Mary Poppins premiered 40 years ago today, on August 29, 1964.
This is a key film in the Disney canon on several counts. It's noted for the technologically innovative combination of live action and animation. Julie Andrews got an Oscar for her iconic performance as Mary Poppins. The movie was even nominated for Best Picture, the only Disney film so honored until 1991.
Mary Poppins makes a particularly interesting icon because of the subtext. The movie was made in the early days of the social upheavals of the 60s, including the birth of the modern feminist movement, and women becoming employed outside of the home and re-thinking in general the role of women in society. In this story (set during the early part of the century), they need a nanny to take care of the children exactly because Mom is busy being a suffragette.
Thus, Mary Poppins addresses a budding social concern: If the women folk are going out in the world, who's going to raise the children? Don't worry, a perfect magic nanny will appear to take up the slack.
Mostly, though, the film has staying power with me because of the music. This may be the best collection of original songs of any Disney movie. There's no denying "A Spoonful of Sugar." Surely they have no catchier or more joyous song in the Disney catalogue than my big childhood favorite "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Most of all, though, "Chim-Chim Cher-ee" may be the finest one song in a Disney movie ever. It's just a fine, moody piece of songwriting. Note that this has been very effectively covered by numerous jazz musicians over the years. It was particularly genius in the way that the tension is set between the happy-go-lucky lyric ("In all of this world there's no happier bloke") and the unmistakably melancholy tune.
Richard and Robert Sherman got Oscars for Best Musical Score and Best Song for "Chim-Chim Cher-ee." Very often, Oscar voters pick particularly dumb stuff for their music awards, but this was definitely one of the best couple of picks in their history.
Parents: If you don't have a DVD of Mary Poppins, or at least the soundtrack album, then you are probably technically guilty of child abuse. Why are you blowing money on Shrek (much less Shrek 2) if you don't have this much more memorable film?
![]() |
Mary Poppins: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (1964 Film) Robert B. Sherman Music from Disney, Release date: 30 January, 2001 $10.99 at Amazon.com, Usually ships within 24 hours |
![]() |
Mary Poppins (Disney Gold Classic Collection) DVD from Disney Studios, Release date: 30 June, 2000 $26.99 at Amazon.com, THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available. |
![]() |
Mary Poppins (Odyssey Classics) P. L. Travers Book from Odyssey Classics, Release date: 15 September, 1997 $6.00 at Amazon.com, Usually ships within 24 hours |
![]() |
Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition) DVD, Release date: 14 December, 2004 $20.99 at Amazon.com, Not yet released |
To Al's Culpepper Log [updated frequently]
Link Soup
morethings master
photo gallery index
boutique
MP3
new album
releases
sammy davis
shirley temple
photos
little richard photos
buddy holly pictures
fats domino images
chuck berry pictures Jesus
pictures
leann rimes
lucille ball images
clint eastwood pictures beach
boys
janis joplin
images
team
america pictures
robert mitchum photos
bruce springsteen pictures bugs
bunny pictures
ann coulter photos
loretta lynn pictures
adrian monk
beatles pictures
white stripes pictures
andy griffith pictures
kill bill pictures
beverly hillbillies pictures
michael jackson
frank zappa pictures
jerry lee lewis pictures
richard pryor photos
june carter johnny cash pictures u2 photos
four seasons images
james cagney images
pulp fiction pics
snoop
dogg
elvis presley pictures
dolly parton pictures
olsen twins photos cheech&chong
tori amos pictures David
Bowie photos
roger rabbit
reese witherspoon pictures rolling
stones photos
adrian
monk kim
novak images ray charles photos marx
brothers pictures
prince rogers nelson pictures blazing
saddles images steve
martin
eddie murphy photos aretha
franklin photos
south park pictures homer
simpson images
bob dylan pictures elizabeth
taylor photos alice
in wonderland pictures madonna
images
saturday night live pictures willie
nelson images
lynyrd skynyrd
hee
haw pictures james
brown images pete
townshend photos
tina turner pictures
dixie chicks photos bill murray pictures
elton john
images
emmylou harris images
guns
n roses pictures
jodie foster photos
eminem
frank sinatra photos
van
halen images
satan
blondie photos
merle haggard
images
rocky horror pictures
monty
python martin luther king
watchmen pictures sarah
palin