Making her screen debut, Julie Andrews turns in one of the finest performances not only in the history of Disney, but in the history of Hollywood. In her hands, Mary Poppins becomes one of cinema's most iconic figures. Every time she graces the screen with her impeccable presence, magic happens. Then, when she sings, the chills begin to travel up and down my spine. Her performance of "Feed the Birds" may just be the single greatest sequence in Disney history. Her comedic timing is exquisite, only rivaled by her immense ability to delve deep into the dramatic scenes as well. Also, Andrews possesses a certain elegance that adds so much to the legend of Mary Poppins. She is in complete control from beginning to end, captivating us and holding us in the palm of her hand. Andrews is perfection in Mary Poppins. Not to be outdone, though, Dick Van Dyke is immaculate as Bert. The energy he exhibits delivering every single line of dialogue and song is so high that we find ourselves smiling and tapping our toes at all times. Furthermore, his dancing ability is unimpeachable. The "Step In Time" sequence showcases Van Dyke's tremendous skill set to the fullest as he constantly entertains the fool out of us upon each additional viewing of Mary Poppins. The duo of Andrews and Van Dyke will never be beaten. They simply are the best.
The soundtrack for Mary Poppins is a gem in and of itself. The Sherman Brothers crafted one of the most entertaining, energetic, and thought-provoking soundtracks in the history of film. Every single song is a genuine, bonafide classic. "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" are songs that I could listen to on repeat for days and never grow weary of them. They simply are flawless. The animation and special effects during these songs are also phenomenal, just adding to the magic. "Jolly Holiday" is such a beautiful song highlighting a beautifully well done scene. Don't hold me to this, but I'm fairly certain it is a proven fact that it is impossible to not smile during that song. The Academy Award-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee" is an absolute delight, perfectly capturing the essence of Mary Poppins. Plus, they don't just give out Oscars to any ordinary song, and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" was deemed the best of this entire soundtrack, a truly eye-opening feat. The wonderful, show-stopping "Feed the Birds" is the highlight of the film undoubtedly. Its simple, yet profound lyrics proclaim a powerful message that expertly captures the theme of the entire film. It was Walt's favorite song for a reason. Finally, the closing number, "Let's Go Fly a Kite" is joy personified. It is a superlative way to close this crowning achievement for Disney. I am truly running out of adjectives to describe this soundtrack. It is that good.
Each scene in Mary Poppins is iconic, which is a splendid testament to Walt and his crew. For a film that runs over two hours, there is not a single moment wasted as the film continually boasts some of Hollywood's most classical scenes. The "A Spoonful of Sugar" sequences is downright enchanting. From the angelic voice of Andrews to the catchy lyrics by the Sherman Brothers to the stunning visuals on display here, this scene will make even the hardest of hearts melt. The animated sequence featuring "Jolly Holiday" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is breathtakingly gorgeous and thoroughly entertaining. The moments spent inside Bert's sidewalk drawing may just be Walt Disney's finest hour. Of course, "Feed the Birds" is outstanding as well as the aforementioned "Step In Time" sequence. Finally, when the Banks family flies that mended kite at the end of the film, my heart completely soars. Every moment in Mary Poppins is a masterclass in how to create movie magic.
I could literally write about the perfection of Mary Poppins all day long. I am not even sure that I could adequately express in words how much I love this film. I will put it this way. I have seen quite a vast number of movies in my life, and Mary Poppins is without question my absolute favorite. It just has everything I could possibly want in a movie. In 1964, they christened it Walt Disney's masterpiece, and over fifty years later, it is still his masterpiece.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: Walt Disney chose Julie Andrews for the role of Mary Poppins after seeing her in a Broadway performance of Camelot. Two things initially hindered Andrews from accepting the role. For one, she was newly pregnant at the time, but to fix this problem, Walt offered to wait until after the baby was born to start production. The second hurdle was that Andrews was also a frontrunner to land the coveted lead role in My Fair Lady. That role eventually went to Audrey Hepburn, causing Andrews to accept Disney's offer. When the Academy Award nominations were announced, both Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady led the way in total nominations with Mary Poppins landing thirteen and My Fair Lady garnering twelve. While My Fair Lady took home Best Picture, Andrews won Best Actress, a category in which Hepburn wasn't even nominated.
Behind the Scenes: To truly to dig into the behind the scenes dealing of Mary Poppins, I highly recommend that you check out the fantastic Saving Mr. Banks, but one story untold in that film is the one of Walt's favorite song, "Feed the Birds." He loved that song so dearly that when he was having a particularly rough day, or if he was just in the mood for a good song, he would visit the Sherman Brothers or call them into his office and simply say, "Play it." The Sherman Brothers knew exactly which song he wanted to hear. Walt viewed himself as a version of the Bird Lady on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. His mission in life was to provide an escape from reality for children and their families. To him, he was simply feeding the birds.
Favorite Character: How could I pick against a practically perfect character? Mary Poppins is a genuine legend. She is one of Disney's greatest characters who has already gone down in the history books as a cultural icon for multiple generations. She is the kind of role model everyone should have. Not only can she sing and dance exquisitely, but she truly has a heart for people, always placing other's needs before her own. Just like Mr. Banks, we can all learn quite a lot from Mary Poppins.
Favorite Scene: My apologies to author P.L. Travers, but the animation sequence is thoroughly entertaining and delightful. To this day, I am still not certain whatsoever how they pulled such a scene off, but they did, and the results were stunning. The two songs featured are, obviously, the highlight,but the scene with the penguins dancing with Bert and the scene featuring the carousel horse race never cease to put a smile on my face. In a film full of classic scenes, this one stands out as my favorite (Watch "Jolly Holiday" here).
Favorite Song: I just cannot pick against the favorite song of Walt. "Feed the Birds" is where the heart and soul of the entire film is found. Through the incomparable lyrics penned by the Sherman Brothers and the incredible vocals provided by Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins goes to a whole new level of cinematic genius. Its message remains stronger than ever to this day. Do yourself a favor and watch it here.Updated Ranking: I am only ranking the Disney animated films in the official canon, so consider this review of Mary Poppins a part of the Summer of Extra Magic!
We have arrived at a devastating time in Disney history as Mary Poppins is the last film in the Summer of Magic that Walt Disney oversaw production all the way to the end. In 1966, Walt Disney lost his battle with lung cancer and passed away, leaving the studio in a bit of disarray. and signifying the end of the first Golden Age of Disney. Now, what does the studio that Walt founded and sustained do since he is gone? Tomorrow, we begin finding out with the classic The Jungle Book!
-Cody Fleenor
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