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Disney Wednesday Special: Mary Poppins (1964)


          Disney is so associated with animation that it takes a moment to think of examples of their live-action films. While many are good they generally don’t have the really distinct Disney feel. That is with one exception. For a long time the only live-action movie I knew instinctively was Disney was Mary Poppins; and honestly it’s still the first to come to mind, because it basically is a live-action animated film. But re-watching it as an adult, there’s so much more to it that you pick up on and you realize why it does stay in the hearts and minds of anyone who sees it.
          The classic story is about the Banks family. Two children: Jane and Michael are in need of a nanny because of how consumed their parents are with work; their father a prominent banker and their mother an outspoken and frequently occupied suffragette. After going through a number who couldn’t handle the children’s behaviour and lack of discipline, Mr. Banks hires the even-tempered, kind but  austere Mary Poppins, a mysterious woman who floated in from the clouds. Mary quickly earns the admiration and respect of the children with her penchant for fun and magic, and they alongside the street scoundrel Bert partake in flights of magic, joy, and whimsy. She even manages to rub off on their father who learns a thing or two about priorities.
          A live-action musical was one of Disney’s most ambitious projects but it paid off huge. Looking back it’s easy to say Mary Poppins was an instant classic. While it was a massive success on release and garnered Disney his only Best Picture Oscar nomination in his lifetime, the reason I’d call it such is because the story though basic and the moral though simple, are presented with such elegance and care. Every frame you can tell the filmmakers are putting their all into it, every line of the script though not always terrifically written is marked down and delivered with gusto. The whole story is permeated with classic Disney magic which some may see as too much, but I quite enjoy considering that this film isn’t sugar-coated. Despite being as whimsical and corny as any animated Disney film, Mary Poppins is the most adult film Disney ever made. Because it touches on important themes such as making time for family, responsibility, seeing joy in the everyday drudges of life, and has an important moral on the importance of both fun and discipline in childhood. It’s very admirable that the film doesn’t take one side or the other, and there is no better purveyor of such a lesson than Mary Poppins.
          I think the greatest magic of this movie lies in its characters, chief among them the idyllic nanny herself. Mary Poppins is kind, sweet, and friendly, but not someone to be trodden on, knowing when to be stern, authoritative, and disciplinary. And Julie Andrews plays the part to perfection, with an intelligent demeanour that can readily switch between cheerful and cross, and a singing voice that is one of the loveliest you’ll ever hear. Mary Poppins is as I assume was the intention of author P.L. Travers, a near-perfect guardian. She’ll take the children into a pavement sketch and engage in a jolly horse race, but also chastise them for acting up past their bedtime. She’ll extol important virtues of kindness when singing to them of a poor old woman who uses the only money she has to feed the birds that flock about St. Paul’s Cathedral, and she’ll teach them to find the fun in doing ordinary chores. Everything she does with the children is imparting some degree of wisdom or morality lesson, and the fact she does it in a vigorous and enjoyable way, she cements a role as the ideal mother-figure many children wish they had. Though it helps that she’s also magical. Often at her side throughout the film is another mysterious figure who goes through many jobs and seems to have a history with Mary. Bert reminds me in a few ways of Clarence from It’s a Wonderful Life, only not as downtrodden. In fact he’s infectiously happy. This largely comes from Dick Van Dyke who as everyone has pointed out, has an atrocious cockney accent. But I was surprised just how little it bothered me. Because anyone who’s familiar with his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show or whatever else, knows that he’s relentlessly cheerful and funny. He almost seems to have a permanent grin on his face and it’s so uplifting. He’s enjoying every minute on screen, every interaction, every song and dance sequence, every job he undertakes, every joke no matter how lame, and he makes the film a livelier experience. Bert too imparts wisdom to the kids and acts as a great foil and partner for Mary being representative of all the unadulterated excitement that Mary can keep under control. Together Mary and Bert make for two of Disney’s very best characters. Van Dyke also plays the very Scrooge-like Mr. Dawes Sr. the bank director, whom he takes to very well and who actually has some pretty good old age prosthetics for the time. There are some pretty good performances from actors in minor roles too, like Hermione Baddeley as Ellen, Reginald Owen as the eccentric Admiral Boom, and Ed Wynn (“The Mad Hatter”) as the buoyant Uncle Albert. Glynis Johns does a good job as Mrs. Banks balancing a genuine affection for her children with a preoccupation with her movement (something that some might read into as a criticism of feminism). And as for the children themselves played by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, they’re actually pretty good for child actors of the time. A few of their deliveries are off and they don’t always seem quite realistic, but as live-action versions of Disney children, they do a good job. They’re meant to be slates that kids in the audience can project themselves onto and as that requires, they’re more than adequate.
          But while Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are superb as can be, David Tomlinson as Mr. Banks is the unsung hero of Mary Poppins. I never thought much about Mr. Banks when I was a kid but after seeing Saving Mr. Banks your perception of the character really changes. Now my eyes are open to how important he is to the story and how central a character he actually is. It’s a film just as much about him reconnecting with his kids and realizing their importance, as it is about a magical nanny taken children on wonderful adventures. Tomlinson is great in the part, really making the most of his screen-time. He conveys both his preoccupation with work as well as a genuine concern for the children very well. It’s no wonder Tomlinson broke out after this film, going on to co-star in the similar Bedknobs and Broomsticks. He also gets one of the film’s best scenes: a slow contemplative walk on the way to the bank knowing he’s going to be fired. The musical accompaniment of “Feed the Birds” gives it an added ambience that makes it really moving.
          The music by the way, is terrific. I wasn’t a fan of the Sherman Brothers initial outing for Disney in The Sword in the Stone but here they give us their absolute best. These are some of the best songs in any musical. My favourite is probably the soft and blissful “Feed the Birds”, but “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” is very uplifting too. And then there are songs like “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “Jolly Holiday”, and “Chim Chim Cher-ee” that have a way of never leaving you. Hell, periodically over the last fifteen years I’d randomly get “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” stuck in my head! Not every song is a hit though. Most probably don’t remember “Sister Suffragette” and “Fidelity Fiduciary Bank”. “Stay Awake” and “Step In Time” are slightly more memorable, the latter exemplary in its choreography. But the high ratio of great songs is too much to ignore and each of them entertains or elicits emotion in some fashion.
          Finally, the visuals in this movie are very ahead of their time not just in the technology but the attention to detail. I’m sure a lot of people like me remember the animated portion a little bit more than the live action; and the reason for that is because of how well it’s done. This may have been the 1960s but the hybridization of animated characters and environments with the live-action characters is done very well. There isn’t quite the depth of something like Roger Rabbit or even Space Jam but it’s still fairly impressive and makes for a number of whimsical and entertaining sequences. I was particularly impressed by the inclusion of dirt marks in the ground by the carousel horse poles to better the illusion of interaction. Apart from the animation, the production design in the rest of the film is very good, just as much as other big musicals like My Fair Lady and West Side Story. And each glorious set compliments the major numbers wonderfully. 
          I recall this as being a fairly long movie and while it is over two hours, watching it now I’m startled how it just flies by. Because just about every scene or song entertains and delights you. It does exactly what a Disney film should in this respect while also telling a good story and teaching some good lessons. In many respects it goes above and beyond a typical Disney film and that’s one of the key reasons I think it’s lasted so well. Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and everyone else will continue to live on through these heartfelt performances and in this heartfelt, timeless film. Mary Poppins is smart, sophisticated, and one of Disney’s best achievements! Simply put, it’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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