Mary
Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L.
Travers and originally illustrated by Mary
Shepard. The books center around a mysterious, vain and acerbic magical English nanny who is blown by
the wind to Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, London and into the
Banks' household to care for the Banks' children. Encounters with chimney
sweeps, shopkeepers and various adventures follow until Mary Poppins abruptly
leaves. The adventures takes place over a total of eight books. However, only
the first three books feature Mary Poppins arriving and leaving. The later five
books recount previously unrecorded adventures from Poppins' original three
visits. As P.L. Travers explains in her introduction to Mary Poppins in the
Park, 'She cannot forever arrive and depart.'
Books
Mary Poppins, published 1934
The first book introduces the
Banks family, consisting of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks, Jane Banks, Michael Banks,
and the baby twins John and Barbara Banks. When the children's nanny Katie Nana
storms out in a huff, Mary Poppins arrives at their home when she is blown by a
fierce wind. She accepts the job and the children soon learn that their nanny,
though she is stern, vain and almost always cross, has a magical touch that
makes her wonderful. Among the things Jane and Michael experience are a tea
party on a ceiling with Mr. Wiggs, travelling around the world with a compass,
buying gingerbread stars from the extremely old Mrs. Corry, and a birthday party
at the zoo among the animals.
Mary Poppins Comes Back, published 1935
Nothing has been right since
Mary Poppins left Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane. One day when Mrs. Banks
sends the Banks children out to the park, Michael flies his kite up into the
clouds and everyone is surprised when it comes down bringing Mary Poppins as a
passenger. Mary Poppins returns to the Banks home and takes charge of the
children once again. This time Jane and Michael Banks meet the fiersome Ms.
Andrew, experience an upside-down tea and visit a circus in the sky. There is
also a new addition to the Banks family with little Annabel.
Mary Poppins Opens the Door, published 1943
Mary Poppins in the Park, published 1952
Mary Poppins From A to Z, published 1962
Mary Poppins in the Kitchen, published 1975
Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree
Lane, published 1982
Mary Poppins and the House
Next Door, published 1988
Adaptations
1964 film
Main article: Mary Poppins (film)
Mary
Poppins was made into a film by Walt Disney Productions in 1964 based on the
series of children's books. According to the 40th
anniversary DVD release of the film in 2004, Walt Disney
first attempted to purchase the film rights to Mary Poppins from P.L.
Travers as early as 1938
but was rebuffed because Travers did not believe a film version of her books
would do justice to her creation. He finally succeeded in 1961, although Travers
demanded and got script approval rights.
The relationship between
Travers and Disney is detailed in Mary Poppins She Wrote, a biography of
Travers, by Valerie Lawson, published by Aurum Press in the United Kingdom. The
biography is the basis for two documentaries on Travers, The Real Mary
Poppins and The Shadow of Mary Poppins.
The process of planning the
film and composing the songs took about two years. Songs in the film are by the
Sherman
Brothers. Mary Poppins is played by Julie
Andrews. Disney cast Dick Van Dyke in the key supporting role of Bert. The
Banks children were played by Karen
Dotrice and Matthew Garber. Mr and Mrs Banks were played by David
Tomlinson and Glynis Johns respectively. The film is rated G by the MPAA.
Musical
Main article: Mary Poppins (musical)
In December 2004, Mary
Poppins: The Musical opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, London, after
previewing in Bristol. It received critical acclaim and was nominated for nine
2005 Olivier Awards. It won two awards, Best Actress in a
Musical, for Laura Michelle Kelly, and Best Theatre
Choreography, for Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear.
The musical has original music
and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert
B. Sherman, book by Julian Fellowes, and a few new songs and additional
music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
The musical opened on Broadway
on November
16, 2006,
starring Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and Gavin Lee
as Bert.
Main characters
Main article: Mary Poppins (character)
Mary Poppins is the main
character of the books and is a magical nanny who sweeps into the Banks home of
Cherry Tree Lane and takes charge of the four Banks children.
Mrs. Banks is the wife of
George Banks and mother of Jane and Michael. She is more fully developed in the
film than in the books, appearing as a valiant and
fervent suffragette
and feminist.
She also appears in the stage musical.
George Banks is Mary Poppins'
employer. He works at the Bank in the City of
London, and lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his wife and their children.
In the film he is a cross man who wants order and quiet, largely ignores his
children and hates the women's suffrage movement; but later on in the
movie his
attitude changes.
Jane, Michael, John and
Barbara. The last two are baby twins, who only appear in the books. Annabel is
a younger child, born in a later book, who also does not make a movie
appearance.
He is Herbert Alfred for
Sundays only. Normally, he is Bert. He loves to draw pictures on the sidewalk
with chalk, but when it rains and washes his pictures away, he is known as the
'Matchman'. Bert knows about Mary Poppins' wonderful child-rearing ways.
Parodies
- The Fairly OddParents parodied Mary Poppins briefly in episode 53 in
"Remy Rides Again" as Timmy's new baby-sitter. She is not
named Mary Poppins, however, but is named Susie Califragilistic.
The
Simpsons parodied Mary Poppins under the name "Shary Bobbins" in
the episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpialad'ohcious."
