Mary Alice Gran Popular Books

Mary Alice Gran Biography & Facts

Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins, who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family's dynamic. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes. Mary Poppins was released on August 27, 1964, to critical acclaim and commercial success, earning $44 million in theatrical rentals in its original run. It became the highest-grossing film of 1964 in the United States, and at the time of its release became Disney's highest-grossing film. During its theatrical lifetime, it grossed over $103 million worldwide. It received a total of thirteen Academy Award nominations—a record for any film released by Walt Disney Studios—including Best Picture, and won five: Best Actress for Andrews, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee". It is considered Walt Disney's crowning live-action achievement, and is the only one of his films to earn a Best Picture nomination during his lifetime. In 2013, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A biographical drama based on the making of the film, Saving Mr. Banks, was released on October 20, 2013. A sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, was released on December 19, 2018. Plot In the spring of 1910, Winifred Banks returns to her home in London after a suffragette rally ("Sister Suffragette") and learns that her children's nanny, Katie Nanna, has quit after her children, Jane and Michael, ran away "for the fourth time this week". Later that night, Winifred's strict, ambitious husband George returns home from his job at the bank ("The Life I Lead"). George, after being informed with the news, puts an advertisement in the paper for a stern, no-nonsense nanny. In contrast, Jane and Michael present their own advertisement for a kind, sympathetic nanny ("The Perfect Nanny"). Winifred strongly agrees with the children. However, George rips up the letter and throws the scraps in the fireplace, but a strong wind draws the scraps up through the chimney and into the sky. The next day, several sour-faced nannies await outside the Banks family's home, but a strong gust of wind magically blows them away. Jane and Michael then witness a young woman using an umbrella as a parachute to gracefully descend from the sky. The woman introduces herself as Mary Poppins. To George's shock, Mary is holding the children's advertisement, and the scraps have been put back together. Mary agrees with the advertisement's requests but promises George that she will be firm with his children. Mary hires herself and convinces George it was originally his idea. Mary takes the children upstairs and helps them magically tidy up their nursery ("A Spoonful of Sugar"). While walking outside, the trio encounters Mary's friend Bert, a jack of all trades working as a street painter; Mary transports the group into one of Bert's drawings. While the children ride on a carousel, Mary and Bert sing while strolling ("Jolly Holiday"), and Bert flirts with Mary. Mary then enchants the carousel horses to move on their own. Bert rescues a fox from a fox hunt. Bert and Mary take part in a horse race, which Mary wins. Describing her victory, Mary uses a nonsense word ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"). When a thunderstorm dissolves Bert's drawings, the group is returned to London. While putting the children to bed, Mary calmly sings a lullaby ("Stay Awake"). The next day, the trio and Bert meet Mary's odd Uncle Albert, whose uncontrollable laughter has caused him to float ("I Love to Laugh"). When Albert and Bert begin discussing a sad topic, Mary leaves with Jane and Michael. George becomes annoyed by the household's cheery atmosphere and threatens to fire Mary. She persuades him to take the children to his workplace. That evening, Mary sings a lullaby about a woman who sells bird food on the steps of the St. Paul's Cathedral ("Feed the Birds"). The next day at the bank, the children meet George's boss, the elderly Mr. Dawes Sr., who advises Michael to invest his tuppence in the bank, ultimately snatching his coin out of Michael's hand ("Fidelity Fiduciary Bank"). Michael demands it back; other customers overhear the conflict, and they all begin demanding their own money back, causing a bank run. Jane and Michael flee the bank and get lost in the East End of London. Bert, now working as a chimney sweep, escorts them home ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"). The three and Mary venture onto the rooftops, where they dance with other chimney sweeps ("Step in Time"). George and Winifred return home to find Bert's friends dancing in their home; George sends them away. George then receives a phone call from the bank, requesting a meeting with him regarding Michael's actions. The children overhear the phone call and become concerned. Bert takes George to task for his neglect of his children, warning him to spend more time with Jane and Michael before they grow up ("A Man Has Dreams"). Michael gives George the tuppence, hoping to make amends. With the feeling of regret, George slowly walks through London to the bank, where he is given a humiliating cashiering. Lost for words, he exclaims "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," tells a joke Uncle Albert had told the children, and happily heads home. When Mr. Dawes Sr. understands the joke, he floats up into the air, laughing. The next day, Mary Poppins tells the children she must leave. George mends his children's kite and takes the family out to fly it. At the park, the family encounters Mr. Dawes Sr.'s son, Mr. Dawes Jr., who reveals that his father died laughing at the joke ("Let's Go Fly a Kite"). Mr. Dawes Jr. says his father had never been happier and gratefully re-employs George as a partner. Mary watches the family and decides her work is done. As Mary flies away, Bert looks up and says, "Goodbye, Mary Poppins. Don't stay away too long." Cast Live-action cast Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, a magical and loving woman who descends from the clouds in response to the Banks children's advertisement for a nanny. She is firm in her use of authority but gentle and kind as well, a major departure from the original books, in which the character was more stern and pompous. Dick Van Dyke as Bert, a cockney jack-of-all-trades and Mary Poppins' closest friend, who is completely accustomed to her magic. Their playful intera.... Discover the Mary Alice Gran popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Mary Alice Gran books.