Speaking solely in terms of their theatrical releases, Disney’s live action output is much more of a mixed bag than its animated output. Sure, not every one of Disney’s animated films is a classic. However, if you line up all their theatrical films, you’ll find plenty more misfires in their live action material as opposed to their animated material. However, if there’s one live action film that Walt Disney himself has considered his crowning achievement - a sentiment shared by most audiences to this day - it’s the 1964 classic Mary Poppins.
Based on the book series of the same name by P.L. Travers, Disney petitioned hard for years (going as far back as 1938) to secure the film rights from Travers, finally gaining them after twenty years of trying (talk about persistence). The film went on to be a smash hit, gaining critical acclaim and still adored by audiences to this day (including getting a sequel - Mary Poppins Returns - recently released in 2018). However, it was notoriously despised by Travers herself, for the inclusion of music, an animated sequence, and for the liberties Disney took with the actual Mary Poppins character, as her harsher qualities from Travers’ original books was toned down a bit.
I remember reading the original Travers book once when I was younger, and truthfully I can’t remember much about it. Although if there’s one thing I was able to take away after reading the book is that I honestly do prefer the characterization of Mary in Disney's film. While she can still be fairly stern with the children as she was in the original book, she is a much more likable character to follow, and I can honestly see why she was toned down. While Mary has some interesting qualities due to her magical powers - as well as the fact that everywhere she goes, she’s revered like a movie star - it would be a difficult sell if the title character in a family film was one of the most robotic and least sympathetic people in the movie.
Julie Andrews’ acclaimed performance as Mary is also one of the reasons why this movie works so well. As opposed to Travers’ original character that was harsh at almost all times, Andrews brings with her a real warmth and charm that make her such an enjoyable character to watch. She gracefully switches from deadpan and confident when someone attempts to question her or challenge her logic, to caring and warm when it comes to interacting with those she cares about, in particular, many of her scenes alongside Dick Van Dyke as Bert, with the two sharing some of the best chemistry I’ve ever seen in a film. She never lays it on too thick in any given moment. She doesn’t suddenly break down in her more sensitive moments, and knows when to immediately put her guard back up if someone tries taking advantage of her kindness. And when she’s stern with the children, she’s never overbearing and is instead to the point, without coming across as inappropriate with them. Mary is a bit of a mysterious character as she only reveals so much about herself, but Andrews still makes her an extremely engaging and likable character to watch.
The rest of the movie is just as strong as Andrews’ performance. As previously mentioned, Dick Van Dyke makes for a wonderful screen partner to work with Andrews. His notorious Cockney accent aside, he is an absolute ball of fun to watch. The main draw when watching him perform is his dancing. Van Dyke is known for how physical a lot of his performances were, and Mary Poppins was him in full effect. His dancing is something to behold, and he delivers just about every one of his lines with such an animation that he always manages to get you to smile each time he’s on screen. While Bert is known in the movie as a good friend of Mary Poppins and is mostly seen alongside her, he even has his moments to shine when she’s not even present. While presenting him as this sort of guide to the audience didn’t feel necessary (especially since this device was dropped after the opening scene), moments such as him dancing on the street as well as his one song alone with David Tomlinson are wonderful little moments. Van Dyke also has a second role in heavy makeup as Mr. Dawes Sr - the head of the bank where Tomlinson works - which is also its own bit of fun to watch, as he’s still just as animated playing an elderly man barely able to walk properly (and oddly enough, his English accent is just fine in this role).
The music is another one of this film’s strongest elements. Just about every single song is something truly memorable, with just about most of them going on to become classic Disney songs. Even when the songs don’t pack as much punch as some of the hits (I would argue “The Perfect Nanny” and “Stay Awake” are the only two weak links in the entire movie), they’re still fairly enjoyable and far from bad, despite not being instantly catchy. The Sherman Brothers did a fantastic job crafting each song for this movie. What makes them work is just how grandiose each of them felt. Even when it’s being sung by characters that are far more grounded in reality, they’re sung with such passion and delivered with such animated dance music, that it’s one of the only movies where you get that sweeping sense of awe as if you were watching a live musical. Songs like “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “A Spoonful of Sugar” remain classic to this day for good reason, and even lesser-known songs like “The Life I Lead” and “Fidelity Fiduciary Bank” have such a fun, catchy feel to them.
Is the film, like its titular character, practically perfect in every way though? Well, not exactly, but that’s the case with just about any classic movie. Upon repeated viewings, one finds issues with even the most revered films. These are far from ruining the movie or making it suddenly any worse - and they almost feel a bit like nitpicking to a degree - but they are worth noting. The main issue is mainly due to how the film transitions from scene to scene at times. The film mostly feels like a series of vignettes that - while individually very appealing - sometimes don’t lead all that smoothly into the next. A perfect example is how the song “Chim Chim Cher-ee” ends and then we’re immediately introduced to Bert’s chimney sweep friends for a whole ten seconds (literally) before being thrusted into the next song, “Step in Time.” While Dick Van Dyke leads the song, it’s mainly performed by characters we had seen for ten seconds prior and who disappear instantly after the song ends. “Step in Time” is a grand, epic song that has a very catchy feel, so this little element is easily overlooked, but it’s the sort of thing I feel we’d call other movies out on, if they didn’t have the “classic” stamp that Mary Poppins has.
Moments like these are worth noting because, while each of the individual moments are wonderful to watch, they end so quickly and jump right into something completely different and seemingly unrelated, that it feels almost jarring. And there are times at first where - despite how entertained you just were - you’re left questioning what the true point of that scene is, only to realize how it all ties in later on to the film’s true meaning (more on that in a moment).
Also, the Admiral Boom character is one that I always found to be a bit questionable. In a world where everything is so grounded in reality outside of Mary and her friends and relatives, this one always seemed slightly out of place, as he was simply just the Banks’ next door neighbor who had no fantastical elements or connections to Mary. Yet, he was just as over-the-top. A character who marks the time by firing a cannon every hour - causing houses to shake so much that the residents have to maintain posts in order to make sure their possessions don’t break - he is a bit fun to watch, but in the movie’s logic, he seems much better suited as one of the more fantastical people associated with Mary, than just a next door neighbor whose seemingly allowed to just fire off a loud, disruptive cannon every hour.
Again, the above issues are more minor gripes than anything that truly takes away from the overall film, and this is still an extremely enjoyable movie to watch. And as an adult, there’s one element that’s so vitally important that you don’t appreciate nearly as much as a child, and that’s its message. Mary Poppins is mostly noteworthy for its title character, Bert, the Banks children, and all the memorable song and dance sequences. Yet, despite being called Mary Poppins, one would argue that Mary is really not the protagonist of the movie. That distinction would go to George Banks, played masterfully by David Tomlinson. All the seemingly unrelated segments play into a larger narrative about a stern but well-meaning father who just wanted to do what was right for his family and lost sight of how exactly he was behaving.
While children will grasp that concept to a degree, it’s something that you see even more so as an adult (and you’ll completely realize it especially if you saw 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks). As a kid, you see a story about Mary coming in to help Jane and Michael Banks and be totally mesmerized by the songs, and almost nothing more. Yet, as an adult, you see the movie a bit more through Mr. Banks’ perspective. He’s actually in the movie a lot more than you realize, appearing a fair amount in the first half in between a lot of the musical numbers. And as a kid, you see him as a stern jerk of a father who doesn’t care how his children feel or what they have to say, and just chalk it up to that he has a sudden change of heart at the end. Yet, as an adult, you pick up on how the movie plants the seeds subtly throughout the movie that he’s not so much of a jerk, but actually going through tough times of his own and has always been a kind-hearted person all along (watch scenes where he dismisses the children and he clearly seems more stressed out than uninterested). His transformation doesn’t feel like it’s out of nowhere anymore, with the underrated song “A Man Has Dreams” having a much more emotional impact when hearing it as an adult. It’s actually a great example of some really well-crafted story-telling.
As mentioned earlier, Walt Disney considered Mary Poppins his crowning achievement, and I’m inclined to agree with him. At 140 minutes, this actually feels like a lightning fast movie, with the two hours breezing right by, as it has so much to tell. It’s filled with some truly wonderful performances by Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and David Tomlinson. It has some of the most memorable songs in movie history. It’s hilarious. It’s sad. It’s something the entire family can enjoy. Honestly, while Disney’s overall live action output is more of a mixed bag than its animated films, Mary Poppins is the one movie that ranks far above all their theatrical releases - both live action and animated.