In 1964 I was at the University of Arizona and living in Pima Hall, a small, co-op dorm where the 40 girls who lived there did all of our own cooking and cleaning. Each spring we celebrated Little Sister’s Day, and little sisters were invited to come and spend the weekend. My friend, Sharon Jane Brown, and I both had little sisters named Evelyn. That year for Little Sister’s Day the four of us went to see the newly released Mary Poppins. It’s hard to believe that was sixty years ago, but of course I’m eighty now, and my sister, Evelyn Jane, is seventy.
On Wednesday night after a day of doing advance prep for Thanksgiving, I sat down to watch the two-hour ABC special about the making of that movie. One of the highlights was an interview with Dick Van Dyke who’s now 97. The interviewer, while sorting through Mr. Van Dyke’s amazing collection of honors and awards, asked him, how he wanted to be remembered. He replied without hesitation, “I want to be remembered for Mary Poppins.”
The remainder of the program dealt with the difficulties Walt Disney encountered while making his masterpiece. For one thing, it took literally decades for him to wrest the rights to make it from the original author or the Mary Poppins books, PL Travers. She didn’t want to let go of her literary baby and turn it over to someone else. Now, as an author myself, I certainly understand that. She saw Walt Disney as a cartoonist. She didn’t want her beloved character to be turned into a cartoon, and she CERTAINLY didn’t want her work to become a musical. The irony is that Walt Disney had already hired two song-writing brothers, Robert and Richard Sherman, to create music for Mary Poppins long before he had the rights to make the movie.
As a writer, encountering the song writers was another fascinating part of the documentary. When I’m working on a book, things I happen across along the way often end up in that book. While the Shermans were writing the music, one of their sons was in first grade. He came home from school one day and told his dad that he’d been given the Salk polio vaccine. “Wait,” the father said, “Somebody gave you a shot at school without my knowing about it?” “It wasn’t a shot the,” kid replied. “They gave it to us in little paper cups along with cubes of sugar.” That was the inspiration for that classic Mary Poppins song, “Just a Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down!”
Last night, after all the company left and the last set of dishes and pots and pans were in the dishwashers … (Yes we have two! If the family alone adds up to approximately twenty people, having more than one dishwasher is a really good idea, and please pardon that derailed sentence that inadvertently turned into a sentence fragment! My apologies.) Anyway, after everyone left and the house was quiet, I sat down and watched Mary Poppins all by my lonesome. I was struck by the production values—how the hand-drawn cartoon characters came to life and blended seamlessly with the live characters, all of it done without benefit of CGI—Computer Generator Imagery. The kids snap their fingers, and furniture flies into a dollhouse or books into their arms. It’s magic—very believable magic.
Once I finished watching the movie, I didn’t erase it. This morning, while doing my inside steps, I listened in on my laps through the kitchen while Bill watched Mary Poppins from beginning to end. On the reservation, I learned that stories must end where they begin. That’s what I noticed this morning. The story begins with kite flying gone awry, and it ends, triumphantly, with the song Let’s Go Fly a Kite.
In Dick Van Dyke’s interview, he said he had no idea why Walt Disney chose him for Bert because, he claimed, “I couldn’t dance.” I’m going to take exception to that statement. After watching the movie twice and seeing him dance with a quartet of cartoon penguins in “It’s a Jolly Holiday” and with a whole crew of chimney-sweep dancers in “Step in Time,” I’m here to declare that Dick Van Dyke in his thirties was one hell of a dancer!
And speaking of Dick van Dyke, at the time I saw the movie originally, I was aware that he played Bert, yes, but that he also appeared as the aging patriarch of the stiff-nosed banking family where George Banks worked. The spooky resemblance between the two—the real 97 year-old Dick Van Dyke as he is now and the artificially made up one appearing the movie was amazing and gave me goosebumps
After watching the recording twice, did I erase it? No, I did not, because I believe I’ll want to watch it again. It was heart-lifting and entertaining in a way Disney films no longer are. Walt Disney was an inspired storyteller. He believed in the wonder of innocence. He believed in the magic of joy. The people who are running Disney today seem to have lost track of all that. I suspect they’re a bunch of cynical bean-counters whose dystopian views of life have infected everything they touch, and not in a good way, turning up-lifting comic book heroes into dark-minded, joyless anti-heroes.
It occurs to me that they’d all benefit from a healthy dose of laughter. Maybe someone should sit them down and tell them a joke about “A man named Smith with a wooden leg. So what was the name of his other leg?”
Walt Disney himself would be terribly disappointed by much of what his successors are creating. He was businessman, yes, but he was also an artist. And on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday be damned, I’m personally thankful for the incredible genius of Walt Disney.
I met Walt Disney in Frontierland at Disneyland the third day of the park opening in 1955. He was working on a locomotive on a sidetrack. He was all by himself. I walked up to him and asked if I could take his picture with my camera. He stopped working and hoisted up his drinking cup and said, “sure kid.”
I don’t remember when I saw Mary Poppins, but I loved it. Will have to watch it again. So many clever effects and great actors.
I, too, thought he was a genius.
This brings back lots of memories of my sister and me singing all the songs from the movie off by heart long before we ever saw the show itself. We had got the record through a special introductory offer from RCA Victor, and played it over and over. Along with Carolyn Ann, I don’t remember when we finally got to see the movie, but I’m sure it was a thrill, and, again, along with her, I think I’m going to have to watch it again–maybe when my late sister’s grandchildren come for Christmas. Thanks for this fascinating history of how the movie came to be.
Mary Poppins is #79 in my list [in order of purchase] of my over 350 DVD’s. I watch them over and over. One a day through the list, then start over again. Since I am still adding to the list, each rewatch takes longer, but in the beginning, I watched it once every couple of months. Never gets old.
“Well said! Well said!”
I would like a copy of the making of MP. Unfortunately I don’t have a recorder any more to make it.
Was a great show.
Thank you for another wonderful blog. Walt Disney, yes he was a giant in my growing up. Every Sunday the TV was on and showing him in our household. All of his creations were indeed magic to my young eyes. My parents were who decided what was watched and I’ll be forever thankful to them for including Walt in our viewing. And thank you for your great story telling too. My mother-in-law was a story teller too, but not in writing. In the Smokey Mountains of Virginia there are story tellers, which she was a part of. I hope it isn’t a lost art one day. As is the magic of Disney, as you so eloquently stated.
It is a wonderful movie
…a man with a wooden leg named Smith…
Not to nitpick but I saw Dick Van Dyke on TV last night..he will be 99 on December 13.
I really enjoyed your story. I wish I knew Mary Poppins was on.
I love all the stuff Walt Disney did and at 77 I still love to go to Disneyland and go on all the rides. Thanks for your great blog and all of your books.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.
Thanks for this. I wish you blogged on Monday, for a good start to the week.
I totally agree with all your thoughts on today’s Disney. It is so sad! I really enjoy your Friday emails! Thank you. ?
I agree with you on Walt Disney and his stories. Still remember Uncle Remus and his rabbit. Shame that today’s children are not able to enjoy
these precious fables.
Thank you…
Dick Van Dyke is 98, not 97 and will turn 99 in a few days!
You may enjoy the 2013 movie Saving Mr. Banks. It is about Travers and Disney meeting to discuss the movie.
Mary Poppins has always been my all-time favorite movie since I first saw it when I was 12. My son gave me the DVD for Christmas a few years ago. I agree that it still looks good despite the advances in technology. I also watched that special and knew some of what they discussed because I also have the CD of the soundtrack which includes musings by the Sherman brothers (and I had it on vinyl before that! I was amazed that they said it outsold the Beatles album in 1964!)
But I wanted to let you know of the best pun I have ever heard in a book I just finished yesterday–The Best Lies by David Ellis. One of the characters liked jokes and told this one: Julie Andrews had a favorite multi-colored lipstick when she was making the movie but it would break whenever she tried to apply it and it gave her bad breath. So her super-colored fragile lipstick gave her halitosis!
I love reading your blog and look forward to it every week.
What a wonderful story. Walt Disney was a creative genius. You’re right some of the stuff Disney productions puts out is junk. Nothing like Mary Poppins. That was and still is an amazing movie.
There will never be another Dick Van Dyke either. I loved the tribute they did on him a while back. What a remarkable person and career. That was a well deserved tribute. Thank you posting this blog. I loved it.
What a wonderful story. Walt Disney was a creative genius. You’re right some of the stuff Disney productions puts out is junk. Nothing like Mary Poppins. That was and still is an amazing movie.
There will never be another Dick Van Dyke either. I loved the tribute they did on him a while back. What a remarkable person and career. That was a well deserved tribute. Thank you posting this blog. I loved it.
Never posted this before
We certainly agree on the Walt Disney us old folks remember – his genius and love in his releases. I think those who have taken over need to sit down and re-watch it all. I am really surprised by some of the stuff that I find out is a Disney production wondering what they stand for now. Disney used to be joy and magic and laughter. Now…?
I always liked Dick van Dyke. It turns out we are related thru one of our Mayflower amcestors. Also, in the mid-sixties, his father and mine were weekday golfing partners for a couple of years.
I grew up on the original PL Travers books and at first my family resented the “too nice” version of the movie. That did not stop us from loving the whole thing in its own right though, and I have now watched it many times with children, a grandchild, and alone. Love it. I am glad Dick Van Dyke liked it too.
Another cheerful and uplifting and farsighted story teller that would be saddened by the direction of his franchise is Gene Roddenberry – the sad darkness of the more future star trek stories misses the whole point.
One of my kids loved Mary Poppins so we watched it as a DVD over and over (and over…..). I at that point had read the books and enjoyed them tremendously (and the illustrations, too) so I was initially not optimistic about the movie but as it turned out I loved all of it except the snide condescending treatment of the women’s suffrage movement in Britain. That was NOT in the books and in my view was totally uncalled for and out of step with the rest of the film.
Thank you for bringing this happy time back to my memory.
Ceci
I watched that Dick Van Dyke special, too. What a talented and down to earth man!
That movie, as with other Disney classics, was so far ahead of its time. The music, dancing, and acting for like hands in gloves.
Such a wonderful movie!
Erry Christmas to you and yours and all the best to all of you for 2025.
I am in complete agreement about what Walt Disney wanted. There was a special for Dick Van Dyke that I loved immensely. Concussions, TBIs, and strokes really don’t matter if step-by-step the brain is worked several times a day learning something new. Everything can’t be the same, but I found workarounds and learned to ask for help. It is something we in our generations still know. We knew the family that sold the land for Disney World after waiting many years. They lived in a shotgun cabin in Kissimmee. The spoonfull of sugar makes me remember the character in one of your books using her bra to hurl distracting stones at her would-be killer. What and imagination you have!
There is a joy in holding a real heave book rather than the super light weight ones. Thanks for these blogs.
No no no! Dick’s best work was the Dick Van Dyke show, much more meaningful and lasting. Bob Glass
When I was a young adult, I would asked about my favorite entertainer . I would answer, Walt Disney. A reader, a Los Angeles County resident, a movie fan. My daughter and I saw Mary Poppins. And my 4 granddaughters loved the films on tapes, CDs etc. wonderful music. Now the great grandmother of 8; in Orange County, I thanked Walt D for another wonderful thing. Walt Disney, Walter Knott and rounded up prominent citizens and they created CHOC. Children’s Hospital of OC. Giving meds to my sick family, they had suffer as I-sang, A Spoonful of Sugar!
What a great tribute !
AHHH the magic of Mary Poppins and the early Disney films. I love Dick Van Dyke. What a talented and nice man.
I love this and agree 100%. I long for the old Disney, not the current batch! Thanks for saying it!
You brought back so many wonderful memories. I love the Mary Poppins movie! Can you please provide a link to the interview with Dick Van Dyke’ in which he says, “I couldn’t dance.”? Thank you!
I agree with you totally about Disney movies not being what they used to be. Mary Poppins is my all time Disney favorite!
A man with a wooden leg named Smith.
What was the name of the other leg?
The punchline doesn’t work the way you wrote it.
I met you in Tucson and told you I moved to SV because of the Joanna Brady books.
This is off the subject of Mary Poppins, but I wanted to let you know that I was feeling poorly yesterday and went to bed with saltines, ginger ale and Beau. Re-read “Proof of Lie”. Best medicine. No sugar.
Exactly!
Thank you for the great insight into the movie. I enjoyed reading this so much.
Great post. Thank you for the weekly installments. Friday is the only day of the week I go look at emails on purpose so I can find the gift from J. A. Jance.
You are spit-spot on about Walt Disney of the past and present. When folks ask how I am doing, I generally respond, “Mary Poppins.” To me, that means practically perfect in every way.
I stayed in Pima Hall in 1983 for Girls’ State. Your memory brought back some of my UofA memories.
Hubby has built several homes for us over the years. It was my fervent request that if we ran out of funds near the end, I’d forgo the interior paint, and floor coverings, and other such nonsense for a dishwasher.