Mary Poppins (1964)

My Review

The story of two children and their nanny, a talented new star named Julie Andrews, and thirty years of Walt Disney’s show business experience paid off big time in the massive box office hit “Mary Poppins.” The musical-comedy fantasy film combined every area Disney had been working on for decades: Live-action and animation combinations, catchy songs, family-oriented fare, and more.

Producer Walt Disney used his own in-house personnel to put this film together: Director Robert Stevenson (“The Love Bug” 1968), screenwriters Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, and musical composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The story is based on a series of “Mary Poppins” children’s books by English author P. L. Travers, first published in 1934. It took Walt twenty years to let him adapt her books into a motion picture. (The 2013 film “Saving Mr. Banks” tells this story.)

Julie Andrews was an excellent choice to portray Poppins, the woman who literally descends from the heavens to apply for a nanny job. Andrews accepted the role from Disney shortly after being turned down by Jack Warner of Warner Bros. Pictures for the Eliza Doolittle role in the big screen version of “My Fair Lady,” despite originating the role in the long-running Broadway play. Andrews won the Oscar for Poppins, while Audrey Hepburn was not even nominated for the Eliza role in the Warner Bros. picture.

Television’s Dick Van Dyke perfectly fit the part of Bert the Chimney Sweep. His comedic talents, musical prowess, and energetic manner contributed much to “Mary Poppins.” Co-stars include Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber as the two Banks children, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns were the parents, Hermione Baddeley, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Ed Wynn, and Oscar winner Jane Darwell as the Bird Woman. This was the final motion picture role for both Darwell and Treacher. The voice cast includes Marni Nixon, J. Pat O’Malley, and Alan Napier.

The watchable “Mary Poppins” was the highest grossing film of 1964 for producer Walt Disney, Walt Disney Productions, and Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was filmed entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. A sequel called “Mary Poppins Returns” was released in 2018 starring Emily Blunt.

“Poppins” was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, winning five – Best Actress (Andrews), Best Musical Score (Sherman brothers), Best Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee,” Sherman brothers), Best Film Editing, and Best Special Visual Effects. Non-winners include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography (Edward Colman), Best Costume Design, Best Musical Scoring (Irving Kristol), and Best Sound.