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.
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.
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.
Matilda (1996) Cast THEN and NOW, The actors have aged horribly!!
Why did Julie Andrews declined Mary Poppins?
Director Rob Marshall recalled to Variety how quickly Andrews turned down the offer to appear in Mary Poppins Returns. Marshall stated Andrews felt the film was "Emily's show" and didn't want to hog the spotlight.
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.
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.
Matthew Adam Garber (25 March 1956 – 13 June 1977) was a British child actor most notable as Michael Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins. His other screen credits include The Three Lives of Thomasina and The Gnome-Mobile, appearing alongside actress Karen Dotrice in all three films they made for Walt Disney Pictures.
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).
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.
Disney's Mary Poppins (1964) is one of the most beloved films in history. Set in the British Edwardian period, the movie follows the adventures of a magical nanny who takes care of two children while teaching them about life's most important lessons.
Does Emily Blunt do her own singing in Mary Poppins?
"I was never going to be singing the original music. "I don't think I could have done if we were." Fortunately, thanks to the help of maestro Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily – who can actually sing – was given numbers that had been especially written for her.
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.
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.
"Jack is a lamplighter. He apprenticed under Bert from the original films so he knows all about Mary," said Miranda. "So it's really nice to play the Bert position in this film. You kind of get to go on all the fun adventures with the Banks family."
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.
The parents (David Tomlinson and Glynnis Johns) don't take much notice of their children Jane and Michael, and it is only until a mysterious woman named Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) appears from the sky that things begin to change.
Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way – but it wasn't her perfection that drew Julie Andrews to the role. She says it was the vaudevillian feel of the music.
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.
