features planned for D23.com’s online celebration include:

•
Extensive Mary Poppins galleries, including a look at the film’s breathtaking matte paintings.
•
An interactive map of the Walt Disney Studios with photo locations from Saving Mr. Banks
•
Rarely heard audio files from the making of Mary Poppins

•
An in-depth Mary Poppins production timeline
•
A look at the sodium screen/traveling matte process, which gave the film its unique visual look
•
An exclusive interview with Mary Poppins visual consultant Tony Walton
Also in the Winter issue, D23 Gold Members will receive a reproduction of the ticket mailed to invitees
for the Mary Poppins premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold
Members as a benefit of their membership.

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened
his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year
history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in
the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at
D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23
Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold, Silver, and Free Membership levels at D23.com and at
www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us
@DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Every Disney hero Has a Voice mrs. Banks and Mary Tudor ~ Glynis Johns

 Every Disney Hero Has a Voice

Mrs. Banks & Mary Tudor

Glynis Johns ~ Disney Legend

October 5^th, 1923

Best known to Disney fans as feminist Winifred Banks in the Academy Award-winning "Mary Poppins," actress Glynis Johns is everyone's favorite sister suffragette. Like many a moviegoer, Walt Disney loved her sparkling screen persona and personally asked Glynis to play the lively and witty role. His choice of casting was right on as film critic Leonard Maltin pointed out in his book, "The Disney Films," "She lights up the screen the minute she appears (in "Mary Poppins")," he wrote. "She makes every minute count and her amusing suffragette song is most enjoyable."

Born October 5, 1923, in Pretoria, South Africa, Glynis made history when she received a degree to teach dance by age 10. By 12, she won 25 gold medals for dance in England and by 13, appeared in her first film, "South Riding." She played her first adult role in a Ministry of Information film, "49th Parallel" (U.S. title "The Invaders"), starring Laurence Olivier, Leslie Howard, and Raymond Massey. And by 19, she was the youngest actress to play the lead role in the theatrical production of "Peter Pan."

In the early 1950s, she became associated with The Walt Disney Studios, when it began to produce live-action films in England. She starred as the capricious Mary Tudor in "The Sword and the Rose" in 1953, co-starring Richard Todd, followed by "Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue," in which she played Helen Mary MacGregor, the spirited wife of a Scottish freedom fighter. In 1964, a decade later, she returned to Disney, to star in "Mary Poppins," which amassed 13 Academy Award nominations, and garnered five Oscars.

Glynis also starred in such television shows as "General Electric Theatre," "The Cavanaughs," as well as her own series, "Glynis." Other programs include "Batman," "Cheers," and "Murder She Wrote," starring Angela Lansbury.

Among her career highlights, in 1960, Glynis won an Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Firth in the motion picture "The Sundowners," starring Robert Mitchum. And in 1973, she received a Tony Award for her stunning stage performance as Desiree Armfeldt in Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music." In all, she has performed in more than two dozen theatrical productions and more than 50 feature films, including Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband" starring Paulette Goddard, "Dear Brigette" with James Stewart, and "The Secret Garden" co-starring Derek Jacobi.

In 1994, Glynis returned to The Walt Disney Studios to co-star in the Touchstone comedy "The Ref" with Kevin Spacey, followed by Hollywood Pictures' box office smash hit "While You Were Sleeping" starring Sandra Bullock.

Glynis Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer (notably of "Send in the Clowns", which she originated in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, and "Sister Suffragette" which was written for her for Walt Disney's musical motion picture, Mary Poppins written by the Sherman Brothers).

Early life

Johns was born in Pretoria, South Africa, the daughter of Alys Maude (née Steele-Payne), a pianist, and Mervyn Johns (1899–1992), the British stage and film actor. Her roots are in West Wales, and she was born in Pretoria while her parents were performing on tour there. She attended Clifton High School in Bristol for a short time.

Career

Johns made her first stage appearance in Buckie's Bears as a child ballerina at the Garrick Theatre in 1935. She made her 1938 film debut in the movie version of Winifred Holtby's novel South Riding. In 1944, she appeared with her father in Halfway House and in 1948 starred as a mermaid in Miranda (Johns later reprised the role in a 1954 sequel, Mad About Men). In 1952, she co-starred in the movie version of Arnold Bennett's novel The Card. She was voted by British exhibitors the tenth most popular local star at the box office in 1951 and 1952.

She made a successful transition to Hollywood, appearing in Personal Affair (1953) starring Gene Tierney and in The Court Jester (1956) as Danny Kaye's love interest. The following year, she starred in the especially sad Christmas film All Mine to Give. Johns received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the 1960 film The Sundowners. One of her best-known film roles was that of Winifred Banks, the children's mother, a suffragette, in Mary Poppins (1964). Her last film appearance was in the 1999 film Superstar.

Johns also appeared on television and on stage, most memorably in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's musical A Little Night Music. The song "Send in the Clowns" was reportedly written with her in mind. In 1973, she won a Tony award for her role in the musical. She later appeared in London in Cause Célèbre by Terence Rattigan. She played opposite Rex Harrison in his final acting role in a Broadway revival of W. Somerset Maugham's play The Circle in 1990. (Harrison's death in his New York apartment from cancer ended the show's run.) Johns starred in the premiere of Horton Foote's A Coffin in Egypt in 1998 at the Bay Street Theatre as Myrtle Bledsoe.

In the 1962-1963 television season, Johns guest starred in the CBS anthology series The Lloyd Bridges Show. In the fall of 1963, she and Keith Andes starred as a married couple in her eponymous CBS television series Glynis, in which she appears as a mystery writer and Andes plays a criminal defense attorney. The program was cancelled after thirteen episodes.

From 1988 to 1989, Johns played Trudie Pepper, a senior citizen living in an Arizona retirement community, in the sitcom Coming Of Age, opposite Alan Young, Phyllis Newman, and Paul Dooley; the show lasted one season on CBS.

Personal life

Johns has been married four times. Her first husband was Anthony Forwood (1942–1948), with whom she had her only child, Gareth Forwood (1945–2007), an actor.

Filmography

Murder in the Family (1938) South Riding (1938) Prison Without Bars (1938) On the Night of the Fire (1939) Under Your Hat (1940) The Briggs Family (1940) The Thief of Bagdad (1940) (uncredited) The Prime Minister (1941) (uncredited) 49th Parallel (1941) The Adventures of Tartu (1943) The Halfway House (1944) Perfect Strangers (1945) This Man Is Mine (1946) Frieda (1947) An Ideal Husband (1947) Third Time Lucky (1948) Miranda (1948) Dear Mr. Prohack (1949) The Blue Lamp (1950) (uncredited) State Secret (1950) Flesh & Blood (1951) No Highway, released in the U.S. as No Highway in the Sky (1951) The Magic Box (1951) Appointment with Venus (1951) Encore (1951) The Card (1952) The Sword and the Rose (1953) Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) Personal Affair (1953) The Weak and the Wicked (1954) The Seekers (1954) The Beachcomber (1954) Mad About Men (1954)

Josephine and Men (1955) The Court Jester (1956) Loser Takes All (1956) Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) All Mine to Give (1957) Another Time, Another Place (1958) Last of the Few (1959) Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) The Spider's Web (1960) The Sundowners (1960) The Cabinet of Caligari (1962) The Chapman Report (1962) Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) Mary Poppins (1964) 12 o'clock High (1964) (TV) - Jennifer Heath Dear Brigitte (1965) Batman (1967) Don't Just Stand There! (1968) Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969) Under Milk Wood (1972) The Vault of Horror (1973) The Happy Prince (1974) (voice) Mrs. Amworth (1975, short) Three Dangerous Ladies (1977) Little Gloria... Happy at Last (1982) (TV) Cheers (1983) (TV) Season One - Mrs. Helen Chambers Murder She Wrote (1985) (TV) Murder in the Family (1985) (Miniseries) Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988) (TV) (voice) Zelly and Me (1988) Nukie (1988) The Ref (1994) While You Were Sleeping (1995) Superstar (1999)

Theatre (selected)

• 1936-36 St Helena, Old Vic
• 1937 Judgement Day, Embassy and Strand
• 1938 Quiet Wedding, Wyndham’s
• 1941 Quiet Weekend, Wyndham’s
• 1943 Peter Pan (Peter), Cambridge Theatre
• 1950 Fools Rush In, Fortune
• 1950 The Way Things Go, Phœnix
• 1952 Gertie (title role), Broadway
• 1956 Major Barbara (title role), Broadway
• 1963 Too True to Be Good, Broadway
• 1966 The King’s Mare, Garrick
• 1969-70 A Talent to Amuse, Phoenix Theatre
• 1969-70 Come As You Are, New Theatre
• 1971-72 Marquise, The Hippodrome, Bristol
• 1973 A Little Night Music (Tony Award for best musical actress), Broadway
• 1975 Ring Round the Moon, Los Angeles
• 1976 13 Rue de l’Amour, Phœnix
• 1978 Cause Celebre (Best Actress Award, Variety Club), Her Majesty's Theatre
• 1980-81 Hay Fever, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
• 1980-90 The Boy Friend, Toronto
• 1989-90 The Circle, Broadway
• 1998 A Coffin in Egypt, Bay Street Theatre

http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/history/legends

http://en.wikipedia.org

Goodbye Mary Poppins ~ Hello Aladdin!

Goodbye Mary Poppins ~ Hello Aladdin!

 

Mary Poppins is leaving Broadway after an amazing 6 year run! I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Mary Poppins but I have family and friends that have. Everybody I know of that has seen the show loved it. I am sad to see Mary go but Aladdin will not disappoint! Aladdin will follow in the footsteps of Beauty & the Beast, Lion King and Mary Poppins and please all that see it.

            Aladdin the Musical Spectacular has been performed at Disney California Adventure since 2003. It is performed in the Broadway quality Hyperion Theater. This show never fails to amaze and entertain even after seeing it a hundred of times. If the Broadway Aladdin is anywhere near the quality of the DCA Aladdin it will be a good show.

            One of the wonderful things about Aladdin is the adlibbing of several performers. Genie, Jafar, Iago and to some extent Aladdin are allowed to adlib. Genie will always changes up the rules from the Genie handbook including comments that reference current events in the news and pop culture. I have always felt this show deserved to be on Broadway. What has held it back was the length of the performance. Aladdin, as performed at DCA is only 45 minutes long. I have heard that several new songs are being added in the Broadway version.

            A couple of years ago Disney decided that Aladdin had made its run at DCA and was going to stop performances to bring in another show from the Disney Cruise Lines, Toy Story the Musical. When frequent guests heard about the change, especially what show they were thinking of bringing in the guests started writing letters. Aladdin was saved! The Hyperion Theater where it is performed is usually full or nearly so. I’ve seen Toy Story on the Disney Wonder cruise ship and think it was a wise decision to keep Aladdin!

            Many performers that have had parts in Aladdin at DCA over the years are now in New York performing on Broadway in many different shows. My favorite Jafar left Aladdin to go to Broadway and has been working very steadily for the past several years. I hope he goes for the part of Jafar again. If he does I would want to see it.

            The Disney Cruise Line has an adapted version of Aladdin the Musical on its ship, Fantasy. Again I’ve not seen this version but from the clips I’ve seen it look just as fun as the DCA version.

Here is video of the complete show at DCA: