Mary Poppins [1964]

Introduction

Earlier this year, one of the many classic live-action movies produced by Walt Disney Pictures celebrated its 60th anniversary. Adapted from a novel by P. L. Travers and released in 1964, Mary Poppins has been hailed as one of Disney’s most timeless classics.

It’s no surprise that I’m one of those people who watched the film as a kid. It was one of the films we had taped off the TV, along with others such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and some additional Disney movies. We recorded many of those films around Christmastime.

When most of us think of Mary Poppins, the first thing that comes to mind is the titular lady who uses an umbrella for transportation. Another thing that comes to mind is the songs written by the legendary songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman, which I shall get to later. As I go through this review, I must warn all readers that there will be spoilers – I will highlight those in red.

The storyline sees Mary Poppins herself answering an advertisement for a new nanny by two kids named Jane and Michael Banks, whose family’s going through a heavy amount of chaos; their Dad, George, works at a bank and maintains too much of a strict scheduling process within the family, their mom, Winifred, is constantly attending public protests for women’s right. The cook and maid are continually feuding in the kitchen. Mary flies in to help improve the family’s lives and delivers a unique yet magical way of keeping the kids busy and entertained. These include a trip through a chalkboard painting, a ceiling-based tea party with Mary’s uncle Albert, and a stroll across the rooftops, all joined by Mary’s close friend Bert. Much of Mary’s tactics annoy George, but he soon realises the benefits.

It’s fantastic to know how much of an impact Mary Poppins has made to the world since its release in the past 60 years. It’s also great to see Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (actors of Mary and Bert respectively) alive and well even after all those years. Speaking of Dick, he has recently turned 99 and, more recently, has survived a house fire. Good going to the guy. Much earlier, I purchased the film on DVD, and because my lady friend had not seen it before, I treated her to a viewing one evening. Considering the picture quality, she found it entertaining yet pointed out that it did look old. The film was produced in the 60s, after all. And to this day, we still occasionally see people, even kids, dressed up as the characters for comic conventions, world book days, etc.

Unfortunately, despite the anniversary, 2024 has not entirely been kind to the movie, with the unfortunate passing of Glynis Johns, who plays Winifred Banks, and Richard Sherman – of course, we know we can’t change those events despite how sad the news is. But what could be considered is the fact that the BBFC recently raised the film’s certification from U to PG – all because of just one particular scene, where Bert’s fellow chimney sweeps are performing their rooftop dance, leading to Admiral Boom’s misunderstanding. A reviewer stated that this was an example of “wokery gone mad,” and I tend to agree. I stressed similar last year when I mentioned Roald Dahl’s books going through a re-editing process. Censors and social media users have long targeted Disney for its “offensive material,” a debate that I feel has long been exhausted. Many classic Westerns, such as The Gunfighter, contain a certain amount of gun violence and the occasional cowboy/Indian fights. Yet, they’re still classified U. I’ve even got the complete box set for Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons, rated U, despite the heavy number of terrorist attacks. I watched all those things even with that certificate and never complained. Because even as children, we are aware of what happens in reality. Still, I managed to buy Mary Poppins on DVD with its original certification.

Soundtrack

Anyway, I will review each element of Mary Poppins. I’ll start with the soundtrack, which includes songs written by the legendary Sherman brothers (Robert and Richard) and the score composed by Irwin Kostal. Many of us will remember Chim-Chim Cheree, A Spoonful Of Sugar, and, of course, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a latter of which I remember some of my mates stating in a jokingly way that it was the longest word in the dictionary. A Spoonful Of Sugar adds a cheerful, light-hearted tone to the scene where the titular nanny helps Jane and Michael tidy their room, all thanks to Julie Andrews’ voice. The other two, along with songs such as Jolly Holiday and Step In Time, given the London-based setting, have a similar rhythm to some traditional Cockney/Music Hall songs. Jolly Holiday, for instance, always reminded me of I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside. Step In Time, which contains an awesomely choreographed and lengthy dance sequence on the rooftops, sounds slightly like Knees Up Mother Brown. Chim-Chim-Cheree, which won the Oscar for Best Song, has a melody similar to Lonnie Donegan’s My Old Man’s A Dustman. I can imagine music acts like Chas and Dave covering some of those songs.

Speaking of Chim-Chim-Cheree, one fond memory of this particular song was when my brother and I played the Monkey Magic video game on the Commodore 64. The soundtrack contained an instrumental to that song. I remember my Dad recognizing it as the song from Mary Poppins. Sometimes, I imagine how it would sound if that game used the same instrumentation but to the tune of A Spoonful of Sugar.

I also admire some of the songs’ themes, i.e., Sister Suffragette, which Winifred sings along with Ellen and Mrs. Brill. That one defines Winifred’s goals to ensure women get a chance to vote, helped by a militant-sounding melody and how the ladies march around the foyer. I sometimes find myself singing that song in my head. Speaking of political themes, the lullaby-like Feed The Birds, while a bit more apolitical than the other song, suggests that no living thing should live in poverty. Of course, it inspires Jane and Michael to feed the birds, only to be stopped by their insistent Dad.

But the songs I’ve often enjoyed singing the most are those that George Banks contributes to. I’ll state why later on. We get The Life I Lead, which acts as his character theme, highlights his conservative working methods, and expects his family to follow his daily schedules. Irwin Kostal uses an instrumental melody for some of George’s later appearances in the film. Later, at George’s workplace, his boss, Mr. Dawes Sr, leads us into Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, persuading the children how opening a bank account and that investments will benefit their future, with George enthusiastically joining in on the persuasion. And finally, we get my favourite song, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, a light-hearted and cheerful song, signalling not only a happy ending but how George has seen the light and how he, his wife, and his kids can spend more time with each other without any more fuss, all thanks to Mary herself.

Irwin Kostal’s score also adds to the magical nature of the film alongside Robert and Richard’s songs. It contributes to its whimsical nature with its heavy use of brass and orchestral tones blended. During its jolly moments, i.e., the Spoonful Of Sugar instrumentations, it’s composed with mainly major scales. However, there are the occasional sombre moments, i.e., Bert’s heart-to-heart with the children following the run on the bank, with the score slowed down. The same can be said for when George strolls to the bank, which I’ll get to later.

Characters

Now for the characters. I’ll start with the lady herself, Mary Poppins. I mentioned how remembered she is as the lady who uses an umbrella to fly, but it’s more than that that makes her unique. Julie Andrews deserved that Oscar for Best Actress. She demonstrates how, indeed, practically perfect she is in any way. Of course, the character matches what the children are looking for in a nanny: kind (but firm), able to keep her temper regardless of the situation, and creative with games and outings. Mary also shows how able she is to keep a straight face – a skill that Julie has maintained for other roles, such as in the film 10, which I recommend checking out. When Bert makes a fool of himself, we can tell that Mary’s annoyed with him. I also love how she doesn’t possess much of a memory. Notice how when George interviews her and asks about references, Mary mentions that it’s “an old-fashioned thing.” Then later, following the chalkboard painting adventure, when the children say that she won the horse race, she states, “How dare you suggest such a thing,” without raising her voice. Mary Poppins is one of the best female characters in movie history. Because I’ve been working on some projects with female protagonists in the works, I plan to construct a list of who I consider to be the strongest female characters sometime later on.

Bert, who is Mary’s close friend, has been long noted for his Cockney accent. We know Dick Van Dyke is American, and I can tell through his performance that the actor did find the accent hard to perform. But I never found it distracting. Bert represents the working class culture – we see him go through a series of outdoor jobs, including as a street musician performing in a one-person band, a chalkboard pavement artist, a chimney sweep, and a kite salesperson, and failed attempts to earn cash. When I was a kid, I sensed that Bert and Mary might’ve been in some relationship, considering how much time they spent together, and the Jolly Holiday song gave me a feeling that there was some romantic vibe between them. I wondered why they never got married or something. In my opinion, they have great chemistry. Plus, when they spend time with the kids, they do it as parents would with their children. For example, Bert playfully challenges Michael to a race on their carousel horses. Mary states, “Bert, you’re just as bad as the children.” Plus, when Mary takes off at the end, Bert doesn’t join her. However, he’s the only one wishing her goodbye. A part of me imagines a scene where Bert joins Mary on one of her flights and holds on to her like Lois Lane would with Superman. But then, not every family film needs a romantic story.

I will talk about Jane and Michael next. Jane is the older sister. She’s smart and has a bit more common sense than her brother. In contrast, Michael, the younger brother, is sometimes stubborn and excitable. They break the rules sometimes, but they often have reasons, considering that both their parents and the staff are very preoccupied and want some attention. Should a new nanny work with them, they’d like to get to know that nanny and get on well with her, which is why Mary arrives. Throughout the film, they show more common sense than their elders and learn that it’s not just them that need help, but the parents, especially George, as well.

I mentioned that Jane and Michael’s mom, Winifred, is preoccupied with stuff, and in a sense, that’s true. Many of us, especially females, can relate to what she’s campaigning for – women’s rights. Winifred’s very eccentric, with her stories about how one of her associates has apparently “chained herself” – gee, that’s rather extreme. On the other hand, she shows more sympathy to the kids than her husband. She shows a loving approach to the kids’ advertisement for the new nanny, and later on after Mary works for the family, she cheerfully expresses to her disapproving husband how Mary’s improved the atmosphere. Despite George’s strict methods, Winifred does show love for her husband and genuinely worries whether he’s committed suicide after losing his job (which he hasn’t). One thing to note: I remember someone stating that during the rendition of Let’s Go Fly A Kite, when Winifred uses her suffragette sash as a kite’s tail, she’s given up her protesting. I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion, considering that, on the other hand, if her fellow suffragettes and other female passers-by saw that kite and the writing on the sash, those people might get inspired to continue or join their campaign, sort of like seeing a billboard in a way. One minor nitpick I have is that Winifred and Mary Poppins barely speak to each other. Apparently, they did converse in the book. Still, I would have liked to have seen an occasional girl talk between them, exchanging views on women’s rights or other topics.

We get some fun comic relief from the maid, Ellen, and cook, Mrs. Brill, who both work in the Banks’ household. Their scenes involve them squabbling in the kitchen, bringing up edgy subjects, and exchanging agreements with Winifred about the suffragette movement. Of course, their surprised feelings towards Mary Poppins are amusing. Still, they feel genuine, like when Ellen sees her sliding down the banister, speechless and stiff. Mary’s arrival also positively impacts the two ladies as, one time during breakfast, they exchange their compassion rather than fight. There is also little to say about Ellen and Mrs. Brill.

I remember my mom stating that the scene with the tea party on the ceiling was her favourite moment. This scene occurs halfway through the film and introduces Albert Wigg. For some time, it took me a while to figure out the joke about why Albert was floating, thanks to his laughing fits. Yet his condition is enough to make the audience laugh, as is when he exchanges his mindless jokes with Mary, Bert, Jane, and Michael, making his niece feel and look much more mature. Albert’s played by Ed Wynn, whose voice you’ll recognise as The Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland. What I get out of this moment is that life isn’t a joke. Sometimes, you have to take things seriously, which eventually helps Albert get back on the ground. However, he literally feels down during the last few minutes of the sequence. I get the feeling that Albert suffers from a mental health condition that prevents him from being able to control his emotions. Maybe it was because he lifted his spirits too much, hence why he was floating as high as the ceiling in the first place.

Next, Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle, whose job is to fire their cannon on the roof of the Banks’ household once every hour, I could never understand why anybody would want those services, but seeing them fire their cannon and the chaos it causes in the house is a joy to watch. It also highlights and begs the question of what George does with his earnings (more of that later). Of course, I’ve mentioned the Admiral Boom vs. chimney sweeps moment. People have complained about it, but in reality, you’re bound to come across xenophobic people. Boom comes from a military background and was bound to have a history of fighting against other people from different nations. Being old and losing his marbles, he clearly doesn’t know any better.

There are a few more elderly characters to discuss next: George’s boss, Mr. Dawes Sr, his son, Mr. Dawes Jr, and their fellow bankers. Before the bankers’ introduction, George tells his kids that he’s “one of the younger officers” in the bank. Once they enter the bank and meet the staff, it’s like, “Well, no wonder.” Some actors who portrayed the bankers were much younger than their characters. Arthur Malet would’ve been in his early forties when he played Mr. Dawes Jr. Credit especially goes to Dick Van Dyke, who, aside from his role as Bert, and despite him being around 38, portrays Mr. Dawes Sr, the boss, who looks around 100 years older. He managed awesomely to play someone around that age with his wheezy voice and the way he wobbles on his legs. I guessed he’d be over 100 years old because when he summons George for discipline, he and his son lecture him on the last time the bank experienced a run on it, apparently in 1773. It seems they’ve known in so much detail that no run on the bank has happened since then until the film’s timeline. I get the feeling Dawes Sr could be the film’s main villain. Reasons include that he’s kind of rude to George’s children and dismissive of Michael’s plans to feed the birds, as well as this line of dialogue, which I always found hilarious: “What have you got? Fat birds!” He’s also a bit of a capitalist, hence that line. Plus, when he starts off the song Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, he suggests that Michael could be in charge of various businesses thanks to a small investment. Then, when he takes Michael’s two pennies, we see some justification through Michael’s objections, even though it does cause the run on the bank. As the film progresses, it appears that Dawes has been a real influence on George Banks. Still, eventually, he does learn a lesson from his employee in a complicated yet hilarious way. It’s pretty interesting that Dick Van Dyke played both Bert and Dawes Sr, a young-ish working-class guy who, despite being in a jolly mood, would be in favour of charity, and an old, somewhat senile geezer who seems to be so much married to the business.

And finally, we have George Banks. I left him till last because he is my favourite character in Mary Poppins. In my opinion, he’s got the most substantial character arc. He’s introduced as the conservative family man whose career is above standards and who implements traditional methods, schedules, and rules, hence his theme song, The Life I Lead. David Tomlinson portrays him, and I’d describe him as an underrated actor and comedian. I’ve also seen him on Carry On Admiral and the later Disney films The Love Bug and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. I can imagine John Cleese portraying the role as the character reminds me of Basil Fawlty. As mentioned, George Banks’s character seems heavily influenced by his career and fellow staff members.
Part of George’s personality and actions are justified by how he implements discipline on his children, dismissing their suggestions for their new nanny, what Mary has taught them, and their plans to save the birds from starvation and generally not spending enough time with them. The lifestyle’s justified by what’s around their household, i.e., having enough money to afford a maid and cook, and even questionable services, i.e., Admiral Boom’s scheduled cannon firing. I love it when George expresses his orders to get a tuneless piano repaired. Winifred reminds him that he doesn’t play the piano at all. George states, “That’s beside the point.” It’s like his wealth and career have gone so much to his head that he’s ended up neglecting his family, even his wife. He’s also very authoritative, and I mentioned his scheduling tactics, but he believes that “tradition, discipline, and rules must be the tools”; otherwise, things will get messy. He sort of feels that too much happiness could lead to chaos. However, we learn that George needs the most help towards the finale when the bank summons him following the run on the bank and when Bert gives him some empathetic advice through the song A Man Has Dreams. This moment leads to my favourite scene, where he strolls to the bank and has a final meeting with the bankers before losing his job. We see that George’s learned his lesson when, after an amusing humiliation, he stands up to his boss, comes home a changed man in a jolly mood, and even summons his kids to the park for a kite flying session. And this is what I admire about this guy: starting as an authoritative nut who is initially the only one in the household questioning Mary Poppins’ methods, yet through the film’s progression, he realizes that hiring the nanny wasn’t a bad idea.

Production Values

I must also briefly mention the production values. Mary Poppins was filmed using Technicolor, a colour motion picture process barely used nowadays. The lighting is very artistic; we get some cool silhouettes during the Step In Time dance sequence, with the chimney sweeps dancing in front of a colourful sky during sunset. The film’s setting is Edwardian London. It was, of course, made by an American studio and filmed in America. However, the sets look convincing enough to make us feel like we’re in London. 17 Cherrytree Lane gives me a feel of being in a street close to 10 Downing Street. Even the pavements, the pigeons, and the occasional establishing shots of Big Ben and the bank justify the mise-en-scene.

Favourite Scene

Going back to what I said about George’s stroll to the bank, I’m not stating that it’s my favourite scene simply because of what Doug Walker, aka The Nostalgia Critic, stated. With that said, he did make some excellent points. For a musical, one might expect George to sing something while going to the bank. But him walking without uttering a word and Irwin Kostal’s instrumentation to Feed The Birds is plenty to make us feel for him, considering he’s had a great career and is about to lose it and that he’s thinking about all the time he could’ve spent with his family. When he sees where the woman who feeds the birds usually sits, I always get the feeling that she might have died or something because she’s not there anymore. It’s also because of the crescendo that the score builds up on simultaneously and when George briefly stares at the sky. It could show that his business may have increased the poverty for some citizens and even wildlife. Of course, Disney doesn’t explicitly explain what happened to the woman. This scene, in particular, partially justifies why George is my favourite.

Legacy

Mary Poppins has had a significant impact since its release. It spawned a sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, though one would wonder why it took over fifty years for a sequel to come out. I found it decent but not as strong as the original film. I liked how it focused on Michael Banks, who had grown up and had a family of his own, and how he’s now doing his Dad’s job. I also liked Dick Van Dyke’s portrayal of Mr. Dawes Jr, even if it was brief. There’s also the biopic Saving Mr Banks, which focuses on the film’s making and Disney’s struggles to get P.L. Travers’ approval, which I enjoyed. The film has also since been referenced/parodied in later films/TV, i.e., the Simpsons episode, Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed-Grunt)cious, where instead of Mary Poppins, it’s Sherry Bobbins. There is even a scene in the Thunderbirds episode, The Cham-Cham, where Lady Penelope, Parker, and Tin-Tin are trapped on a runaway cable car. Parker successfully ties two cables sent by Thunderbird 2 using Penelope’s umbrella. Next, when they brake to a stop, Parker falls off, and you can just about guess what he does with the umbrella. You may have also noticed that Dot Cotton/Branning from EastEnders occasionally carried an umbrella around, much like Mary Poppins’ umbrella, with a bird’s head for a handle. I remember my brother pointing that out once. Occasionally, some kids dress up as characters for World Book Days and other events. I remember attending a comic convention once when I dressed as Lady Penelope (yes, I dressed in drag for that occasion). I noticed a family – the mother and father dressed as Mary and Bert, and their two kids as Jane and Michael. Recently, I had a conversation with my brother – umbrellas and strong winds came up in context, and he mentioned that one would not want to get “Mary Poppinsed” – by that, he meant when one’s umbrella turned inside out. Sounds amusing, doesn’t it?

Thoughts & Conclusion

There are a few minor nitpicks I have with the film. I mentioned that there’s no scene with Mary and Winifred conversing. Another is that many characters always address the titular main character by her full name. I’d’ve thought that some of them would’ve just addressed her as just plain “Mary” or “Miss Poppins” or, in a rather rude manner, “Poppins.” Even Bert has that habit, although, during the Jolly Holiday sequence, he sings, “It’s a jolly holiday with Mary,” “Mary makes the sunshine bright,” and so forth. At some point, George states, “It’s that Poppins woman!” Aside from that, they state, “Hello Mary Poppins,” “There you are, Mary Poppins,” etc. I think it’d be more practical if the writers had more of a play-around with how to address said main character.

Aside from that, Mary Poppins remains one of my favourite Disney films, right up there with Pinocchio, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Coco, but also one of my favourites in general. In addition, the film is one of the inspirations behind this book I’m writing. It’s a film I intend to introduce to my kids someday, and I’m sure I’ve read the book at least once, but I ought to revisit it someday. I intend to introduce the film to my kids someday.

Long may the legacy be Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Merry Christmas!