Classic Films in Focus: MARY POPPINS (1964)

Disney has had a hit or miss history with its live action films, but Mary Poppins (1964), directed by Disney veteran Robert Stevenson, stands as a testament to the studio’s ability to make really fine pictures with human stars, and the film’s five Oscar wins and thirteen nominations make it Disney’s best contender of all time at the Academy Awards. Of course, a lot of the movie’s appeal stems from the captivating Julie Andrews, making her big screen debut as the practically perfect nanny and taking home a Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Today, Mary Poppins is still a thoroughly charming family film that also rewards seasoned cinephiles with appearances by a number of favorite stars, including Glynis Johns, David Tomlinson, and even Elsa Lanchester and Jane Darwell.

Andrews plays the title character, who arrives as the new nanny in the rather dysfunctional Banks family. Mrs. Banks (Glynis Johns) spends all of her energy on the suffragist cause, while Mr. Banks (David Tomlinson) devotes himself to his work at the bank and thinks that his home ought to be businesslike, as well. Little Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) Banks, lost in this shuffle, delight in their new nanny’s magical abilities and embark on a series of adventures with her and her friend, Bert (Dick Van Dyke), but their chatter about their unusual outings only riles Mr. Banks. A crisis ensues, but Mary Poppins’ lessons eventually put everything right.

Julie Andrews demonstrates the enormous talent that would take her through an impressive subsequent career, leading to two more Best Actress nominations. She sings, dances, and acts beautifully, and she looks simply adorable with her bright eyes, pert little nose, and trim figure. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her, especially during musical numbers like “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Stay Awake,” and, of course, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Andrews’ Mary is always ladylike, but she still evinces a lively sense of humor, even under the most trying circumstances. The subtle suggestion of romance between Mary and Bert adds a touch of melancholy to an adult’s perception of the story, since we know that Mary will only stay until the wind changes.

Children will enjoy the combination of live action and animation used in the chalk drawing sequence, as well as the energetic dance numbers and Dick Van Dyke’s affable comedy. Be sure to point out to them that Van Dyke also plays the elderly Mr. Dawes at the bank, a role that proves he can do a decent English accent if not a plausible Cockney one. Classic movie fans will be pleased to see a variety of familiar faces among the supporting cast, including Hermione Baddeley and Reta Shaw as the servants, Elsa Lanchester as Katie Nana, Arthur Treacher as the constable, and Reginald Owen as the aptly named Admiral Boom. Ed Wynn has a particularly fun role as Uncle Albert, while the great character actress Jane Darwell makes her final screen appearance as the woman who sells food for the birds.

Robert Stevenson also directed the somewhat similar follow-up picture, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), as well as Old Yeller (1957), The Love Bug (1968), and The Shaggy D.A. (1976). For more of Julie Andrews, see The Sound of Music (1965), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and Victor Victoria (1982). Dick Van Dyke also stars in the family classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and you’ll find both David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns in the mermaid comedy, Miranda (1948). For more magical nannies, try the two Nanny McPhee films starring Emma Thompson.

Classic Films in Focus: MIRANDA (1948)

Mermaids must have been a hot topic in 1948 because that year saw not one but two mermaid movies, Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid and Miranda. The 1947 debut of live mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida had something to do with it, although the Cornish setting of Miranda is far less tropical than that of its Hollywood counterpart. Directed by Ken Annakin, Miranda is very much a British picture, both very polished and very naughty and shot through with eccentric humor that benefits greatly from the unique charms of its lovely star, Glynis Johns.

Johns stars as the eponymous heroine, a love crazed mermaid who hooks a married doctor, Paul Martin (Griffith Jones), off the coast of Cornwall and persuades him to take her to London so that she can see the sights. Paul falls for Miranda, much to the dismay of his wife (Googie Withers), but Miranda falls for every man she sees, including the Martins' chauffeur (David Tomlinson) and a handsome young painter (John McCallum). Cared for by an eccentric nurse (Margaret Rutherford) who knows her secret, Miranda has a fine time, but her odd behavior and mysterious inability to walk eventually convince Clare Martin that something fishy is going on with her seductive house guest.

Plucky comic performances make this film thoroughly amusing, especially Johns as the winsome heroine. Most film fans will recognize her as the suffragist mother in Mary Poppins (1964), although she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Sundowners (1960). As the star of Miranda she gets more opportunity to flex her comedic talent, and she makes the most of her fey beauty and kittenish voice. The supporting players mostly react to her, although zany Margaret Rutherford threatens to steal several scenes. Rutherford would be the only cast member aside from Johns to return for the 1954 sequel, Mad About Men, which says something about the importance of her character to the original picture's appeal. She would go on to enjoy a long run as Miss Marple in a number of films adapted from the works of Agatha Christie, although her only Oscar win, for Best Supporting Actress, came with her work in The V.I.P.s (1963).

For more of Glynis Johns, see 49th Parallel (1941), An Ideal Husband (1947), and The Court Jester (1955). You'll find Margaret Rutherford cutting up as usual in Blithe Spirit (1945) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952). Look for Googie Withers in the delightful English comedy, On Approval (1944). David Tomlinson can be found as Glynis Johns' stuffy husband in Mary Poppins and as the unorthodox Emelius Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). If you enjoy the first film, go on to the sequel, Mad About Men, although the original picture is the better of the two.

An earlier version of this review originally appeared on Examiner.com. The author retains all rights to this content.

Classic Films in Focus: BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971)

Loosely based on the novel by Mary Norton, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) followed up Disney's enormous success with Mary Poppins (1964), and on paper the two pictures must look very similar. Here we have two musical comedies set in England, both involving magic and a handful of cute but troublesome children, both combining live action and animation, and both directed by Robert Stevenson and starring David Tomlinson. Bedknobs and Broomsticks, however, differentiates itself from the earlier film by replacing its spoonful of sugar with equal parts vinegar and poisoned dragon's liver, and the result is a more nuanced, less treacly story that offers a thoughtful treatment of its adult characters while still delivering plenty of entertainment for the kids.

Angela Lansbury stars as independent spinster Eglantine Price, who reluctantly takes in three orphaned children evacuated from London because of the Blitz. Carrie, Paul, and Charlie (Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart, and Ian Weighill) soon discover that Miss Price is secretly training to become a witch in order to fight the Nazis with her magic, but her correspondence course in witchcraft comes to an abrupt end. Determined to finish the lessons, Miss Price and the children travel to London using an enchanted bedknob, where they meet "Professor" Emelius Browne (David Tomlinson), who turns out to be nothing but a former stage magician and con man. Nevertheless, they enlist Browne's assistance and embark on a series of adventures to learn the rest of the spells needed to repel a Nazi invasion.

Lansbury and Tomlinson really shine in their roles. Both of the successful character actors are here solidly middle-aged and an unlikely pair for a romance, but they balance the humor and pathos of their characters beautifully. Their musical numbers are lively and fun, although the melancholy tint of "Portobello Road" most accurately captures the subtler mood of the film as a whole. The London waifs, truly a Dickensian trio, are played with enthusiasm by the child actors, particularly Ian Weighill. A wonderful cast of supporting players helps to round out the film, including Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe, and Reginald Owen. These are names that veteran classic movie fans will certainly recognize; McDowall, however, is probably the most familiar, having starred as a child in top-shelf classics like How Green was My Valley (1941) and Lassie Come Home (1943).

The scenes that combine live action and animation serve as the film's show pieces, but the numerous musical numbers also have their charms. In addition to "Portobello Road" we get the aquatic duet, "The Beautiful Briny," and the hypnotically catchy "Substitutiary Locomotion." DVD versions of the film also include an extended cut of "Portobello Road" plus an additional number from Tomlinson called "With a Flair." The longer rendition of "Portobello Road" provides an energetic - if historically incorrect - introduction to the many different countries that formed part of the British Empire at the time of World War II, and it's well worth watching even though it was deemed too long at the time of the film's original release. 

The serious war theme that persists underneath the merriment of music and magic might escape the notice of very young viewers, but adults should pick up on it immediately. The children, already orphans, lose their guardian in London when a Nazi bomb falls on their home. Another bomb, this one unexploded, provides Emelius with a swanky temporary refuge, even though his general cowardice has prevented him from signing up for military duty. Nobody, however, really escapes the war, and the film offers an excellent opportunity to discuss the nature of war and its impact on non-combatants with children who might not have thought about such issues before. Contrast Eglantine's determination to help with Emelius' reluctance, and give some attention to the old men, veterans of World War I, who form the slightly silly but deeply noble Home Guard.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks earned five Oscar nominations and won for Best Visual Effects. If you want to see the breadth of Angela Lansbury's career, catch her early appearances in Gaslight (1944) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and then move on to The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and more recent films like Nanny McPhee (2005). Kids, of course, will recognize her as the voice of Mrs. Potts in Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991). You can see a young David Tomlinson in the 1948 mermaid comedy, Miranda, starring his Mary Poppins costar, Glynis Johns; he can also be found in Tom Jones (1963) and The Love Bug (1968). 

An earlier version of this review originally appeared on Examiner.com. The author retains all rights to this content.