Mary Poppins (book series)

Mary Poppins is the central character in a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard, which were subsequently adapted for film and for the stage.

The first book, Mary Poppins, published in 1934, introduced the mysterious anti-heroine, a vain, acerbic magical English nanny blown by a windstorm to Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for the Banks' children; Jane (the eldest), Michael, and twin babies John and Barbara. Encounters with chimney sweeps, pavement artists, shopkeepers, and various adventures follow until Mary Poppins abruptly leaves. Her sudden return in Mary Poppins Comes Back heralds more of the same, as does Mary Poppins Opens the Door. The other books in the sequence, P.L. Travers explains in her introduction to Mary Poppins in the Park, describe incidents which happened during any of these three visits, for 'Mary could not forever arrive and depart.'

Some of the themes in the novels may have been influenced by the author's relationship with G. I. Gurdjieff, the Greek Armenian mystic and "teacher of dancing", whom she met in 1938.

Books

Mary Poppins, published 1934 by Reynal & Hitchcock of New York slightly before Gerald Howe Ltd. published the UK edition. (As of 2005 a copy of the first US edition of this book in very good condition sells for over 700 US dollars.)
Mary Poppins Comes Back, published 1935
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

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. Also, at the time Disney was known primarily as a producer of cartoons and had yet to produce a major live action work. For more than 20 years, Disney periodically made efforts to convince Travers to allow him to make a Poppins movie. He finally succeeded in 1961, although Travers demanded and got script approval rights. The process of planning the film and composing the songs took about two years.

Travers objected to a number of elements that actually made it into the movie. Rather than original songs, she wanted the soundtrack to feature known standards of the Edwardian period in which the movie was set. She also objected to the animated sequence. However, Disney overruled her, citing contract stipulations that he had final say on the finished print. Much of their correspondence is part of the Travers collection of papers in the Mitchell Library of New South Wales, Australia. 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 Cat That Looked at a King

In 2004, Julie Andrews appeared in an animated/live action short that was produced by DisneyToon Studios for the 40th anniversary DVD release of the 1964 film. Entitled The Cat That Looked at a King, the film was based upon part of the P.L. Travers book Mary Poppins Opens the Door and could be seen as something of a sequel or follow up to the movie.

Musical

In December 2004, Mary Poppins: The Musical opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, London. 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 new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Characters

Mary Poppins

Blown by the wind, she comes down from the clouds in response to the Banks' advertisement for a nanny. Her personality can be abrasive at times. She is also vain and acerbic, and not very sympathetic to the children other than in the Disney movie adaptation.

Mrs. Banks

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 ferverous suffragette and feminist. She also appears in the stage musical.

Mr. Banks

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.

The Banks' children

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.

Bert

Bert is a jack-of-all-trades and Mary's closest normal friend who is notable in that he is completely accustomed to her magic.

Minor characters

Ellen, the maid
The bird woman
Mrs. Brill, the cook
Admiral Boom, who is proud of his house shaped like a ship
Katie Nanna, the disgruntled nanny who quit the Banks family.
Robinson Ay, the manservant whose ineptitude and constant sleeping so irritates Mr. Banks. In Mary Poppins Comes Back it is suggested that he is the Dirty Rascal from the nursery rhyme King of the Castle. This character does not appear in the movie.
Mrs. Corry, who sells gingerbread at a mysterious spot that noone has seen
Ms. Fannie and Annie, Mrs. Corry's daughters
The Red Cow
Ms. Lark, a wealthy lady who wears much jewelry
Andrew, Ms. Lark's dog who is very pampered, but soon gets tired of it