Throwback Thursday: The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966)

There are television shows and there are television shows. The first is watchable and entertaining, but ultimately, fades from memory. The second lives on and continues to reach audiences across the generations.

The Dick Van Dyke Show originally ran for five years, from 1961-1966. Created by the late Carl Reiner, the show starred Dick Van Dyke and the late Mary Tyler Moore. Van Dyke played Rob Petrie, a TV writer who lived in the suburbs and worked in the city. Tyler Moore played Laura Petrie, Rob’s wife who was a homemaker.

There is a reason why sixty years on, this program is as revered and beloved as it was during its original run. Though it has the flavor of the family sitcoms of the era (e.g. Father Knows Best), it is a bridge to the modern family sitcoms that we watch today. Unlike their predecessors, the characters are imperfect humans who like the rest of us, are trying to get by.

The program was also revolutionary because Laura wore pants. Up to that point, the mothers in this genre all wore dresses or skirts. Though it is not a huge moment in the march for equality, it was a step that looked upon today is ground breaking.

I recommend it.

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Mary Poppins Returns Movie Review

The 1964 film, Mary Poppins is an unadulterated classic. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the film (based on the books by P.L. Travers) has entertained multiple generations of fans.

The new film, Mary Poppins Returns, opened yesterday.

The sequel takes place in Depression era London. Jane and Michael Banks (Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw) are now grown. Jane is single and works in the labor movement. Michael followed in his late father’s footsteps and works for the same bank that his father did. But life is not all that they hoped it would be. Michael is a recent widower with three young children. After the death of his wife, his financial issues started to become a problem. Then Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns to their lives. With the help of Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Mary is more than a nanny to the newest generation of Banks children. Can Mary help them heal as a family and survive their troubles?

All I can say about this film is wow. It is fantastic. Emily Blunt’s performance as Mary Poppins is seamless and absolute perfection. While she pays homage to her predecessor, Blunt makes this character her own. For his part, Lin-Manuel Miranda is the perfect counterpart to Emily Blunt. His accent is also, well, a lot less questionable than Dick Van Dyke’s.

My favorite aspect of this film is that it appealed to both adults and children. It also has a message about resilience in the face of adversity and tragedy. There are also plenty of Easter eggs to please fans of the original film.

I absolutely recommend it.

Mary Poppins Returns is presently in theaters. 

Thoughts On Mary Poppins Returns Teaser Trailer

Mary Poppins is one of those movies. The 1964 movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke has been viewed and loved by multiple generations of movie-goers.

Building on the multi-generational love, Disney will be releasing the sequel to Mary Poppins, entitled Mary Poppins Returns, the end of this year.

The teaser trailer was released last night.

Stepping into the iconic role of the everyone’s favorite nanny is Emily Blunt, backed up by Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack. What we know so far is that the sequel is set during the Depression. Jane and Michael Banks (Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw) are now adults dealing with a personal tragedy. It’s up to Mary to bring back joy and laughter back to the Banks family.

I have a feeling that this film will be one of those films that will define 2018. Mary Poppins is one of those characters that is beloved for many reasons. The only question is, how will the sequel fare compared to its beloved predecessor?

We’ll have to wait until December. Until then, the teaser trailer will have to do.

Throwback Thursday-Julie Andrews Double Feature-Mary Poppins (1964) And The Sound Of Music (1965)

While there are some movies and some performers whose work receives mixed or bad reviews, there are others who are universally loved and treasured.

Julie Andrews is one of those performers, those movies are Mary Poppins (1964) and Sound Of Music (1965).

Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) is a nanny who is brought in by Mr. and Mrs. Banks (David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns) to take care of their children. But Mary is not just any nanny. She has magical powers and takes her charges into an animated, fantastical world with the help of Bert (Dick Van Dyke). But in the end, it is not just the kids whose lives she touches, but their reserved father.

This movie is a childhood classic. Successfully combining live action with animation, this movie is an experience for audience members of all ages.

A year after Mary Poppins, she starred in what may be the most iconic movie of her career, The Sound Of Music. Based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Von Trapp,  the movie is the story of Maria. Maria is a young novice who has not quite conformed to the rules of the Abbey in which she lives. She accepts a job where she will be the governess for the children of widowed Navy Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). While the children are rebellious and test her in the beginning, their father is the real test and will force Maria to question what she really wants to do with her life.

This movie, while a little on the schmaltzy side, is incredible.  I have yet to meet someone who has not loved this movie and related to it somehow on a personal level.

And just because it was so incredible, I am including Lady Gaga’s tribute to Sound Of Music from last weekend’s Oscar’s. I got chills watching her perform.

I highly recommend them both.