Mary Poppins
by admin on Apr.15, 2009, under Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical
- Directors: Robert Stevenson
- Producers: Walt Disney
- Writers: Screenplay, Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi, Books, P L Travers
- Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical
- Actors: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Ed Wynn
The film begins with Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) perched on a cloud high above London in Spring 1910.[1] 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. 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, 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 hires herself and begins work.
…
Her work done, Mary Poppins takes to the air with a fond farewell from Bert.
