Mary Poppins (film)

Mary Poppins
Theatrical release poster
Art by Paul Wenzel[1][2]
Directed byRobert Stevenson
Screenplay by
Based onMary Poppins
by P. L. Travers
Produced byWalt Disney
Starring
CinematographyEdward Colman
Edited byCotton Warburton
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Distribution Company, Inc.
Release dates
  • August 27, 1964 (1964-08-27) (Los Angeles)[3]
  • September 24, 1964 (1964-09-24) (New York City)[3]
Running time
139 minutes[4]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.4–6 million[5]
Box office$103.1 million (US/Canada)[6]

Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. 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. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes.[7]

Mary Poppins was released on August 27, 1964, to critical acclaim and commercial success, earning $44 million in theatrical rentals in its original run. It became the highest-grossing film of 1964 in the United States, and at the time of its release became Disney's highest-grossing film. During its theatrical lifetime, it grossed over $103 million worldwide. It received a total of thirteen Academy Award nominations—a record for any film released by Walt Disney Studios—including Best Picture, and won five: Best Actress for Andrews, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee".[8] It is considered Walt Disney's crowning live-action achievement and is the only one of his films to earn a Best Picture nomination during his lifetime.[7] In 2013, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[9]

A biographical drama based on the making of the film, Saving Mr. Banks, was released on October 20, 2013. A sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, was released on December 19, 2018.[10][11]

  1. ^ "LOT #95132 Mary Poppins Movie Poster Preliminary Painting by Paul Wenzel (Walt Disney, 1964)". Heritage Auctions. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "Artist Biographies". National Postal Museum.
  3. ^ a b Mary Poppins at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  4. ^ "Mary Poppins (U)". British Board of Film Classification. October 9, 1964. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference digibits was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Mary Poppins (1964)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Walt Disney". American Experience. Season 27. Episode 4–5. September 2015. PBS. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  8. ^ Hollis, Tim; Ehrbar, Greg (2006). Mouse tracks: the story of Walt Disney Records (1st ed.). Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-848-7. OCLC 61309354.
  9. ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (December 18, 2013). "Library of Congress announces 2013 National Film Registry selections". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 10, 2018). "'Indiana Jones 5' Shifts To 2021, 'Mary Poppins Returns' Moves Up A Week & More Disney Release-Date Moves". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Mulroy, Zahra; Rodgers, James (March 4, 2018). "Why Julie Andrews won't be starring in Mary Poppins movie". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.