User Reviews

I had literally never heard of this Soviet 1983 two-part miniseries about Mary Poppins until browsing on a website. I had loved since my early childhood the Walt Disney Mary Poppins and could not quite imagine how this new version would turn out...

And it turned out very well indeed!

Meri Poppins, do svidaniya starts out the usual way: the Banks, a couple of busy parents want a responsible nurse to take care of their troublesome but sweet children, Jane and Michael. The very proper lady they end up hiring has magical powers and brings the children into a world of adventures. But the stories adapted from the books are different than those set in the 60's movies : no merry-go-rounds here but a talking statue, an oniric pastry shop and Mrs Banks' mother coming to visit.

The little town portrayed in the miniseries is both realistic and dreamy, a British suburb from a children's books, peopled with quirky and charming characters. Natalya Andrejchenko leads an excellent cast as Mary Poppins: she's ladylike and sweet, graceful and funny. A great actress to walk in Julie Andrew's footsteps, and give the famous part her personal touch. Lembit Ulfsak as Bert (now a gardener and Mrs Bank's beatnik brother) gives another very good performance, providing new relief to the part. And Albert Filozov as a more relaxed Mr Banks than David Tomlinson was in the film, has just the right combination of quirkiness and respectability.

Finally, the songs are extremely enjoyable and will stay in your head a long time after viewing. The soft ballad Mary Poppins sings to the children before they go to sleep, with nostalgic undertones, and "Veter Peremen" the final, hopeful number, being two of the highlights.

In the end, this is a very special and sometimes quirky miniseries, making the most of its actors, story and sets. A definite must-see for children and adults and a great alternative to the original Mary Poppins.

this is great for old ages people

In the first of many gripping twists,"Mary Poppins" is one of that select group of films that can truly be called 'Classic', a project conceived in love and filled with so much child-like wonder that it will never grow old or 'out-of-date'. Certainly the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's remarkable career, both story-wise and technically, the film remains an unsurpassed achievement!

Based on P.L. Travers' tales of a magical nanny who arrives to bring families closer, the rights to the stories had been pursued by Disney since 1938, but Travers had seen what studios had done to other authors' works, and withheld her approval unless she could maintain some creative control. Years of negotiations only whetted Disney's desire to make a definitive, truly 'special' film, and by 1960, despite the box office failure of another fantasy-themed 'pet' project, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", he was more confident than ever in the story's potential, bringing together a remarkable array of talent, including songwriting brothers Richard and Robert Sherman, production head Bill Walsh, and the brilliant artist Peter Ellenshaw to 'visualize' 1910 London through his matte paintings.

With Travers' grudging approval, casting began. While American stage and TV star Dick Van Dyke was an odd choice to play a Cockney chimney sweep, he was a gifted mime and physical comedian, and had such a wholesome exuberance that Disney knew British audiences would forgive his shaky accent. Popular British actors Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson would play the preoccupied parents, with Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber (from "The Three Lives of Thomasina") as the neglected children. Veteran stars Ed Wynn, Elsa Lanchester, Reginald Owen, Arthur Treacher, and Jane Darwell (as the Bird Woman, in her last screen appearance), headed the strong supporting cast.

But it was the casting of Julie Andrews, in her first film, as Mary Poppins, that truly 'made' the film! Passed over by Jack Warner for the movie version of her stage hit, "My Fair Lady" (he opted for Audrey Hepburn), Disney caught her performance in "Camelot" on Broadway, knew, instantly, that she was the right 'Mary', and approached her for the role. "But I'm pregnant," she told him. "No problem," he replied. "I'll wait!"

And thus a Classic was born!

A multiple 1964 Oscar winner (including 'Best Actress' for Andrews, who got to share the stage with her "Lady" costar, Rex Harrison, who won 'Best Actor'), the film was a major hit, worldwide, and quickly achieved the legendary status it holds today.

With songs both silly and sublime, seamless intermission of live performers and animation as only the Disney studio, at that time, was capable of, and the undeniable magnetism of Andrews and Van Dyke, it is nearly impossible NOT to like "Mary Poppins"!