Adaptations of Mary Poppins

The characters and novel of *Mary Poppins* have been adapted into film, cartoons, and contemporary fantasy literature. Walt Disney Productions released the first film adaptation in 1964, based on the first four books. Disney had tried to buy the film rights from P. L. Travers as early as 1938, but she refused, fearing a film would not honor her creation and opposing any animated version. Disney persisted, partly because the books were favorites of his daughters, and finally secured the rights in 1961, though Travers demanded and received script approval. The film’s planning and songwriting took about two years, with music by the Sherman Brothers. Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke played Bert, and the Banks children were portrayed by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber. David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns played George and Winifred Banks. The film mixed episodes from the novels with new material, included the twin babies John and Barbara but omitted the third baby Annabel, and depicted Mary Poppins as noticeably kinder than in the books. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Andrews was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Julie Christie for *Darling*. The film also won Oscars for Best Original Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”), Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score. The story is set in 1910.

In 2018, Disney released *Mary Poppins Returns*, directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee, with songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, supported by Richard Sherman. The film is not a remake or reboot; it shows Mary Poppins returning to visit the now-adult Banks children and caring for Michael Banks’s three children. It is loosely based on the other seven *Mary Poppins* books. Emily Blunt starred as Mary Poppins, Lin-Manuel Miranda played Jack (a role similar to Bert), and Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw played grown-up Jane and Michael Banks. The film is set in 1930s London, 25 years after the original's 1910 setting. It was released on December 19, 2018, in the US and UK.

In 1983, the Soviet Union’s Mosfilm studios adapted the story into a Russian-language TV musical film titled *Mary Poppins, Goodbye*, starring Natalya Andreychenko (acting) and Tatyana Voronina (singing) as Mary Poppins, Albert Filozov as George Banks, and Oleg Tabakov as Miss Andrew.

P. L. Travers long resisted selling stage rights, d