New Verse to “It’s a Small World” Featured in New Disney Short Paying Tribute to the Sherman Brothers

 

The Walt Disney Company premiered a poignant short film debuting a new verse to the iconic song, “It’s a Small World,” written by Richard Sherman before his passing in May of 2024. Sherman, who along with his late brother Robert wrote the song’s original verses from 1964 and many other timeless classics from some of Disney’s most celebrated films, shared the new verse with The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in the summer of 2023 as his final gift to the studio that he so deeply cherished. The three-minute and 30-second short film, The Last Verse, premiered Wednesday as part of an ABC News Studios' two-hour documentary event, The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20, which commemorates the 60th anniversary of Walt Disney Studios’ Mary Poppins (1964), for which the Sherman Brothers earned Academy Awards® for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

 

"As the legendary creators of some of the most cherished music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” said Bob Iger. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to ‘It’s a Small World’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.” 

The Last Verse serves as a tribute to the remarkable impact of the Sherman Brothers during their decades-long musical collaboration with Disney, ranging from “It’s a Small World,” to the timeless songs and scores from enduring Disney classics like, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book (1976), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and many more.

 

“It's a Small World” was written for the attraction of the same name, which was created for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. Personally overseen by Walt Disney in support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the attraction was a major success and after two seasons, it was moved to Disneyland Park, where it opened on May 28, 1966. Today, the attraction and the Sherman Brothers’ original song are part of five Disney Parks around the world, including Disneyland Park, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World® Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.

 

This touching short film takes viewers on a journey through the past 60 years of the song's history, showcasing its impact on global pop culture. Renowned director Henry Alex Rubin, best known for his award-winning documentary Murderball, helmed the project for Disney and creative partner adam&eveDDB.

 

Richard Brim, Global Chief Creative Officer for adam&eveDDB said, “It’s hard to truly capture the influence and impact that Disney has had on our lives over the past century. With this film, we wanted tap into those feelings of nostalgia that are so often associated with the iconic brand, whilst paying homage to the legends that are the Sherman brothers.”

PHOTOS FROM DISNEY'S "CHRISTOPHER ROBIN" PREMIERE

The stars of Disney’s “Christopher Robin,” Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Jim Cummings and Brad Garrett joined director Marc Forster and celebrity guests John Stamos, Alison Sweeney and Lesley Ann Warren at the world premiere of the film on the Disney studio lot earlier tonight.

Prior to the screening, legendary composer Richard M. Sherman was on hand for the dedication of the studio’s historic Orchestra Stage (where the music for the “Winnie the Pooh featurettes, “Mary Poppins” and “The Jungle Book” were recorded), which was renamed Sherman Brothers Stage A in honor of Richard and his late brother Robert B. Sherman.

Blu-Ray Review: Bedknobs and Broomsticks Special Edition

Bedknobs and Broomsticks comes to blu-ray for the very first time! Considered a classic in its own right, it is one of my favorites from childhood.

The story follows three children, Charlie, Carrie and Paul as they move to a small village during World War Two. Their host, Miss Price, turns out to be a witch in the making. Her early attempts at magic don't turn out as planned but her spell on a bedknob creates a flying machine. Everyone including con-artist Mr. Browne end up on the animated island of Naboombu in search of a medallion that will save England from the Germans' blitz on London.

Video Quality:

The 1080p/AVC-encoded remastered video is gorgeous! Colors are vibrant and skintones look natural! The animated sequences have been completely cleaned up and practically look brand new! Another high quality restoration from Disney!

Audio Quality:

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is pretty solid. The dialogue is crisp and clear though you can hear some hiss here and there. The rear channels are fairly soft but the soundfield is pleasant.

Bonus Features:

• Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers (SD, 21 minutes): By far one of the strangest oversights was to not include the 139-minute extended version of the film but to include this featurette discussing the cut that was on the DVD release of the movie in 2001.  
• Deleted and Extended Songs (HD, 24 minutes): Four deleted songs included here are, "A Step in the Right Direction," "With a Flair" and "Nobody's Problems." Two extended songs included here are "Eglantine" and "Portobello Road."
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD, 10 minutes): "Captain Greer," "Ulterior Motives," "The First Supper," "Letter from Professor Browne," "Extortion," "Traveling Spell," "Substitutiary Locomotion" and "Matchmaker."
• David Tomlinson Recording Session (SD, 1 minute): This recording session from 1970 features David Tomlinson singing the ending of "Portobello Road".
• Disney Song Selection (HD, 21 minutes): Songs include here are "The Old Home Guard," "The Age of Not Believing," "Eglantine," "Portobello Road," "The Beautiful Briny" and "Substituiary Locomotion." 
• The Wizards of Special Effects (SD, 8 minutes): Wizards of Waverly Place star Jennifer Stone compares special effects from Bedknobs and Broomsticks to those used in the Disney Channel series.
• Theatrical Trailers (SD, 9 minutes): Four trailers are featured here.

Conclusion:

A charming Disney classic with a wonderful video and audio presentation with some great bonus features. The inclusion of the longer extended cut of the film would have been a great addition and made the Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers featurette make more sense. But Bedknobs and Broomsticks still deserves a place on your movie shelf.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided but the review is strictly my own.*

Disneyland honors Disney Legend Robert Sherman at his window on Main Street, USA

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story Trailer

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story is a feature-length documentary about the Sherman Brothers, the astoundingly prolific Academy Award®-winning songwriting team whose successful professional collaboration in family entertainment masked the brothers' escalating personal differences throughout their six-decade partnership.

Legendary Disney Songwriter Robert Sherman has passed away

Walt and the Sherman boys pitching "It's A Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow" to GE.

We have learned from Disney historian/author Jeff Kurtti, of the sad news of the passing of Robert B. Sherman, of the songwriting Sherman Brothers; the subject of the book WALT'S TIME (co-authored by Kurtti) and the documentary film, THE BOYS. Robert and Richard wrote "Feed the Birds" for MARY POPPINS, which they often played for Walt Disney at the latter part of his life. Robert leaves a legacy of music that continues to be popular today in the hearts of many. We send condolences to the Sherman family for their loss, and we are ever grateful to Robert, for sharing his gift with the world.