Mary Poppins (1964)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Bill Walsh (screenplay) &
Don DaGradi (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 August 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

See It Again and Again with that Supercalifragilistic Music! [re-release Australia 1976]

Plot:

A magic nanny comes to work for a cold banker's unhappy family.

Plot Keywords:

Banker | Magic | Nanny | Umbrella | Bank

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Mary Poppins
Dick Van Dyke	...	Bert / Mr. Dawes Senior (as Navckid Keyd)
David Tomlinson	...	Mr. Banks
Glynis Johns	...	Mrs. Banks
Hermione Baddeley	...	Domestic - Ellen
Reta Shaw	...	Domestic - Mrs. Clara Brill
Karen Dotrice	...	Jane Banks
Matthew Garber	...	Michael Banks
Elsa Lanchester	...	Katie Nanna
Arthur Treacher	...	The Constable
Reginald Owen	...	Admiral Boom
Ed Wynn	...	Uncle Albert
Jane Darwell	...	The Bird Woman
Arthur Malet	...	Mr. Dawes, Junior
James Logan	...	Citizen
Don Barclay	...	Mr. Binnacle - Admiral's servant
Alma Lawton	...	Mrs. Corry - Old woman in park
Marjorie Eaton	...	Miss Persimmon - Old woman in park
Marjorie Bennett	...	Miss Lark - Old woman in park
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Banas	...	Chimney Sweep (uncredited)
Marc Breaux	...	Cow (voice) (uncredited)
Daws Butler	...	Turtle / Penguin (voice) (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti	...	Mr. Grubbs (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Barnyard Horse (voice) (uncredited)
Betty Lou Gerson	...	Old Crone (uncredited)
Clive Halliday	...	Mr. Mousley (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Bill Lee	...	Ram (voice) (uncredited)
Doris Lloyd	...	Depositor (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	Mr. Tomes (uncredited)
Sean McClory	...	Hound / Reporter #4 (voice) (uncredited)
Dal McKennon	...	Fox / Hunting Horse / Reporter #1 / Carousel Guard / Penguin / Hound (voice) (uncredited)
Alan Napier	...	Huntsman / Reporter #3 / Hound (voice) (uncredited)
Marni Nixon	...	Geese (voice) (uncredited)
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Pearly Drummer / Master of Hounds / Huntsman / Hound / Horse / Penguin / Reporter #2 / Photographer (voice) (uncredited)
George Pelling	...	Hound / Reporter #5 (voice) (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Hog / Andrew's Whimper (voice) (uncredited)
Larri Thomas	...	Woman in Carriage (uncredited)
Ginny Tyler	...	Lambs (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Stevenson

Writing credits
Bill Walsh		(screenplay) &
Don DaGradi		(screenplay) (as Don Da Gradi)
P.L. Travers		("Mary Poppins" books)

Produced by
Bill Walsh	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman

Cinematography by
Edward Colman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Cotton Warburton

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
William H. Tuntke

Set Decoration by
Hal Gausman
Emile Kuri

Makeup Department
La Rue Matheron	....	hair stylist
Pat McNalley	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Feiner	....	assistant director
Joseph L. McEveety	....	assistant director
Arthur J. Vitarelli	....	live action second unit director
Tom Leetch	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
McLaren Stewart	....	animation art director
Tony Walton	....	design consultant
Al Gaynor	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert O. Cook	....	sound supervisor
Dean Thomas	....	sound mixer
Chris Pinkston	....	dialogue editor (restored version) (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	special effects
Eustace Lycett	....	special effects
Robert A. Mattey	....	special effects
George Brown	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bob Broughton	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Dan MacManus	....	effects animator (uncredited)

Stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Travers Hill	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Calvin A. Maehl	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Hal Ambro	....	animator
Jack Boyd	....	animator
Al Dempster	....	background artist
Don Griffith	....	background artist
Ollie Johnston	....	animator
Milt Kahl	....	animator
Ward Kimball	....	animator
Eric Larson	....	animator
Bill Layne	....	background artist
John Lounsbery	....	animator
Hamilton Luske	....	animation director (as Hamilton S. Luske)
Cliff Nordberg	....	animator
Art Riley	....	background artist
Frank Thomas	....	animator
Fred Hellmich	....	animator (uncredited)
Art Stevens	....	animator (uncredited)
Julius Svendsen	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gertrude Casey	....	costumer
Chuck Keehne	....	costumer
Bill Thomas	....	costumes executed by
Tony Walton	....	costumes

Music Department
Nat Farber	....	dance accompanist
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor
Irwin Kostal	....	conductor
Irwin Kostal	....	music arranger
Irwin Kostal	....	music supervisor
James MacDonald	....	assistant to conductor (as James Macdonald)
Richard M. Sherman	....	lyricist
Robert B. Sherman	....	lyricist

Other crew
Xavier Atencio	....	nursery sequence designer
Marc Breaux	....	choreographer
Walt Disney	....	presenter
Bill Justice	....	nursery sequence designer
P.L. Travers	....	consultant
Dee Dee Wood	....	choreographer
Robert E. Blair	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Larri Thomas	....	stand-in: Julie Andrews (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Walt Disney Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Suomi-Filmi (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Company (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

France:U | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | USA:Approved (certificate #20453) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

Ed Wynn's character, Uncle Albert, was originally written as having a Viennese accent. Wynn, however, didn't attempt the accent - or even an English accent, for that matter. He was just himself, ad-libbing many of the lines he says while laughing on the ceiling in the "I Love to Laugh" scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the penguin number Van Dyke's pants change to short legs and long crutch to long legs and short crutch.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bert: All right, ladies an' gents! Comical poem! Suitable for the occasion, extemporized and thought up before your very eyes! All right, 'ere we go! Room 'ere for everyone. Gather around. The constable - responstable! Now 'ow does that sound? Hm. 'Ello, Miss Lark, I've got one for you. Miss Lark... likes to walk... in the park... with Andrew! Hello, Andrew. Ah, Mrs. Corry, a story for you. Your daughters were shorter than you - but they grew!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Flushed Away (2006)

Soundtrack:

Chim-Chim-Cheree

A unique achievement, filled out on the DVD

Despite the technical achievements and the outstanding musical score, it is the performances that keep the film alive for me. Julie Andrews was right on target when she received her academy award and thanked Jack Warner for turning her down in the film version of My Fair Lady. She conveys both dignity and warmth as Mary. Dick van Dyke had the chance of a lifetime to demonstrate the breadth of his talents, especially his dancing, which could not be fully exploited on his TV series. Disney gave real depth to the film through his use of Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Ed Wynn and (especially) Jane Darwell (who is cited in the IMDb biography as best known for her cameo portrayal of the Bird Lady, despite her 1940 Academy Award for one of the great all-time performances in Grapes of Wrath). I computed the ages of the five as reaching 418 years when the film was released; their film careers covered 193 combined years, with stage careers going back as far as 1905. Disney's casting of these, as well as a group of accomplished British actors of stage and film demonstrated what should be meant by "supporting cast": it gave strong support against which Andrews and Van Dyke could perform without being under to carry the entire film. Finally: If someone wants to appreciate the care that went into the film, s/he should purchase the new 40th anniversary DVD. Viewing the interviews and other documents enabled me to increase my already great enjoyment. They do not "murder to dissect"; quite the contrary.