When it comes to classic family entertainment, no studio, or entity for that matter, has contributed more than the Walt Disney Company. Whether it’s theirfilm canon,industry-changing theme parks, orventures on Broadway,the stories of Disney have touched every corner of the entertainment medium. With such an extensive library, it’s not an easy task to narrow down the organization’s best work. But, perhaps, none truly represents the ideals and iconography better thanMary Poppins.
The 1965 film was famously a passion project forWalt Disney, introduced the world to the greatJulie Andrews, and even brought the studio its firstBest Picture nominationat the Oscars. The film was a major accomplishment for Disney and, frankly, for family-friendly cinema. But, while audiences and the Disney organization may have been thrilled with the results, at least one person was greatly displeased by the film:Mary Poppins’ creator, authorP. L. Travers. Thanks to Disney’s 2013 drama,Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Travers’ difficult relationship with Disney has been well documented. Andwhile the picture is an accomplishment in and of itself, it does take quite a few liberties—particularly to Travers’ feelings—to make the film more enjoyable. While Travers’ view of the film may not have been as heart-warming asSaving Mr. Bankswould have audiences believe, the Disney company would honor her stories more faithfully in a unique way.
Mary Poppins
It Took 20 Years to Bring ‘Mary Poppins’ to the Screen
One of the more factual scenes inSaving Mr. Banksis how Walt Disney first discoveredMary Poppins.According to Biography, Disney did promise his daughter,Diane Disney, that he would makeMary Poppins. It was the early 1940s, and Travers had published threePoppinsbooks. From then on, Disney tried numerous times to get Travers to sell the rights to Disney. She was not keen on adapting her books in general, but she particularly disliked the idea of selling to Disney. Travers feared that the Mouse House would make her stories far too sentimental. In her defense,Mary Poppins israther differentfrom the version brought to life by Julie Andrews. She is far sterner and vainer. While both of these qualities are possessed by screen Mary, they were watered down to make her a more likable character.
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After two decades, Travers finally relented and sold the rights to Disney in 1961. Per Biography, royalties from theMary Poppinsbook series were beginning to dry up, and Disney reportedly offered Travers 100,000 dollars, or 800,000 by today’s standards. The substantial sum wasn’t the only enticing offer Disney made, as he also agreed that Travers could be a consultant on the film.Travers was present for several weeks during the planning process and certainly made her position known.
P. L. Travers Became Infamous Among the ‘Mary Poppins’ Creative Team
Saving Mr. Banksshows P. L. Travers putting up a good fight to protect her beloved character from too much “Disneyfication,” but ultimately making her peace with much of the film. This wasn’t exactly the case, however. As composer and Disney LegendRichard Shermanput it in an interview withVariety: “Mrs. Travers was very, very difficult.” Travers worked with Sherman, his brotherRobert Sherman, and other creatives assigned toPoppinsfor two weeks. Over that time, Sherman suggests that she was even more challenging thanSaving Mr. Banksportrayed. Sherman claims that he handled Travers’ demands better than his brother, always trying to approach her with positivity. But of the experience, he said: “It was a joy to work on after we finally got the rights. It was a dream cast. But those two weeks I would hate to go through again.”
Per Biography, Travers’ became infamous around the studio, often outdoing herfrustrating on-screen counterpart. As shown in the film, she insisted on recording each meeting.Those tapesreveal just how controlling Travers was, arguing over the smallest details. Biography also states that Travers became infamous for shouting “No, no, no,” when something displeased her. Of course, the two-week period did come to an end, and the studio proceeded with making the film.Saving Mr. Banksdepicts Travers making her peace withMary Poppins, but this was not necessarily the case in reality.
Vulture reportsthat Travers did indeed cry at the premiere ofMary Poppins, butSaving Mr. Banksportrays her as having been touched by the film.The true motivation behind her tears was far less sentimental. Vulture quotesValerie Lawson’s biography of Travers,Mary Poppins, She Wrote, which details Travers’ reaction to the film:
During the premiere, Pamela cried, to the embarrassment of Disney and his staff. It was such a shock, that name on the screen, Mary Poppins. So sudden. It hardly mattered, then, thathername was in such small type, listed as a “consultant” at first, then in the line “Based on the stories by P. L. Travers."
And in case there was any further confusion, she approached Disney after the premiere. As Vulture states,she tracked him down at the after-part and said, “The first thing that has to go is that animation sequence.” Under the impression that theycould cut the filmafter the premiere, Travers was reportedly loud in her order. But Disney simply replied, “Pamela, that ship has sailed.” While Travers may not have achieved the result she was after following the film’s premiere, a later collaboration with Disney would be much closer to her source material.
Disney Faithfully Adapted ‘Mary Poppins’ for the Stage
Disney has been a thriving part of the Broadway communitysince it debutedBeauty and the Beaston stage in 1994. It was no surprise when the Mouse decided to bringMary Poppinsto the Great White Way. But transitioning its most prized classic from the screen to the stage would not be an easy task.According toThe Star,Travers had it written into her will that no American was to ever touch her work again. Though Disney had already made the film, this forbade them from pursuing furtherMary Poppinsadaptations.
But, ever since he saw the film in 1964, internationally renowned theatrical producerCameron Mackintoshhad been enamored withPoppins. Responsible for bringing some of the most successful shows of all time to the stage, including Broadway’s longest-running show,The Phantom of the Opera, the English showman paid Travers a visit in hopes of acquiring the stage rights. It took years to get her to agree to a meeting, but the two finally came together in 1994. Mackintosh toldThe Star,“She interviewed me. She wanted to find out how much I wanted to do it and how well I really knew the books.” While Travers found Mackintosh a favorable contender to adapt her beloved Mary,Newsweek saysthat Mackintosh informed Travers that theDisney songsneeded to be in the show.While Travers wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, he assured her the story would remain faithful to her books.
Mackintosh partnered with Disney Theatrical to create the stage show, and the result would have likely made Travers proud. While most of the classic songs from the film are present, the script truly reflects Travers’ books. Mary herself is a combination of the screen and literary character, while most of her adventures with the Banks children are lifted directly from the novels. Additionally, many cut characters from the pages of Travers’ work were re-added, including Miss Andrew, a vile and abusive nanny who serves as a villain. Unfortunately, Travers did not live to see the show debut, but both Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical delivered on the promise they made to the author. The musical has become a classic in its own right, enjoying a lengthy run in London’s West End before opening a Broadway Production and several touring companies.Per Playbill.com,Mary Poppinsenjoyed a successful six years on Broadway, ranking among the longest-running shows in the theater district’s history.
Despite the love most of the world has for the film, P. L. Traver’s feelings towardMary Poppinswould remain muddled for the rest of her life. However, the film continues to bring joy to each generation and isoften viewed as one of Disney’s finest entries. Both Travers’ original stories and the fantastic music of the film would finally meet in a faithful adaptation produced for the stage, keeping the legacy of Mary alive and well.
