I've written previously about how my father barred me and my siblings from watching Disney films where we were growing up. There were, however, a few notable exceptions to this rule.
Mary Poppins was one of those exceptions. As a young boy I saw this film too many times to count and I recently had the pleasure of revisiting it on the big screen at the historic Redford Theatre in Detroit. After all of these years it still retains all of its charm and emotional power.
The movie really captures the whimsical spirit of P.L. Travers' stories. We are introduced to the magical nature of the world right away as we see Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) doing her make-up while sitting atop a cloud in the opening credits. We are then brought down-to-earth, quite literally in fact, as we are introduced to the Banks family by Bert (Dick Van Dyke), a jack-of-all trades and an old friend of Mary Poppins. Things gradually become more and more whimsical as the children are introduced to Mary Poppins, she magically cleans up the nursery and they go on a series of magical adventures. In the first of these, the children, along with Mary Poppins and Bert, jump into a chalk picture and, in a groundbreaking blend of animation and live action, our characters explore the world of the drawing in a series of vaudeville-esque songs. Then, we meet Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn), who laughs so much that he literally bounces of the walls, and he can't come down unless he thinks of something sad. "I Love to Laugh" has to be one of the most charming scenes in movie history thanks in no small part to the chemistry between Ed Wynn and Dick Van Dyke and to the incredible special effects.
Mary Poppins afterwards refuses to acknowledge to the children that either of these events took place while Mr. Banks (David Tomlinson), who is quite upset about the whole thing, refers to them as if they actually happened. As a result, it's hard to tell where the real world ends and the magic begins. Adding to this effect, Edwardian London itself is portrayed in a heightened, fantastical manner. The Banks neighbor, Admiral Boom, lives on top of his home like a navy ship, and promptly fires his canon off every hour causing the entire neighborhood to shake. Later in the film, the children and Mary Poppins go on their final adventure on the rooftops of London where the chimney sweeps, including Bert, seem to inhabit their own strange world and culture. As a child I would often fast-forward my family's VHS copy of the film to this scene. Watching the the chimney sweeps dance and leap about on the rooftops and then, my favorite part, being dispersed by a barrage of fireworks courtesy of Admiral Boom was a pure joy.
The music adds to this sense of whimsy. The Sherman Brothers begin most of the songs not on the tonic note, as is customary, but one or two chords above, creating a sense of "floating" and easing the listener into the key of the song the same way the film does with the world of Mary Poppins. But what really impresses me as an adult is that the writers were able to synthesize various adventures from different Mary Poppins books into a single, working narrative. When Walt Disney first began pursuing an adaptation of Mary Poppins he gave a copy of the book to Richard and Robert Sherman, a pair of young songwriters who recently came to work at Disney. Over a two week period they developed a basic story and various songs around the book.
All of their songs inform the characters and drive the story. "Sister Suffragette" sets up Ms. Banks character, one who is simultaneously devoted to women's liberation and submissive to her husband and also a loving mother who, perhaps, doesn't give her children enough attention. "The Life I Lead" followed by "The Perfect Nanny" sets up Mr. Banks character and also the main conflict of the film. Mr. Banks raises his children to be successful but neglects to show them kindness and has little patience for fun and games which are, in Mary Poppins view, incredibly valuable. It also establishes the children's desire for kindness and understanding from their nanny and attention and approval from their father. "A Spoonful of Sugar" establishes Mary Poppins philosophy when it comes to disciplining children, "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"and "I Love to Laugh" show the power of laughter, happiness, and frivolity, themes that return in the film's climax.
"Feed the Birds" is, in many ways, the most crucial song in the movie. Mary Poppins uses it to convince the children to go with their father on an outing to the bank but through it she sews the seeds of social concern and charity inside them. This will allow the children, essentially, to redeem their father. The "Tuppence a bag" are representative of the small acts of kindness, which are all that are required to make the world a better place and to be a loving parent. It is heard instrumentally throughout the film and returns during the climax as a sort of funeral dirge as Banks walks to his place of work, seemingly for the last time. It sticks out above the other songs because of its slower tempo and dreamlike timbre. "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" contrasts this spirit of giving with Mr. Banks and the bankers industry and greed. In it they try to convince Micheal, who wants his tuppence to feed the birds, to invest it in their bank. When Micheal refuses he inadvertanly sets off a run on the bank. Later, when his father loses his job, Micheal offers him the tuppence to make up for this.
In "A Man Has Dreams" the father's theme returns, now much more somber, reflecting his current state of mind in contrast to his earlier drive and ambition. Indeed the most stirring image in the film for me today is no longer the chimney sweeps, dancing atop the rooftops of London, but Mr. Banks, the father, walking to his place of work like a man condemned and dwarfed beneath the spectre of his own bank. This is only made more powerful by the film's optimistic resolution. When facing Mr. Dawes and the officers at the bank he pulls the tuppence out of his pocket reminding him that sometimes it's the seemingly insignificant, even intangible, things that really matter. He then says Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and marches out of the bank a changed man.
"Let's Go Fly a Kite" completes the father's arc, as he shows his children that he values their happiness more than his job. He has used the tuppence he so enthusiastically urged Micheal to invest earlier in the film, the tuppence Micheal freely gave him in an act of affection, to fix the kite they damaged at the beginning, metaphorically mending his relationship with his family and Ms. Banks even gives them her suffragette sash to use as a tail, placing her own family above her cause.
Walt Disney provided the whole cast and crew with a lot of artistic freedom. Everyone's contribution was treated as important and everyone was given a very laid back and stress-free environment to work and create in. Consequently, everyone involved really gave it their all. The Sherman Brothers, along with screenwriters Bill Walsh and Don DeGradi, were really able to shape the film's theme and narrative. Peter Ellenshaw's matte work and Tony Walton's costume and set design gave the film a unique visual flavor, evoking Edwardian England while giving it a sense of the fantastical. Director Robert Stevenson was able to juggle all of these talents admirably and he really brought out the best in his cast.
Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, neither of whom had ever been in a movie before, were allowed to improvise a lot, breathing more life into their characters through their performances. Both drew from their experiences on the stage. Andrews is instantly iconic as the titular character. She brings just the right mix of sternness, conceitedness and genuine compassion to the role. Little things she does, like splaying her feet out to mimic illustrations of Mary Poppins from the books, really add a lot to the film. Van Dyke basically created the character of Bert. He drew inspiration from silent comedians like Buster Keaton and dancers like Gene Kelly, to create his performance and it's simply a blast to watch. The two children, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber were often wowed by all the special effects wizard around them and became swept up in the story, allowing them to react instead of trying to act. Glynis Johns really captures Mrs. Banks conflicting sense of independence and her submissiveness to her husband. Finally, David Tomlinson is simply brilliant as Mr. Banks. His mood swings throughout the film indicate that something beyond the immediate circumstances (probably at work) is bothering him. The look on his face when Jane and Micheal give him the tuppence is just great. It speaks volumes without the character having to say anything at all.
Mary Poppins is a delightful blend of whimsical fun and heartfelt emotion. Everyone involved in the production, from the special effects artists to the songwriters to the actors, are in top form. It's simply the perfect family film.
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