Michael's Movie Grade: A+
Year Released 1964
History
The Mary Poppins books first caught Walt's attention in 1938. At this time Walt was reading them to his daughters and an interest to make this film spawned. However P.L. Travers, the author of the books did not want a movie version of these books to ever be made. Still this was something Walt was pretty persistent about and by 1961, with a personal visit he convinced her to let him make a screen version. However as anybody who has watched the excellent movie Saving Mr. Banks knows this was not the end of clashes between Walt and P.L. Travers. P.L. Travers argued with Walt on many of the details of the film including the use of animation in the Jolly Holiday song number and the casting of Dick Van Dyke. In the end she never was happy with either of those decisions. In fact it is reported that she ran out of the movie's premiere in tears.
In the opening scene in which Mary Poppins is sitting on a cloud, Julie Andrews was sitting on top of a very tall latter. When we are introduced to Bert he is dancing and singing while holding many musical instruments to make this possible these props where made very light. The musical lyric "I walk in the door at 6:01" was an inside joke because that was the time Robert Sherman actually got home from work. The scarf for Mary Poppins was especially knitted for this movie thanks to design consultant Tony Walton. In The Spoonful of Sugar song sequence a professional was hired to do the whistle for the bird. However the studio was not happy with this whistle and Julie Andrews did it herself. The bird itself was an animatronic and later ended up at the World's Fair singing A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow a song written by the Sherman brothers who wrote the songs for this movie. Dick Van Dyke played Mr. Dawes as well as Bert. To also add to this the makeup was done so elaborately to make sure no one recognized that this was the same actor who played Bert. The idea to make Mrs. Banks a suffragette came from the fact that she was absent for most of the book. It was decided that she should be doing something outside of the house for this to make sense in a movie. Due to the time and place this film takes place making her a suffragette makes the most sense.
Since this was Julie Andrews' cinema debut, the Jolly Holiday song sequence was filmed first. This was because she came from Broadway and this was a very Broadway style musical number. This was planned by Walt himself to make the actress feel more at home. The animated penguin waiters in this scene came about because waiter always reminded Walt of penguins by the way they moved. Julie Andrews was cast in this role because Walt had seen her both on The Ed Sullivan Show and in a stage production of Camelot. Dick Van Dyke was cast in the film because of him stating an interview (that Walt heard) that there should be more films for the entire family. Karen Dotrice and Mathew Garber were cast because they were in the last Disney feature (The Three Lives of Thomisina). Though Glydis John was considered for Mrs. Banks from the beginning of production (she had previously been in the Disney films The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy), she did not except the role until the Sherman brothers wrote a song for her.
Karen Dotrice stated that often times she believed that what was happening was real. She was even nervous at first around David Thomlinson who played Mr. Banks. She was not a trained singer. Her father worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Walt paid for the voice coach for that company to train to sing. However she trained Karen to sound more grown up which was not what the studio wanted so she had to unlearn it. Julie Andrews helped her phrase and time her singing.
The film was a massive hit with both audiences and critics. The film earned $31,000,000 at the box office, something unheard of in 1964 and the biggest money maker to come out of the studio since Snow White. The movie was nominated for 13 academy awards. It won five of these (Best Actress, Best Song, Best Score, Best Visual Effects and Best Editing). The film has played a massive part in Disney lore as well. There is a Jolly Holiday Bakery in Disneyland (my favorite place to eat there), Mary Poppins and Bert can be seen in Disneyland as well, and a feature film was released in 2013 called Saving Mr. Banks, about the making of this film. A sequel to Mary Poppins was planned in the 1980's but did not come to fruition. However a sequel called Mary Poppins Returns is planned for release in 2018. A stage musical based off the movie came out in 2004.
To describe Disney films, the word magical has often been used. Nowhere is that word more apt than here. This film is pure movie magic. It takes you on such delightful magical experiences as jumping into a painting, racing on a merry-go-round horse, having tea on the celling and so much more. These experiences are spent in ways only the movies could bring us and should enchant film lovers of all types. Adding to this magic is the amazing Step in Time musical number, which has to be one of the best choreographed dances in the history of movies.
Beyond just high quality entertainment this film shows great depth and a pure mastery of the cinematic art form. One of the best scenes has little actually happening in it. This is when Mr. Banks walks towards the bank at the end of the movie. We just see him walking there and see that he is reflecting on everything that has happened to this point. Only the movies can make a man simply walking to his workplace such a powerful image. There is no dialogue here the scene is shown through just pure cinema at its best.
The cast in this movie is incredible from the largest to the smallest part not a single actor or actress ever doesn't feel completely embraced in the part. Of course much of the weight rests on Julie Andrews playing Mary herself. Mary is not an easy character to play. She is unpredictable and you never know what she is going to do next. However she is always completely sincere about everything and we always need to believe her. Luckily Julie Andrews plays this part perfectly and with complete sincerity.
This movie combines everything that is great about Disney movies and does it all flawlessly. You see incredible characters, a sense of never ending imagination, great songs, amazing animation, and again just pure movie magic. This film is practically perfect in every way and is one of those movies that reminds us why we fell in love with movies in the first place. To say this is a must watch would be an understatement.
Film Credits Director: Robert Stevenson.
Writers: Bill Walsh, Don Da Gradi.
Based on a book by P.L. Travers.
Cast: Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins), Karen Dotrice (Jane Banks), Matthew Garber (Michael Banks), Dick Van Dyke (Bert, Mr. Dawes Sr.), David Thomlinson (Mr. Banks), Glynis Johns (Mrs. Banks), Hermione Braddeley (Domestic), Reta Shaw (Domestic), Elsa Lanchester (Katie), Arthur Treacher (Constable), Reginald Owen (Admiral Boom), Ed Wynn (Uncle Albert), Jane Darwell (Bird Woman), Arthur Malet (Mr.. Dawes Jr.), James Logan (Bank Doorman), Don Barclay (Mr. Binnacle), Alma Lawton (Mrs. Corry), Marjorie Eaton (Miss Persimmon), Marjorie Bennett (Miss Lark), Walter Bacon (Citizen), Frank Baker (Bearded Gentleman in Bank), Robert Banas
(Chimney Sweep), Art Bucaro (Chimney Sweep), Harvey Evans (Chimney Sweep), Cryil Delevanti (Mr. Grubbs), Betty Lou Greerson ( Old Crone), Clive Halliday (Mr. Mousley), Sam Harris (Citizen), David Hillary Hughes (Banker), Kay R. Kuter (Man), Queenie Leonard (Lady), Doris Lloyd (Depositor), Lester Mathews (Mr. Tomes), Matthew McCue (Man), Hans Moebus (Citizen), King Mojave (Banker), Skippy (Dog), Bert Stevens (Man), Walter Swash (Man), Hal Taggart (Banker), Larri Thomas (Woman), Wally West (Banker), Robert Williams (Man).
Voices: Dal McKennon (Fox, Carousel Guard, Hounds, Hunting Horse, Penguin, Reporter), J. Pat O'Malley (Horseman), Jim Macdonald (Penguins, Guard, News Reporter, Photographer), Ginny Tyler (Barnyard Animals). Producers: Walt Disney, Bill Walsh. Music: Irwin Kostal. Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman. Editor: Cotton Warburton. Cinematographer: Edward Colman. Cameraman: Travers Hill. Assistant Directors: Joseph L. McEveety, Paul Feiner. Second Unit Director: Arthur J. Vitarelli. Animation Director: Hamilton Luske. Art Directors: Carroll Clark, William H. Tuntke, McLaren Stewart. Nursery Scene: Bill Justice, Xavier Atencio. Costumes: Chuck Keehne, Gertrude Casey, Bill Thomas, Tony Walton. Hair Stylist: La Rue Matheron. Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley. Special Effects Artists: Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett, Robert A. Mattey. Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Dean Thomas. Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Hal Gausman. Background Artists: Al Dempster, Don Griffith, Art Riley, Bill Layne. Animators: Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery, Hal Ambro, Frank Thomas, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Cliff Norberg, Jack Boyd. Recourses UsedThe Disney Films by Leonard Maltin. DVD commentary by Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice, Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman. http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Mary%20Poppins https://www.bcdb.com/cartoon-characters/35-Mary-Poppins -Michael J. Ruhland |
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