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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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

Mrs. Banks: But you're always saying that you wanted a cheerful and pleasant household.
Mr. Banks: Winifred, I should like to make a slight differentiation between the word cheerful and just plain giddy irresponsibility.


Lady in the Bank: There's something wrong, the bank won't give someone their money.
Depositor: Well, I'm going to get mine. Come along, young man, every penny!


Bert: [about his chalk drawings] Not Royal Academy, I suppose. Still better than a finger in the eye, ain't they?


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Facts about

There are 19 distinguishable names in "Jolly Holiday" when Bert and the penguins are discussing how no one is better than Mary Poppins. The names are as follows: Mavis and Sybil have ways that are winning, Prudence and Gwendolyn set your heart spinning, Phoebe delightful, Maude is disarming, Janis, Felicia, Lydia charming, Cynthia dashing, Vivian 's sweet, Stephanie smashing, Priscilla a treat, Veronica, Millicent, Agnes, Jane convivial company time and again, Doris, Phyllis, Glynis of sorts, I'll agree are three jolly good sports. But, cream of the crop, tip of the top, it's Mary Poppins and there we stop.
Originally Walt Disney had considered Mary Martin, Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury for the part of Mary Poppins based on the cold characterization portrayed in the P.L. Travers books. The Walt Disney Studio (with the Shermans and co-writer Don DaGradi acting as the studio's sort-of 'advance' team) first considered 'Julie Andrews' after seeing her on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town in January 1961 do excerpts from 'Camelot', the show she was appearing in on Broadway. About a month later, Walt Disney himself went to New York, caught the show, and sounded out Julie backstage after the show. (The show was of double interest to Disney because his The Sword in the Stone animated feature was based on the first book of T.H. White's "The Once and Future King." "Camelot" was based on the 4th book of the same novel.) It was at that February 1961 backstage meeting that Disney first sounded Andrews out, including inviting Julie's husband at the
Ordinarily a stickler for keeping to the script, director Robert Stevenson allowed Ed Wynn free rein to improvise.
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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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