Mary Poppins (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mary Poppins |
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Theatrical release poster
Art by Paul Wenzel |
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| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Screenplay by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Edward Colman |
| Editing by | Cotton Warburton |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc. |
| Release date(s) | August 27, 1964 (Los Angeles) September 24, 1964 (New York City) |
| Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.4–6 million |
| Money made | $103.1 million (US/Canada) |
Mary Poppins is a beloved 1964 American musical fantasy comedy film. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney. The movie is famous for mixing live-action actors with animated cartoon characters. The wonderful songs were written by the Sherman Brothers. The story comes from the popular book series Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers.
The film stars Julie Andrews in her very first movie role as Mary Poppins. She is a magical nanny who comes to help a busy family in London. Mary uses her special ways to bring joy and understanding to the Banks family. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns also play important roles. The entire movie was filmed at the Walt Disney Studios in California, using beautiful painted backgrounds to look like London.
Mary Poppins was released on August 27, 1964. It was a huge success, loved by critics and audiences alike. It became the highest-grossing film of 1964 in the United States and Disney's biggest hit at the time. The movie received thirteen Academy Award nominations, which was a record for Walt Disney Studios. It won five Oscars, including Best Actress for Julie Andrews and Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Many consider it Walt Disney's greatest live-action film. In 2013, it was chosen to be kept in the United States National Film Registry because it is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
A movie about how Mary Poppins was made, called Saving Mr. Banks, was released in 2013. A sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, came out on December 19, 2018.
Contents
Discovering the Story of Mary Poppins
In 1910, in Edwardian London, Mrs. Winifred Banks returns home from a rally where women were fighting for the right to vote. She learns that her children, Jane and Michael, have run away again. This causes their nanny, Katie Nanna, to quit. That evening, Mr. George Banks, their strict father who works at a bank, wants to hire a very serious nanny. Jane and Michael write their own advertisement for a kind and fun nanny. Mr. Banks rips up their letter and throws it into the fireplace. But a magical wind carries the pieces up the chimney and into the sky.
The next day, many stern nannies wait outside the Banks' home. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blows them all away! Jane and Michael then see a young woman floating down from the sky with an open umbrella. She introduces herself as Mary Poppins. To Mr. Banks' surprise, Mary has the children's advertisement, with all the ripped pieces magically put back together. She agrees to the children's requests but promises Mr. Banks she will be firm. Mary cleverly convinces Mr. Banks to hire her. Upstairs, Mary helps the children magically clean their nursery.
Magical Adventures with Mary Poppins
One day, while walking in a park, Mary, Jane, and Michael meet Mary's friend, Bert. Bert is a jack of all trades who works as a street painter. Mary magically takes them into one of Bert's chalk drawings. The children ride on a carousel while Mary and Bert sing and stroll. Mary and Bert even win a horse race! Mary uses the famous nonsense word, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", to describe her victory. When a thunderstorm washes away Bert's drawings, they return to London. That night, Mary sings a sweet lullaby to the children.
The next day, the trio and Bert visit Mary's funny uncle, Albert. Uncle Albert floats in the air when he laughs too much! Mr. Banks becomes annoyed by all the cheerfulness at home and threatens to fire Mary. She convinces him to take the children to his workplace. That evening, Mary sings a lullaby about an old woman who sells bird food near St Paul's Cathedral.
A Day at the Bank and a Change of Heart
The next day at the bank, the children meet Mr. Dawes Sr., Mr. Banks' elderly boss. Mr. Dawes Sr. tries to convince Michael to invest his tuppence (two pennies) in the bank. He even snatches the coins from Michael's hand. Michael demands his money back. Other customers hear the commotion and start worrying about their own money, causing a big stir at the bank.
Jane and Michael run away from the bank and get lost. Bert, now working as a chimney sweep, helps them find their way home. The three, along with Mary, go onto the rooftops, where Bert dances with other chimney sweeps. Later, Mr. Banks gets a call from the bank about Michael's actions. The children overhear and become worried. Bert advises Mr. Banks to spend more time with Jane and Michael before they grow up. Hoping to make things right, Michael gives his tuppence to his father. Feeling regretful, Mr. Banks walks to the bank. There, he is given a stern talking-to. Lost for words, Mr. Banks suddenly exclaims "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and tells a joke Uncle Albert had told the children. He then happily walks home. When Mr. Dawes Sr. finally understands the joke, he laughs so much he floats up into the air!
The next day, Mary Poppins tells the children she must leave. Mr. Banks fixes his children's kite and takes the family out to fly it. At the park, they meet Mr. Dawes Jr., Mr. Dawes Sr.'s son. Mr. Dawes Jr. shares that his father had been incredibly happy and full of laughter after hearing the joke, and had floated away joyfully. Mr. Dawes Jr. says his father had never been happier and happily rehires (and promotes) Mr. Banks. Mary watches the family, knowing her work is done. As Mary flies away, Bert looks up and says, "Goodbye, Mary Poppins. Don't stay away too long."
Meet the Cast of Mary Poppins
Live-Action Stars
- Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins: A magical and kind nanny who arrives to help the Banks children. She is firm but also gentle and loving.
- Dick Van Dyke as Bert: Mary Poppins' good friend and a cockney jack-of-all-trades. He works as a street painter, chimney sweep, and kite seller. He is used to Mary's magic.
- Van Dyke also plays Mr. Dawes Sr., the elderly director of the bank.
- David Tomlinson as George Banks: Mary Poppins' employer and the strict father of Jane and Michael. He works at a bank in London.
- Glynis Johns as Winifred Banks: The kind but often distracted mother of Jane and Michael. She is involved in the "Votes for Women" movement, fighting for women's right to vote.
- Karen Dotrice as Jane Banks: The spirited and bright older sister of Michael.
- Matthew Garber as Michael Banks: The excitable younger brother of Jane. Both children often misbehave to get attention from their busy parents.
- Hermione Baddeley as Ellen: The maid in the Banks' home.
- Reta Shaw as Mrs. Clara Brill: The cook in the Banks' home.
- Elsa Lanchester as Katie Nanna: The nanny who quits at the beginning of the film.
- Ed Wynn as Uncle Albert: A jolly man who floats in the air when he laughs too much.
Voice Actors
Many actors also lent their voices to the animated characters and other parts in the film.
- Julie Andrews provided voices for a robin and other characters.
- David Tomlinson voiced Mary's talking umbrella and other roles.
- Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, the songwriters, also voiced some characters.
Making the Magic: Behind the Scenes
How Mary Poppins Came to Life
The movie is mostly based on the first Mary Poppins book. Walt Disney's daughters loved the books and asked him to make a movie. He first tried to buy the film rights from the author, P. L. Travers, in 1938. However, Travers refused for many years because she didn't think a movie could capture the spirit of her books.
Disney, known mostly for animated films at the time, kept trying for over 20 years. He even visited her home in Chelsea, London. He finally succeeded in 1961, but Travers insisted on having a say in the script. The Sherman Brothers wrote the music and helped develop the film. They suggested changing the story's setting to the Edwardian era. It took about two years to prepare the film and create the music.
Choosing the Stars
Julie Andrews was chosen for the main role of Mary Poppins. This was her first big movie role after a successful career on stage. When Disney offered her the part, she was pregnant, but Disney was happy to wait for her to have her baby before filming began.
Dick Van Dyke was cast as Bert after Walt Disney saw him on his TV show. Van Dyke also wanted to play the older Mr. Dawes Sr. Disney thought he was too young, but Van Dyke convinced him after a screen test. Van Dyke worked hard on Bert's Cockney accent, but it's often remembered as one of the more challenging accents in movie history. In 2017, he even joked about it when receiving an award in Britain!
Filming the Special Effects
Filming took place from May to September 1963 in California. It then took another eleven months for post-production and animation.
One famous scene shows Mary Poppins and Bert interacting with animated penguins. This was done using a special technique called the sodium vapor process. Instead of the usual bluescreen, actors were filmed against a white screen lit with yellow sodium vapor lights. A special camera separated this light, creating a very clear outline of the actors. This allowed them to be perfectly placed into the animated world. The film won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1965 for this amazing effect.
The film's choreographers, Dee Dee Wood and Marc Breaux, created all the dances. Walt Disney himself often watched the rehearsals for the rooftop scenes.
The Music of Mary Poppins
The film features wonderful music and lyrics by brothers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. They were inspired by British music hall music from the Edwardian era. Irwin Kostal arranged and conducted the score. The original soundtrack was released in 1964 and became a huge success, selling millions of copies. Many famous artists and even cartoon characters covered the songs.
Release and Recognition
Mary Poppins first showed on August 27, 1964, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The film's poster was created by artist Paul Wenzel.
The film has been released many times on home video formats like VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray. In February 2024, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) changed the film's rating in the UK from 'U' (Universal) to 'PG' (Parental Guidance). This was because a character, Admiral Boom, uses an outdated and now considered offensive word, "hottentot," to describe the dancing chimney sweeps.
Awards and Honors
Mary Poppins received many awards and nominations:
- Academy Awards: It was nominated for 13 Oscars and won 5!
- British Academy Film Awards: Julie Andrews won for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles.
- Golden Globe Awards: Julie Andrews won for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
- Grammy Awards: The soundtrack won for Best Recording for Children and Best Original Score.
- Writers Guild of America Awards: Won for Best Written American Musical.
The Legacy of Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is often called Walt Disney's "crowning achievement." It was the only Disney film to be nominated for Best Picture during his lifetime.
Some of the money earned from the film was used to build the Walt Disney World Monorail System. The safety system on Disney monorails is even named MAPO (MAry POppins)!
The author, P. L. Travers, never agreed to another Mary Poppins movie adaptation by Disney. She had strong feelings about how her books were handled. When a stage musical was planned in the 1990s, she only agreed if English writers were used and no one from the film production was directly involved.
American Film Institute Recognition
- AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" was ranked #36.
- AFI's 100 Years of Musicals: The film was ranked #6.
A New Adventure: The Sequel
On December 19, 2018, Walt Disney Pictures released the sequel, Mary Poppins Returns. This film takes place 25 years after the original and tells a new story based on other books in the series. Emily Blunt stars as Mary Poppins, and Dick Van Dyke even returned to play a different character, Mr. Dawes Jr. Karen Dotrice, who played Jane in the original, also made a cameo appearance.
Mary Poppins on TV
The ABC television network often shows the film. It most recently aired on November 28, 2024. The day before, a special 20/20 episode called "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins" aired. It featured never-before-seen footage and interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Josh Gad, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Walt Disney’s grandchildren, and Julie Andrews herself.
See also
- List of American films of 1964
