01x01 - Mary Poppins

[bunniefuu]

DAN: When I was kid, my dad brought home
an eight-millimeter reel of Mary Poppins.

Just a 22-minute segment
that they used to sell at drug stores

back in the days before home video.

And what my dad showed me
made a profound impact.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

DAN: This is one
of Walt Disney's greatest masterpieces,

and his fingerprints can be seen
on every frame.

Mary Poppins was made in an era
when props and costumes

were viewed strictly as on-set tools,
not historic artifacts.

Over the years, many of the pieces
from this film have vanished...

MICHAEL: But there was nothing in it.

DAN: Making the things that do exist
the crown jewels of the Disney kingdom.

BERT: Step in time!

DAN: Tracking down these objects
won't be easy...

BERT: Up you go.

DAN: But I'm sure
it'll be a nostalgia-filled adventure

that'll give me new insights

- into how this classic film was made.
- ADMIRAL BOOM: Fire!

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

DAN: In a movie, every detail,
no matter how small,

is designed to tell you something.

[CHUCKLES] Does it have your smell?

- No comment.
- [LAUGHS]

I'm Dan Lanigan, and I've spent
my entire life collecting artifacts

from my favorite films.

This is a real cinema relic,
sorta like me.

[BOTH LAUGH]

DAN: Now, I'm setting out to learn more
about the props

from the Disney movies that I love.

Fall back!

- Feels a lot lighter.
- [ALL CHUCKLE]

DAN: Because these historic artifacts
make you feel

like you're a part of the story.

[THEME MUSIC FADES]

DAN: I thought I'd begin my quest

by going after
one of the films' most iconic props,

Mary Poppins' umbrella.

So I'm traveling to Anaheim,

because if you're looking
for Disney artifacts,

Kevin Kidney's house
is a good place to start.

- Whoa! Look at all these goodies.
- [KEVIN LAUGHING]

- [CHUCKLES] This is awesome.
- [CHUCKLES] Oh, thank you.

DAN: Kevin is the go-to guy...

- Have a seat.
- For the restoration of.

Disney props and memorabilia.

And if something from Mary Poppins
is out there,

there's a good chance it's made its way
through Kevin's workshop.

KEVIN: I've worked for Disney for a long,
long time doing replicas...

- DAN: Right.
- Of things seen in movies

or objects from the Disney Parks,

and all of these are replicas,

- uh, recreations...
- DAN: Hmm.

KEVIN: As close as possible.

- DAN: The parrot head...
- KEVIN: Yes.

I've been trying to track down
where the original umbrella went to,

and I have come up against dead ends,
and that's why I'm here.

Yeah, we don't know. I don't think
anybody knows

what happened to the umbrella
that's used in the film.

DAN: A lot of this stuff
doesn't exist anymore.

That's absolutely true. So,
we turn to the original, uh, casting...

- Really?
- Of the Mary Poppins umbrella. Yep.

This is one of the castings
from that mold.

- DAN: Could I... Could I handle it?
- KEVIN: Sure, absolutely.

DAN: Amazing.

Where did this piece come from?

The story is there was an estate sale
up in Los Angeles around 1987.

Okay.

KEVIN: And they had
just an amazing collection,

not only Disney stuff, but other films.

And there was this little plaster mold
that was, uh, used for the umbrella.

Oh, okay. So, this would've been pulled
from that mold.

Right. And the reason
that it doesn't have, you know,

the eyelids that you're used to
seeing here in the finished piece

is that those are planted-on,
separate pieces.

We had to actually create those ourselves.

And the eyes are actually produced
for taxidermy.

- So, uh, like for animals. For birds.
- Oh, right, right, right,

- right. It's brilliant. It's brilliant.
- [CHUCKLES]

KEVIN: It really is.

DAN: So, which piece is your favorite
from Mary Poppins?

Well, I'm glad you asked.
My favorite, um,

prop from Mary Poppins
is the snow globe,

- from the "Feed the Birds" moment.
- Oh, the famous... Yes.

And I have a special connection

- to that piece as well.
- Really?

Yes, I'll have to take you downstairs

- and show you something.
- Oh, please.

- All right, let's check it out.
- KEVIN: Yeah, let's go. [CHUCKLES]

- This is my favorite piece. [CHUCKLES]
- DAN: Wow!

The snow globe from "Feed the Birds".

This is... This...
This isn't the snow globe, is it?

No. There are three existing
in the world today. So there's...

- there's the real prop from 1964.
- DAN: Right.

KEVIN: There's the new prop
from Mary Poppins Returns.

- DAN: Right. Of course.
- KEVIN: And then there's this one.

- DAN: Did you make that one?
- I did. I sure did.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

KEVIN: Yes, I did.
Yeah, so, when I got hired to work

on Mary Poppins Returns, I made two.

DAN: That's awesome. How did you get
the information to rebuild this?

The story goes that back when the archives
was getting started

and Dave Smith, the archivist, was...

- DAN: Right.
- Searching around the studio,

popping his head into people's offices

and into closets and cupboards,
and the snow globe was discovered

in a janitor's closet.

Apparently, a janitor had discovered it
in the trash, thought it was interesting

and cute, put it up on a shelf,
and there it was.

- Okay.
- But it was missing the bottom half.

So it was just the top half, the glass

with the little cathedral inside
and the birds.

- DAN: Wow.
- And then,

the little metal stand
that it sits on was lost,

and so they asked if I could build a base
for it.

I got as much information as I could
to recreate that base.

DAN: With so many original artifacts lost,
like Mary's umbrella,

it really makes me appreciate
the conservation of the objects

that do still exist.

Your work is great.

- Thank you.
- I just feel like I need to see

the original.

Well, I know where you can go find it.

- Oh, you do?
- Mm-hm.

DAN: Based on this tip.

I've headed to the place
where the magic happens.

The animation building
has been the birthplace

of some of the most incredible creations
in movie history, including Mary Poppins.

And at the heart of it
is Walt Disney's office, frozen in time,

restored to exactly as it was
in Walt's day.

I was able to arrange a visit
and brought along a relative newcomer

to the Mary Poppins legacy.

I cannot believe I get to do this.

Oh, yeah, me too. I mean,
it's like an ultimate fanboy's dream,

and I feel underdressed.
I actually should be wearing

- a suit myself.
- No, no, no.

Jason Schwartzman
played famed Mary Poppins composer,

Richard Sherman, in the movie
Saving Mr. Banks.

A film all about the making
of Mary Poppins.

- Just a spoonful of sugar helps.
- Just a spoonful of sugar helps.

- The medicine go down.
- The medicine go down.

DAN: Now, I'm a big guy, but I feel
like I'm walking in the footsteps

of true giants.

- [JASON APPLAUDING]
- [RICHARD CHUCKLES]

I feel like the piano
is saying, "Oh, it's you!"

[ALL LAUGH]

RICHARD: Well, it's so much better
than me singing it.

God knows I can't do that anymore.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

DAN: Richard and his brother, Bob,
had been composing for Disney

for a few years when Walt asked them
to write the music for Mary Poppins.

And to this day,
Richard is the only person allowed

to play the piano in Walt's office.

[PIANO PLAYING CONTINUES]

DAN: And it looks like that tip
from Kevin Kidney is right on target.

I think, uh, there's a piece
from that sequence in the film

sitting behind you.
There's the actual snow globe.

- When Mary sings... Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.

Yeah, it's empty now, but it would...
it would fill up with little birds.

DAN: Yeah, it kind of encapsulates
the song that you wrote, "Feed the Birds".

- RICHARD: Yeah.
- DAN: In one small little object.

RICHARD: It's symbolic. Uh, Walt had it
all the time on his desk.

- Really?
- He connected to that.

DAN: This particular piece,
like a lot of things from Mary Poppins,

was... kind of lost, you know?
They didn't save these things back then.

And the fact that it still survives,
that kind of history is so important.

- And it's a prop from life.
- Yes.

- Like, it's like, uh, beyond a prop.
- Yes.

Yeah. It's... It's very... It has a life
of its own, special stuff.

How did "Feed the Birds" come together?

That was one that was handed down
from the heavens.

I don't know, it just happened.

Early each day to the steps of St. Paul's.

The little old bird woman comes.

RICHARD: We had this one inspiration
from a story of this old lady

who sells breadcrumbs at St. Paul's.
'Cause that's spiritual, it's beautiful.

It wrote itself, it was there.
So we played it for Walt.

He said, "Yeah, that'll work."
And we said, "That's a funny thing for...

- "'That'll work.'"
- JASON: That'll work.

But, uh, that was the biggest compliment
you'd get out of him.

- Right.
- RICHARD: And when we finished it,

we said, "I think we've captured
the entire story right in this thing."

You have to be kind
and loving to your children,

and everything,
and that's feeding the birds.

He used to have me play it for him.

On Friday afternoon, Bob and I would come
to his office, this office.

He didn't even say,
"Play the... 'Feed the Birds.'"

He would say, you know, "Play it.
Play it for me."

And then, he would look out the window,
and I'd sing "Feed the Birds" for him.

DAN: Wow.

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag.

Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag...

[PIANO PLAYING]

DAN: Richard Sherman on this piano
is a snapshot of a bygone era.

The knowledge
that so many important artifacts

from Mary Poppins have been lost
only fuels my desire to keep searching.

If animation artwork still exists,
you're gonna find it here,

in the Walt Disney animation
research library.

Over 65 million pieces of artwork
are stored in this building.

Geppetto was actually animated
on a separate piece of paper

- than Pinocchio.
- DAN: Spectacular.

And the library's manager of research,

Fox Carney, has agreed to show me
what remains of the original artwork

created for Mary Poppins.

FOX: This is my favorite piece of art
in the entire collection.

This is a Peter Ellenshaw
matte painting...

- DAN: Okay.
- FOX: For Mary Poppins.

- DAN: Gorgeous.
- FOX: And this painting shows

Mary Poppins' first entrance
in the film,

where she's floating
towards the Banks' residence,

and Michael and Jane are watching her
from the window.

- DAN: So, what is the media?
- This is a mix of oils and gouache.

- Okay.
- And it's on a substrate of Masonite.

- Masonite, okay.
- And that's how we realized that

this was an actual matte painting
by Peter Ellenshaw for the film.

Peter Ellenshaw was an amazing artist,
he was a Disney legend.

What he was trying to capture
was Walt's idealized version

- of Edwardian London.
- DAN: Right.

FOX: Peter's paintings were combined
with sets and actors to an amazing effect.

And in some scenes, his work was enhanced
with practical effects,

like smoke and lighting effects.

For the rooftops of London,
as the sun is going down, and...

He'd paint on glass
and leave certain areas open

and shine the lighting effects behind it
to simulate the twinkling gas lamps

- of London, dusk. So evocative.
- DAN: Yeah. It's spectacular.

Now, here's something I want to show you
that's really, really interesting.

It's our friend, a penguin.

- [DAN CHUCKLING]
- [PENGUIN CLAPPING]

[CIRCUS MUSIC PLAYS]

FOX: Look at that.

Now originally,
the penguins were conceived of

- as just humans in tuxedos.
- DAN: Really?

FOX: They were story-boarded that way.

Walt asked his artists to plus the work
by adding an extra element of fun,

and now, so instead of humans in tuxedos,
well, who fits tuxedos?

- Penguins, of course!
- Penguins! That's right!

FOX: Um, now, the real genius
of the scene...

is the sort of intricate dance
between the animated penguins

and the live action dance
of d*ck Van d*ke.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

FOX: The animator, Frank Thomas,

would have to make sure
that his penguins were interacting

with every kick or hop or jump.

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]

For this film,
they actually had two choreographers,

Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood.

For the choreography itself,
of what Bert does,

you have Dee Dee Wood to thank.

Here are some photostats
of a choreography session.

Ah, you might be able to check with her
to see

if she has any of the tools of the trade
that they used to help create that scene.

DAN: On Fox's advice, I'm off to Phoenix
to see Dee Dee Wood,

to hear her stories
and hopefully find some artifacts.

I'm super excited to sit here
and see your penguins.

I love those penguins.

I've had them for a long, long time.

DAN: How did you wind up keeping
these things?

DEE DEE: Oh, yeah, I saved them.

We used to use these for d*ck Van d*ke
and Julie Andrews,

if they had to gaze
to where the penguins are.

- They have a good eyeline.
- DEE DEE: Yeah.

So, we'd put in these penguins
just before we'd do the sh**t,

then take 'em out fast, sh**t the scene.

It would look like they're looking right
at these guys.

DAN: Amazing.

So, how did you choreograph a dance
for penguins?

DEE DEE: Well, yeah, I was dancing
as a penguin all the time,

showing the other people
what I... what we needed.

I would, you know, waddle around.

I liked to do humorous, quirky

- kind of moves, you know?
- [DAN CHUCKLING]

- I can connect with that.
- I think that's why I love those penguins.

So these were the penguins for them
to look at, but when they were dancing,

- that was you and...
- Oh, yeah, and Marc. Marc Breaux,

my partner.

- Marc is my ex-husband.
- DAN: Right.

DEE DEE: But we were married then.
That's Marc and me,

and we're holding
some of those wonderful brooms.

I wish I had one of those brooms.
I'd be dancing around the house like that.

I wish I had saved one of those...

but I didn't.

DAN: Yeah, well at the time,
it didn't seem important, right?

Yeah. No, it was a prop.

- DAN: Yeah, it was just a prop.
- DEE DEE: Yeah. Now it's very important.

Well, I actually brought something
to show you. Look what I have here.

Oh! No! [CHUCKLES]

- Look at this.
- Where'd that come from?

This is one of the chimney sweeps
that was kept in the Disney archives.

- DEE DEE: No.
- Yeah, so Walt Disney's company kept this.

- Stop.
- Yes.

- How about that?
- It's seen better days,

but it is an amazing piece
of, uh, film history.

- You're bringing back some memories, baby.
- [CHUCKLES]

Wow!

- Can I touch it?
- Well, these are really delicate.

They... they make me wear gloves...

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- To hold it.

Okay. Right there, there, there. That.

Uh-oh.

DAN: I'm in trouble. [LAUGHS]

- One of the brush bristles.
- I'm saving this.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

- What am I gonna say?
- I'm not putting it back in there.

- You earned it. You earned it, uh...
- This is fun.

This is fun. This is fun.

It's amazing how these, you know,
these artifacts,

some of these things still survive!

People don't realize
how important they are

- until somebody brings them out.
- That's right.

So, what... what was it like doing
that sequence?

[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS]

- It was a difficult dance. Yeah.
- Yeah, I would imagine.

DEE DEE: But it was one
of the most enjoyable sessions

that I have ever had.

We had a couple of weeks rehearsal,
but the chimney sweeps,

those were trained dancers.
The best dancers we had.

They were dancing up in the air.
Look at them,

jumping over those broomsticks!

[IMITATES DRUMS]

Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Kick your knees up, step in time.

- Kick... I'm exhausted.
- [CHUCKLES] That was great!

- [CHUCKLES]
- So,

was there something that stood out
that was extra special for you?

Oh, yeah. Walt Disney
was incredible about people being together

and knowing each other
and loving each other.

I just...

got the feeling then
of working at Disney Studios.

I get... sentimental.

- You did some great work.
- It was all a pleasure...

and I love to be reminded of it.

DAN: Walt did more than just inspire
the people who worked on his films.

He inspired generations of fans.

So, I traveled back to L.A. to share
a special moment with one of them.

Television host, Erin Andrews.

My dad's favorite character
is Mary Poppins. He loves all the songs.

We, you know, would always dance around
to like, anything

that d*ck Van d*ke was singing.

DAN: When I asked Erin to join my quest
to track down props

from her favorite movie,
she jumped at the chance.

A place like this
is any true Disney fan's dream,

to be able to walk through
these hallowed halls.

- ERIN: It's top-secret, right?
- DAN: It's top-secret.

There's a lot of amazing stuff here,
and they would get, you know,

- understandably, lots of fans.
- Yeah.

DAN: Deep in the San Fernando Valley
lies a secret warehouse.

And today,
Erin and I are about to discover

what Mary Poppins treasures
might be hidden away

behind these concrete walls.

REBECCA: It's so great to have you here.
We don't normally bring people

- into this space.
- ERIN: Yeah.

Kinda fun. You can see some of the, uh,

the tags on the crates.
You'll be able to understand it.

Really fun things through here.
Some robots, video arcade games...

DAN: Space Paranoids?

- And Maximilian.
- DAN: Maximilian!

The Walt Disney Archives is a department
that was started in 1970 by Roy O. Disney,

the CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
He's Walt Disney's brother.

He started the Walt Disney Archives
after Walt's passing to kind of protect

and preserve the history of the company.

This is one of the newer pieces
we just got.

That's the throne
from Beauty and the Beast.

- ERIN: Stop it right now.
- [REBECCA CHUCKLING]

- ERIN: The dishes! That's cool!
- REBECCA: Isn't that cool?

So, here's a little magic
from Mary Poppins.

- DAN: Wow.
- Down here...

- I have something.
- ERIN: Oh, my gosh, yes. Yes!

DAN: Wow!

- Do you know what that is?
- Yes.

- Okay.
- It's a carpet bag.

- It is a carpet bag.
- Not a carpet bag.

- The carpet bag!
- The carpet bag.

Never judge things by their appearance...

even carpet bags. I'm sure I never do.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

And, uh, it's... thanks to this guy
right here.

Yes, well, me and a few other fellows,
but we...

What are you talking about?

- They helped us acquire it.
- I helped them acquire it. Yeah.

- REBECCA: Yeah.
- ERIN: Where was it?

DAN: Believe it or not, it all started
with a sweepstakes.

Way back in 1964, Kraft chocolates
did a promotional giveaway,

on the heels of the release
of Mary Poppins.

Third prize
was an eight-millimeter camera.

Second prize, a portable TV.

And first prize,

the Mary Poppins carpet bag...

with ten grand stuffed inside.

As it turns out,
the lucky winner just wanted the cash,

so the guy from the ad company
who delivered the bag

wound up taking it home,
where it sat in his attic,

gathering dust for the next 40 years.

Until one day
it was properly identified,

and through a series of events
and various people, including yours truly,

it found its way home
to the Disney Archives.

This is an example of not only her magic,
but Disney's magic to accomplish

- that shot...
- REBECCA: Right.

DAN: In a way
that is totally convincing.

- REBECCA: Absolutely.
- Mm-hmm. It's not a prop, it's history.

- It is.
- Yeah.

It's my childhood. It, you know,
it represents...

- It's exactly what it is.
- So much of my love for Disney.

REBECCA: Absolutely. Thank you
for helping me bring it home.

- DAN: [SIGHS] Well, it was an honor.
- [REBECCA CHUCKLING]

There's a couple very special pieces
right here at the end of the aisle,

- and if you will help me, Dan...
- Okay.

- I would be happy to.
- We can open this up.

[GASPS]

Look at that.

- I'll let him get the slivers.
- How special!

REBECCA: So this is Bert's carousel horse.
Isn't that cool?

- ERIN: Wow.
- REBECCA: This one is

the more recent acquisition.

We haven't had this all that long,
and so you can see

he has been around the block.

- ERIN: Yeah.
- DAN: Yeah!

There's some paint flaking off,
and things.

ERIN: Would you guys
touch this up at all, or...

REBECCA: At this point, no, I wouldn't.

- DAN: Yeah.
- REBECCA: This is the condition they're in

and we're preserving 'em and making sure
that they don't get any worse.

And what's interesting is,
if you look at the face,

it does look a little bit
like d*ck Van d*ke.

- DAN: It does!
- REBECCA: And that was on purpose, and...

- ERIN: The eyes.
- REBECCA: And d*ck even said

that when he saw it most recently.
He said, "It's got the chin." [CHUCKLES]

- Oh, yeah, it definitely has the chin.
- [CHUCKLES]

REBECCA: So it does have a little bit
of a look of d*ck Van d*ke,

- which... which I think is charming.
- ERIN: His smile.

And the only one that the company saved
was Mary's, which we still have.

- DAN: I wanna see it first.
- [REBECCA CHUCKLES]

- Come on!
- DAN: Wow!

- REBECCA: Oh, that's no fair.
- Hurry up!

- REBECCA: You're gonna k*ll her.
- DAN: I got this.

- REBECCA: There she is.
- Aw.

- REBECCA: Isn't that beautiful?
- ERIN: How spectacular is this?

- Oh, this is so lovely!
- REBECCA: Isn't she beautiful?

Yes, she is.
What great condition this is in.

- Isn't it beautiful?
- Yeah.

DAN: You can see the paint strokes.
ERIN: Yeah.

REBECCA:
It looks like you're in a painting.

- ERIN: Absolutely.
- REBECCA: You know, it matches

the animation.

ERIN: I love the face.

The face is perfect,
like with the d*ck Van d*ke horse,

how, like, that does look like Bert,

but this is the face of a horse
that looks like Mary should ride it.

- REBECCA: Yes.
- So knowingly. It's like...

- It's proud. It's perfect.
- DAN: Of course.

- I think it looks great.
- Oh, this is so cool.

- Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
- Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

- Hooray! Hooray!
- Hooray! Hooray!

ERIN: And the fact
that Julie Andrews touched this,

I'm so close to it! I will cry.
Really, really special.

- Isn't it beautiful? Yeah.
- I love this.

DAN: The artistry behind
these carousel horses is incredible.

Disney legend, Peter Ellenshaw,
painted Bert's horse,

and Mary's horse was painted by costume
and set designer Tony Walton.

Tony was a production designer
on Broadway,

and Mary Poppins
was his first feature film.

He designed all of the incredible costumes
and sets.

And did I mention he was married
to Mary Poppins herself, Julie Andrews.

When Becky learned about my upcoming trip
to see Tony Walton,

she asked me to take along some artwork.

You see, one of the challenges
with a film like Mary Poppins

is that thousands upon thousands of pieces
of original art

were created by dozens
of different artists

who didn't sign their work,

making cataloging items
incredibly difficult.

So with that, I'm off to New York
to see Tony Walton.

And thanks to Becky,
I'm carrying artifacts.

Artifacts that I'm hoping will trigger
some fond memories

of Tony's time making this classic film.

So Tony, I brought some drawings
from the Disney archive

that we believe they're yours,
but they're not signed.

- Oh!
- DAN: Here's the first drawing.

- TONY: Ah-ha! That's an original.
- This is an original.

So, this piece not only
is a color rendition

of the costume, uh,
but it has a color patch

- samplers of the material.
- TONY: Yes.

- Right.
- DAN: Would you have chosen this material,

- and attached it to this board?
- TONY: Yes. Yeah.

And then, this would've been like,
you're instructing wardrobe,

"This is the material I want you use
for the lining.

"This is the short white socks material."
So forth and so on.

- TONY: Yes.
- And then you show the different colors

of the material,

- but also the different widths as well.
- TONY: Yes.

This is a spectacular piece. I love it.

Well, thank you very much.
I hadn't seen this one forever.

I mean, probably since the movie.
So, I'm very touched.

This is a piece of art that,
it's unfinished until you sign it.

- Oh! [CHUCKLES]
- It's 60 years

- and waiting for your signature.
- Good heavens.

DAN: Sketches are one thing,

but it's quite another to reunite Tony
with some of the most cherished pieces

from his career.

Uh, so is this where a lot of your
design work has happened over the years?

TONY: Yes, it's mostly 50 years...

- fifty-one years we've been here, yeah.
- DAN: Wow!

All right.

Oh.

DAN: Would you like to handle it
and see it?

It's extraordinary. You know, that's...

It's almost 60 years, I guess,
I haven't seen this.

And the advantage of a fabric
with stripes like this

is that you can help out the seams
with the edge of the stripe.

This is actually an applied piece
of ribbon.

Right. That's additionally
a lot of work...

- Yeah, it is. Yes.
- DAN: Right? To sew these on.

- TONY: Yes. Oh, good lord.
- Oh, boy.

I'm so happy to see this guy again!

So this is the scarf that Julie wears
in her first entrance.

It's faded a little in color,
and of course, it's done...

it's knitted on knitting needles
almost as fat as this.

Oh, my gosh.

TONY: That loose net weave thing,
I just adored.

And the overcoat on this jacket
was actually quite a bit brighter cerise



This is intended to look somewhat strict,

but had extremely bright, flashy,
colored linings,

chiefly to try to find a feeling of fun.

And this is the flash of bright red.

And Julie's always been
extraordinarily overgenerous

in saying that this gave her real insights
into Mary Poppins' secret life.

In her mind, the flashy, colored linings,
it was a little naughty, so she thought...

"I do have this naughty streak
behind the strictness."

- And I think that...
- Yes, absolutely.

Adds an enduring quality

- to the character.
- Yes.

DAN: I won't say we saved the best
for last, but...

Oh! Aw!

- DAN: Look at that.
- Oh, I'm so happy to see you.

Hi!

So of course the challenge on this
was to attempt to find out

how to make the dressings, the cherries
and the flowers,

look a little funny, a little cheeky.

Tell me, you know, what does something
like this, a piece like this

that you worked on so many years later
represent to you?

Well, in this particular instance,
because of... it's... it's Julie, uh,

it has a very emotional flash going on
that throws me right back into memories

of that time, not least the arrival
of our baby, Emma.

And made it an extraordinary, happy time,
which was clearly

one of the strongest intentions
that Walt had.

DAN: I mean, here you go.
It's Mary Poppins...

- [CHUCKLES]
- DAN: Standing in front of us

- sixty-years later.
- TONY: Hi! Hello!

- [CHUCKLES]
- That's amazing. That's amazing.

I'd like to give her a hug,
if I may.

DAN: The skill, care, and love
that Tony took designing these costumes

is just one of the many reasons this film
has endured throughout the years.

On this journey, I've seen
so many important artifacts

rekindle emotions and memories
from the people inspired by Walt Disney.

Now, I wanted to travel to a place
where Walt Disney found his inspiration.

In a quiet corner of Griffith Park,

nestled between his home and his office
at the studio, sits an old carousel

that made a particularly large impact
on Walt Disney.

KAREN: Oh, my gosh.

Wow.

DAN: And it's here
that I'm bringing Karen Dotrice,

the actress who played Jane Banks.

- [MICHAEL CHEERS]
- Our own private merry-go-round!

Well, this reminds me of a few things.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Yes. Yes, absolutely.

Ah, so, how old is this?

- This merry-go-round was built in '26.
- No.

It was very important to Walt.

He would come here
with his daughters, Sharon and Diane,

and he would sit on that bench
right there...

and watch them play.

- No way.
- Yes, yes. Not only did Walt

use this carousel as inspiration
for Disneyland,

but obviously,
a certain segment in, uh, Mary Poppins.

He used it for inspiration for Disneyland?

Yes. He thought,
"Wouldn't it be great to have a place"

"that you can go with your family
to enjoy these type of rides"

"and these types of situations
as a... as a whole family?"

[CHUCKLES] Well, he sure improved
on that idea.

- [LAUGHS]
- Yes, he did.

Well, you know, a few years ago,
somebody was over at Western Costumes.

She found something
that I would love to share with you.

- Really?
- From back in the day. And, uh...

- That's very interesting.
- Uh, do you wanna take a peek?

I would love to take a peek,
but I also have something to show you

from that period
that you also interacted with.

- Oh, I like this day.
- Yes.

- This is fun. All right.
- All right, well...

- Thanks, Uncle Walt! Magic continues.
- Yeah, let's... let's go

- check it out.
- All right. Yeah, please.

I have no clue what you've got.
This is so thrilling.

It is, isn't it?

Always gotta have a little secret
up your sleeve.

That's right!
Spirit of Disney, both of us.

Uh, I have never shown this to anyone.

You know, this, I'll keep for my children,
not that they've shown

the slightest bit of interest,
so could you make it

like a bit more "ooh" and "ah"-ey
than my children do?

- I will. I will. I'll sell it.
- Okay, fantastic.

All right, off you go.

DAN: Here we go.

- Wow! Wow!
- KAREN: Look, look, look!

This is amazing.

It's remarkable to find a piece like this

still in the possession of the actor
who used it on set.

They tied a long dark ribbon to it
in the film which, sadly, is long gone.

Bert, do you think Father really needs
our help?

Well, not my place to say.

I only observe that a father
can always do with a bit of help.

Come on, I'll take you home.

Wow, it's got your Western Costume
label inside.

- Yep. And my name! Sort of faded...
- DAN: There we go.

KAREN: But it's in there.
So meaningful to have...

'Cause, I mean, look at the size
of that little girl's head!

- It's tiny!
- Tiny, tiny little Jane Banks hat.

- DAN: Tiny. Wow.
- KAREN: Oh, my God.

DAN: You know, considering the material,
it's such good condition.

I mean, there's a little bit
of deterioration in here.

- KAREN: Yeah.
- DAN: But this is just such

an important piece from this film.

- It's awesome.
- Yeah.

I think, uh, you should open...

the bin below...

- like this.
- Will you take the lid for me? Thank you.

Oh, don't be daft! Don't be daft!

Don't be... No!

Oh, my God! Hello, old friend.
[CHUCKLES]

Oh, my...

[SOBS] All right.

[SNIFFLES] That's it, I've gone. Makeup!

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

KAREN: Oh, my goodness.
Where did you find this?

- Look!
- Well, a collector friend of mine

- by the name of Jason White...
- [GASPS]

- had this in his collection.
- No way.

And, uh, he was kind enough
to let us borrow it.

Oh, my God. Jason, thank you.
Oh, my God, look! Look at my little arms.

[CHUCKLES] Oh, my God.

DAN: It's such an amazing piece
of wardrobe.

[SIGHS]

- Tony Walton designed that.
- KAREN: Unbelievable.

Tony, beautiful design.
And great fabric, and...

- DAN: Yeah. I'm not sure.
- KAREN: Some kind of tweedy something.

So, oh, my God, I'm completely moved.
This is... What a little person!

What a little... [CHUCKLES]

Everybody always says, "You were
the little girl from Mary Poppins."

- That is a little girl.
- DAN: That's right.

KAREN: That is a little girl.

Chim chimney, chim chimney
Chim chim cher-ee.

A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be.

Chim chimney, chim chimney
Chim chim cher-oo.

Good luck will rub off
When I shakes hands with you.

KAREN: Look, look, look! Oh, my gosh!

Ah, the magic is back. There we go.
Thank you. [KISSES]

DAN: As we grow up, we can find ourselves
growing away from the things

that we loved as children.
But sometimes...

Look what I have here.

- All it takes...
- Ooh!

DAN: Is reconnecting
with a found object.

- Hello, old friend!
- DAN: A sketch.

A song.

To bring those memories rushing back.

Watching Mary Poppins with my dad
is a moment I wouldn't trade

for the world, and now that I have
a child of my own,

I realize that my dad may have enjoyed
that experience even more than I did.

And that's why I love this movie.

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]