Subjective Mary Poppins Edit

[merlinjones]

While I love the lavish new Mary Poppins CD (thanks, Randy), there is an edit in "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" (and previous CD versions of this soundtrack) that alters the meaning of a lyric/sequence. In the film, and the original Buena Vista soundtrack LP, just prior to the final stanza, there is a critical line of dialogue:

Mr. Dawes: "WHILE STAND THE BANKS OF ENGLAND, ENGLAND STANDS.
WHEN FALL THE BANKS OF ENGLAND, ENGLAND
FALLS! "

Mr. Banks: "YOU SEE, MICHAEL? ALL FOR THE LACK OF... "

Bankers: "Tuppence, patiently, cautiously trustingly invested
In the, to be specific,
In the Dawes, Tomes
Mousely, Grubbs
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!"

This serves as a warning for Michael to fork over his tuppence to Mr. Dawes (if you don't pay, the system falls). In the current soundtrack, Mr. Dawes line is gone and Banks' line has been cut to merely: "You see Michael..." then into the final lyric. Without the remaining dialogue, it changes the meaning of the final sung stanza from a negative to a positive.

Since the original LP producers saw fit to include it, they must have found it necessary to the song's purpose. I tend to agree.

 

[merlinjones]

...Dialogue edit also changes the final stanza from a complete sentance/thought into an incomplete fragment.

 

[Randy Thornton]

Hey Mr. Jones (Merlin, that is)

I'm glad you liked the new edition.

Why the decision was made to not include the line is anybody's guess. But whatever the reason, that decision was made by The Sherman Brothers and Irwin Kostal as they personally supervised the original CD release back in 1989. The only thing I can say is that it had to be a conscious decision ? as it was more difficult (particularly in those early days of digital) to make that edit than to let it go.

Unfortunately, I haven't really provided an answer to your query. But I hope that I have put you at ease that the edit was not some arbitrary call by someone who didn't know any better.

Hope that helps,
Randy Thornton

 

[merlinjones]

Thanks for the info, Randy - - and thanks again for all of your tireless efforts to get the classic material out there. You are one of the Disney champs in my book!