It’s been sixty years since Dick Van Dyke starred in the classic Disney movie Mary Poppins alongside Julie Andrews. In a new interview, Van Dyke is speaking out to reveal the first time he heard the music from the iconic children’s film – and the amazing thing that happened to him!
Van Dyke Talks Mary Poppins
To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the release of Mary Poppins, Van Dyke was interviewed in The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20. In one clip obtained by People Magazine, Van Dyke admitted that he burst into tears when the Sherman Brothers first played music from the movie for him.
“I couldn’t believe, one tune after another,” remembered Van Dyke, 98. “I wept. It was just the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.”
Mary Poppins ended up winning the Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”). It also won the Best Actress Oscar for Andrews, who is now 89. Other memorable songs from the movie include “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Step in Time” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
In this same interview, Van Dyke opened up about working with Walt Disney, who died back in 1966.
“When I met Walt we hit it right off,” he said. “We both admitted that we just pretended to be grown up and that we were still kids.”
“I went into his office, and he had water-color paintings of all the scenes in the movie,” Van Dyke added. “By the time we got through with that, I was just so excited.”
Watch Van Dyke talk more about this in the video below.
Related: Dick Van Dyke, 98, Opens Up About Decades-Long Career – ‘I Am Really Proud’
Van Dyke Gushes Over Andrews
Earlier this year, Van Dyke opened up about what it was like to work with Andrews on Mary Poppins.
While appearing on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter back in July, Van Dyke was asked about Mary Poppins being Andrews’ film debut. When questioned as to whether or not Andrews “had it right away,” Van Dyke immediately replied, “It’s like she had done a whole lot of movies.”
“She was cool as a cucumber, never… I’m telling you what I had doing the recording. She not only is a soprano, she sang just a hair on top of the note,” Van Dyke, 98, said of Andrews, 88.
“Just that little bit sharp, and I sing flat. So I just… what a sweater that was getting through that album. I’m actually a bass, but I had to sing,” he continued. “It turned out alright, and she was so patient with me.”
Van Dyke concluded by saying that Andrews was so professional on the set of Mary Poppins that it was astounding that it was her first movie.
“We would never have known it,” he stated.
Full Story: Dick Van Dyke Reveals What It Was Really Like Filming ‘Mary Poppins’ With Julie Andrews
Van Dyke Preparing To Turn 99
Van Dyke is preparing to celebrate his 99th birthday next month on December 13. Last year, he opened up about what his secret is to living to such an advanced age.
“Genes, I guess, for one thing,” Van Dyke told Yahoo! Entertainment. “Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me — that works! My positive attitude, I get that from my wife.”
Van Dyke was referring to his wife Arlene Silver, who is 46 years his junior. The couple has been married since 2012.
“I wrote a book called Keep Moving: I still go to the gym three days a week and work out,” he continued. “And I advise everybody to do that, because that’s what ages people — it’s just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.”
Van Dyke is a true living legend, and there will never be another one like him. God bless him for continuing to bring joy to millions of fans with his infectious personality!
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