The film's songwriter, Disney Legend Robert B. Sherman, who co-wrote the songs for the film told us, “Originally Walt wanted to cast Bette Davis for the part of Mary Poppins. Davis was (Mary Poppins books author) Pamela Travers' first choice, too.
Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke weren't the only ones in the running for their Mary Poppins characters. Other big-name stars were also considered, including Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, and Cary Grant.
Mary Poppins, American musical film, released in 1964, that features the now-iconic screen debut of Julie Andrews. A children's classic, Mary Poppins is considered to be among the finest of Walt Disney's productions. It was adapted from the P.L. Travers book of the same name.
Why was Julie Andrews not chosen for My Fair Lady?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, lyricist Alan Jay Lerner had his eye on Andrews for My Fair Lady's film adaptation. "I so wanted you to do it, Julie, but they wanted a name," Lerner shared. This was in reference to Hepburn's status in the film industry compared to Andrew's.
Emily Blunt 'shocked' to be first choice for Mary Poppins | Daily Celebrity News | Splash TV
Who turned down My Fair Lady?
Cary Grant turned down a lead role.
However, he turned it down believing he couldn't play a dialectician. He jokingly said, “I sound the way Liza does at the beginning of the film.” Rex Harrison won an Oscar for his film performance.
During her two-year run in Camelot, Andrews was approached by Walt Disney to star in a film musical of the children's book Mary Poppins. At the time, she was expecting her first child, but Disney was willing to wait until after her child was born to begin production.
It was in 1924, while Travers worked as a journalist at a London newspaper, that she came up with the idea for a novel about a whimsical-yet-stern nanny called Mary Poppins. The name, Travers told the BBC, came from the inscription "M. Poppins" written in the flyleaf of one of her favorite books as a child.
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack, with a chorus of lamplighters, in Mary Poppins Returns. 4. Jack the Lamplighter and Bert the Chimney Sweep are connected in the great circle of Disney. Bert the Chimney Sweep, played by Dick Van Dyke in the original, does not appear in Mary Poppins Returns — he's out traveling the world.
Mary Poppins and Bert were once husband and wife, before her tragic death. Obviously throughout the movie there is a semi-romantic relationship between Bert and Mary, albeit subtle. There has been speculation as to whether or not they were once an item.
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.
After Marshall was approached by Disney to do a sequel to Mary Poppins, he says casting the iconic part was actually an easy decision. “I could only think of one person who could do all the things that, that I felt we needed Mary Poppins to be, and that was Emily Blunt,” he said.
Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady, a kindly old woman who sells balloons at the park. The part was written to be a cameo role for Julie Andrews who portrayed Mary Poppins in the original film, but she turned the role down as she felt her presence would unfairly take attention away from Emily Blunt.
What did Julie Andrews think of Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins?
“Mary Poppins” tells the story of a magical nanny who offers music and adventure to two neglected children in hopes of bringing them closer to their father. “I admire her enormously,” the 82-year-old told Closer Weekly Thursday of Blunt.
I've LOVED Mary Poppins since I was little. The magical nanny in the great story brings me so much joy. The music is by two of my favorite composers, the Sherman brothers, and is great fun to listen to and play on the piano.
Singer and actress Julie Andrews has long been famed for her perfect pitch and impressive vocal range. From her 1954 Broadway debut as Polly in “The Boy Friend,” she has received rave reviews from critics and lasting devotion from music fans.
What happened to Michael's wife in Mary Poppins Returns?
Sadly, Michael's wife has died, and he's struggling to bring up his children and maintain his house and finances by himself. Just as the bank is about to foreclose on his mortgage, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) flies in on her umbrella to care for Michael's children.
The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes. Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc. Mary Poppins was released on August 27, 1964, to critical acclaim and commercial success.
He is a long time friend of Mary Poppins, though their relationship is noted to be strictly platonic (but there are hints to suggest a more romantic interest between them).
Julie Andrews has five children and has been married twice. She shares one biological daughter with her first husband Tony Walton, and has two step-children and two adoptive children from her marriage to Blake Edwards.
Why didn't they let Audrey Hepburn sing in My Fair Lady?
When Audrey Hepburn (Eliza Doolittle) was first informed that her voice wasn't strong enough and that she would have to be dubbed, she walked out. She returned the next day and, in a typically graceful Hepburn gesture, apologized to everybody for her "wicked behavior."
