Mary Poppins Overview:

Mary Poppins (1964) was a Comedy - Family Film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney and Bill Walsh.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by P. L. Travers published in 1934.

SYNOPSIS

After triumphs on Broadway and the London stage (and the disappointment of not being cast in the film adaptation of My Fair Lady), Andrews made her screen debut in this magica, musical Disney version of Travers's children's classic about a flying governess who takes over the house of a turn-of-the-century London banker and wins the hearts of his two children. Andrews's fresh appeal in in ample evidence here, and she was embraced by audiences around the world for this and for The Sound of Music, made the following year. A lanky Van Dyke, in the standout screen role of his career, plays Bert, the chimney sweep, and sings and dances the popular "Chim-Chim-Cheree" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The limited-release deluxe collector's set features the remastered original film, the original theatrical trailer, footage of the world premier at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and a commemorative book, The Music of Mary Poppins.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Mary Poppins was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2013.

Academy Awards 1964 --- Ceremony Number 37 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActressJulie AndrewsWon
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Carroll Clark, William H. Tuntke; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri, Hal GausmanNominated
Best CinematographyEdward ColmanNominated
Best Costume DesignTony WaltonNominated
Best DirectorRobert StevensonNominated
Best Film EditingCotton WarburtonWon
Best Music - ScoringRichard M. Sherman, Robert B. ShermanWon
Best Music - ScoringIrwin KostalNominated
Best Music - SongMusic and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. ShermanWon
Best PictureWalt Disney and Bill Walsh, ProducersNominated
Best WritingBill Walsh, Don DaGradiNominated
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Mary Poppins BlogHub Articles:

Musical Monday: Mary Poppins (1964)

on Dec 25, 2023 From Comet Over Hollywood

It?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: Mary Poppins (1964) ? Musica... Read full article


Silver Screen Standards: Mary Poppins (1964), Prop Culture and You

By Jennifer Garlen on Jul 14, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Silver Screen Standards: Mary Poppins (1964), Prop Culture and You This spring, the streaming service Disney+ launched a new series called Prop Culture, in which host Dan Lanigan brings together props and people from some of Disney?s most memorable live-action pictures. The oldest movie featured ... Read full article


Mary Poppins Returns

By Alyson on Feb 8, 2019 From The Best Picture Project

Set about 30 years after Poppins? first visit with the Banks family, Mary Poppins Returns is another spoon full of sugar for a dark time in the Banks home. Michael (Ben Whishaw) is recently widowed with three young children, the family home and financial woes. His sister, Jane (Emily Mortimer) is an... Read full article


Searching for Mary Poppins in 2018

By Lara on Dec 27, 2018 From Backlots

When I first heard that there would be another Mary Poppins movie made in 2018, I wasn’t sure what to think. Being a lifelong devotee of the original film, I was hard-pressed to imagine anyone who could fill the gigantic shoes of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, or if anyone even had the right... Read full article


Promoting Poppins : The Merchandise of Mary Poppins

By The Metzinger Sisters on Jul 31, 2018 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

The Walt Disney Company today are pros when it comes to knowing how to promote their latest films but, back in the day, they had the marketing game pretty well in hand, too. In 1964, without the aid of the internet or a bombardment of television commercials, they promoted Mary Poppins to countries... Read full article


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Quotes from Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins: [watching Bert, Albert, Jane, and Michael laugh together on the ceiling] Why, it's the most disgraceful sight I've ever seen, or my name isn't Mary Poppins.
Bert: Speakin' o' names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.
Uncle Albert: What's the name of his other leg?
[he, Bert, Jane, and Michael laugh]


Bert: All right, I'll do it myself!
Mary Poppins: Do what?
Bert: Bit o' magic!
Michael: A bit of magic?
Bert: It's easy! Let's see... You think. You wink. You do a double blink. You close your eyes... and jump!
[They jump onto the drawing, nothing happens]
Jane: Is something s'posed to happen?
Mary Poppins: Bert, what utter nonsense!
[gives an exasperated sigh]
Mary Poppins: Why do you always complicate things that are really quite simple? Give me your hand please, Michael. Don't slouch. One... two...
[They jump into the chalk picture]


Mary Poppins: [singing] Stay awake, don't rest your head. Don't lie down upon your bed. While the moon drifts in the skies... Stay awake, don't close your eyes. Though the world is fast asleep, though your pillow's soft and deep, you're not sleepy as you seem; stay awake, don't nod and dream... Stay awake... don't nod... and... dream.


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Facts about Mary Poppins

The song, "Let's Go Fly A Kite" was inspired by the Sherman Brothers' (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman) father, Al Sherman who made kites for neighborhood kids as a weekend hobby. In the film, the broken kite represents the broken family. When the kite is mended by the father and the four pieces are taped back together, the four members of the family are also reunited. By transforming her "suffragette ribbon" into the kite's tail, Mrs. Banks also commits herself to being there more for her family.
The cherry tree blossoms in Cherry Tree Lane were made of plastic, imported from France and Portugal. Each leaf and bloom was hand-mounted.
Set in April 1910, shortly before the death of King Edward VII.
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Best Actress Oscar 1964






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National Film Registry

Mary Poppins

Released 1964
Inducted 2013
(Sound)




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Also directed by Robert Stevenson




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Also produced by Walt Disney




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