24 surprising things you probably didn't know about the 'Mary Poppins' movies

Marilyn La JeunesseJun 23, 2020, 01:32 IST

"Mary Poppins" is a classic Disney live-action film.Disney

"Mary Poppins" (1964) came out over 55 years ago, and the long-awaited sequel was released in 2018.
Dick Van Dyke played two characters in the original film, and he appeared in a small role in "Mary Poppins Returns."
Disney pushed back the production of "Mary Poppins" to ensure Julie Andrews could play the leading role.
The 1964 film's composers spent two and a half years writing the songs for it.

Over 50 years after the original release of "Mary Poppins" (1964), Disney released the long-awaited sequel "Mary Poppins Returns" in 2018.

Here are some cool behind-the-scenes secrets about "Mary Poppins" and "Mary Poppins Returns."

Dick Van Dyke played two characters in "Mary Poppins," and he made an appearance in "Mary Poppins Returns."

Dick Van Dyke is listed twice in the credits for "Mary Poppins." Disney

Disney offered Julie Andrews the role of Mary Poppins after seeing her in a musical.

Julie Andrews was scouted while performing in "Camelot." AP Photo

Disney postponed the production of "Mary Poppins" so that Andrews could have the leading role.

Walt Disney wanted Julie Andrews for the role. Disney

Andrews did not appear in the sequel because she wanted audiences to fully appreciate Emily Blunt's portrayal of the leading role.

Julie Andrews was the original Mary Poppins. Buena Vista Distribution and Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images

The word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" was made popular by the film, but it's unclear what its origins are.

The word is the inspiration behind one of the film's most memorable songs. Disney

Andrews had an accident on set while filming a flying sequence.

Thankfully, Julie Andrews was OK. Disney

"Mary Poppins" was Andrews' first film that was released in theaters.

It was the start of a long career for Julie Andrews. Disney

"Mary Poppins" was the highest-grossing film of 1964.

The movie was incredibly successful. Disney

"Mary Poppins" won five Oscars in total.

Julie Andrews won the Oscar for best actress. Disney

The films were based on a series of children's books by author P.L. Travers.

There were four books in the original series. Amazon

Disney waited 20 years for Travers to approve its bid for a movie adaptation.

P.L. Travers wrote the "Marry Poppins" book series. Disney

Bert was not really a character in the original "Mary Poppins" books.

Bert is a fun-loving chimney sweep in the "Mary Poppins" movie. Disney

Travers has been open about her issues with Disney's adaptation of "Mary Poppins."

P.L. Travers wasn't a fan of the film. Disney

In 2004, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical.

Gavin Lee and Ashley Brown starred in "Mary Poppins" the musical. Ryan Miller/Getty Images

Travers' estate allowed the sequel to be made.

Emily Blunt starred in "Mary Poppins Returns." Disney

Van Dyke was criticized for his accent in the film.

Dick Van Dyke has since apologized for his bad cockney accent. Disney

Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber starred on screen together before and after "Mary Poppins."

Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber played Jane and Michael Banks. Disney

The "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" scene took so long to film and perfect that the kids got sick of eating the toffee apples.

The scene was shot multiple times over several weeks. Disney

The film's popular songs took two and a half years to write.

It was quite the process to write the songs for the film. Disney

Richard Sherman said his favorite Disney project was "Mary Poppins."

Composer Richard Sherman enjoyed working on the film. Disney

The song "A Spoonful of Sugar" was supposedly inspired by Robert Sherman's son.

The song is now beloved by many fans. Disney

Composer and songwriter Richard Sherman cried when he heard Andrews perform "A Spoonful of Sugar."

Richard Sherman was impressed with Julie Andrews' rendition of the song. Disney

The soundstage where "Mary Poppins" was filmed was later named after Andrews.

It was the same stage used to film "The Princess Diaries." IMDb/Walt Disney Pictures

David Tomlinson voiced George Banks and Mary Poppins' parrot umbrella.

Mary Poppins used a magical umbrella. Disney

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