Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins, who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family's dynamic. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes.
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions in association with the CBS Television Network, and was shot at Desilu Studios. Other producers included Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. The music for the show's theme song was written by Earle Hagen.
Richard Wayne Van Dyke is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His work spans screen and stage, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and six Emmy Awards. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993, he was also honored with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2013, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2020, and was recognized as a Disney Legend.
Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "[have] made a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a special private ceremony. Since 2009, it has been awarded on a biennial basis during Disney's D23 Expo.
Eleanor Audley was an American actress with a distinctive voice and a diverse body of work. She played Oliver Douglas's mom, Eunice Douglas, on the CBS sitcom Green Acres (1965–1969), and provided two Disney animated classics with the voices of the two iconic villains: Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother in Cinderella (1950), and Maleficent, the wicked fairy in Sleeping Beauty (1959). She had roles in live-action films, but was most active in radio programs such as My Favorite Husband as Liz Cooper's mother-in-law, Mrs. Cooper, and Father Knows Best as the Anderson family's neighbor, Mrs. Smith. Audley's television appearances include those in I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mister Ed, Hazel, The Beverly Hillbillies, Pistols 'n' Petticoats, and My Three Sons.
The Interviews: An Oral History of Television is a project of the nonprofit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, that records interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry.
"Feed the Birds" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers and featured in the 1964 motion picture Mary Poppins. The song speaks of an old beggar woman who sits on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral, selling bags of breadcrumbs to passers-by for two pence a bag so that they can feed the many pigeons which surround her. The scene is reminiscent of the real-life seed vendors of Trafalgar Square who began selling birdseed to passers-by shortly after its public opening in 1844.
"A Man Has Dreams" is a song from the 1964 Walt Disney film Mary Poppins, written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. In both the motion picture and the 2004 stage musical, the song is performed as a conversational duet between Bert the chimney sweep and George Banks. It is operatic in nature, sung dialogue, and was highly unusual for a musical film of that era. The song melody is a slowed-down version of "The Life I Lead", which serves as Banks's leitmotif. It incorporates a reprise of "A Spoonful of Sugar" which is Mary Poppins's leitmotif.
"Let's Go Fly a Kite" is a song from Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins, composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. This song is performed at the end of the film when George Banks, realizes that his family is much more important than his job. He mends his son's kite and takes his family on a kite-flying outing. The song is sung by Tomlinson, Dick Van Dyke and eventually the entire chorus.
"Jolly Holiday" is a song from Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins. It was composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The song is sung in the film by Bert and Mary in the pastel fantasy sequence before reaching the carousel. Oscar-winning music arranger Irwin Kostal provided the much lauded orchestration. The singing animal voices were provided by Bill Lee, Ginny Tyler, Paul Frees, Marc Breaux, Marni Nixon, Thurl Ravenscroft and Peter Ellenshaw, with Daws Butler, Dal McKennon and Richard M. Sherman voicing the other Penguins.
"Step in Time" is a song and dance number from Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins which was composed by the Sherman Brothers. The choreography for this song was provided by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood. It is sung by Bert, the chimney sweep and the other chimney sweeps on the rooftops of London. It is similar to the old British music hall song "Knees Up Mother Brown".
"I Love to Laugh", also called "We Love to Laugh", is a song from Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins which was composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The song is sung in the film by "Uncle Albert", and "Bert" as they levitate uncontrollably toward the ceiling, eventually joined by Mary Poppins herself. The premise of the scene, that laughter and happiness cause Uncle Albert to float into the air, can be seen as a metaphor for the way laughter can "lighten" a mood. Conversely, thinking of something sad literally brings Albert and his visitors "down to earth" again. The song states a case strongly in favor of laughter, even if Mary Poppins appears to disapprove of Uncle Albert's behavior, especially since it not only complicates the task of getting Albert down, but the infectious mood sends Bert and the Banks children into the air as well.
Henry Calvin was an American actor known for his role as the Spanish soldier Sergeant Garcia on Walt Disney's live-action television series Zorro (1957–1959).
Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. is a 1966 American comedy film released by Walt Disney Productions, and starring Dick Van Dyke as a U.S. Navy pilot who becomes a castaway on a tropical island. Some filming took place in San Diego, while a majority of the film was shot on Kauai, Hawaii.
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story is a 2009 American documentary film about the Sherman Brothers The film is directed and produced by their sons, Gregory V. Sherman and Jeff Sherman, and released through Walt Disney Pictures. Ben Stiller acted as executive producer for the film.
Saving Mr. Banks is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Centered on the development of the 1964 film Mary Poppins, the film stars Emma Thompson as author P. L. Travers and Tom Hanks as film producer Walt Disney, with supporting performances by Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, and B. J. Novak. Deriving its title from the father in Travers's story, Saving Mr. Banks depicts the author's tragic childhood in rural Queensland in 1906 and the two weeks of meetings during 1961 in Los Angeles, during which Disney attempts to obtain the film rights to her novels.
Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of the 1964 film Mary Poppins, with music and lyrics written by songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and adapted and conducted by Irwin Kostal.
Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection is a compilation album series produced and released by Walt Disney Records.
Walt Disney is a documentary film created by PBS for the American Experience program. The two-part, four-hour documentary premiered on September 14, 2015, with part two on the following day and centers on the life, times and legacy of Walt Disney. According to Sarah Colt, director of the documentary film, the biggest challenge was "capturing the truth of the man who had such [an] outsized influence and notoriety ... People think they know him but in reality they don't know him ... He was a human being with many layers of complexity". Rob Lowman, of the Los Angeles Daily News, described "Disneyesque" as being "synonymous with a specific artistic style and, eventually, a fantasy world". Richard Sherman, a Disney songwriter, recalled that "Disney was never driven by a desire for wealth or fame. He wanted to be seen as a master storyteller ... He got great joy out of making people happy with his movies".
Jean-Pierre Isbouts is a professor in the Social Sciences PhD program of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California, and an archaeologist, author, screenwriter, director, and producer of works addressing various historical periods, particularly the time period of Jesus and that of Renaissance and post-Renaissance art.
