Mary Poppins
A magic nanny comes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family.
- Director: Robert Stevenson
- Genre:Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Musical
- Runtime:134 minutes
Cast
Julie Andrews : Mary Poppins
Dick Van Dyke : Bert / Mr. Dawes Senior (as Navckid Keyd also)
David Tomlinson : Mr. Banks
Glynis Johns : Mrs. Banks
Hermione Baddeley: Domestic – Ellen
The film begins with Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) perched on a cloud high above London in Spring 1910. (Mr. Banks’ introductory song “The Life I Lead” contains the lyrics: “It’s 1910″…”King Edward’s on the throne”… Edward VII died on 6 May 1910.) The action descends to earth where Bert (Dick Van Dyke), a Cockney jack-of-all-trades is performing as a one-man band at a park entrance, where he suddenly senses that his good friend is about to return. After the show, he breaks the “Fourth wall” and introduces the audience to the well-to-do but troubled Banks family, headed by the cold and aloof Mr. Banks (David Tomlinson) and the loving but highly distracted suffragette Mrs. Banks (Glynis Johns).
The Banks’ latest nanny, Katie Nanna (Elsa Lanchester), quits out of exasperation after the Banks children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) run off in pursuit of a wayward kite. Mr. Banks returns home from his job at a bank, and Mrs. Banks reveals the children are missing. A policeman arrives with the children, who ask their father to help repair their damaged kite, but he dismisses them and advertises for an authoritarian nanny-replacement. Jane and Michael draft their own advertisement asking for a fun, kind-hearted and caring person, but Mr. Banks tears up the paper and throws it in the fireplace. Unnoticed, the note’s remains float up the chimney.
The next day there is a queue of old and disagreeable nanny candidates waiting at the door. However, a strong gust of wind literally blows the queue away, and Mary Poppins floats down with her umbrella to apply. Mr. Banks is stunned to see that this calmly defiant new nanny has responded to the children’s ad despite the fact he destroyed it. As he puzzles, Mary Poppins employs herself and begins work. Read more
