| United Archives via Getty Images |  | August 27, 1964 | Unpacking a hatstand, floor lamp, and potted plant from her carpet bag, an English governess astonished her first theatrical audience 57 years ago today in Los Angeles. Grauman's Chinese Theatre, since renamed TCL Chinese Theater, hosted the Mary Poppins premiere. The Hollywood Reporter called the Disney musical "irresistible," but P.L. Travers — author of eight books on the Banks siblings and their magical caretaker — cried in dismay throughout the screening. Producer Walt Disney had spent nearly 20 years persuading Travers to sell the movie rights to her first book; afterwards, she objected to many filmmaking decisions, from Dick Van Dyke's casting to the animated sequences. But Mary Poppins was still a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious hit with families and Academy Awards voters, picking up 13 nominations and five wins. Future-Dame Julie Andrews accepted an Oscar for her debut film, while the songwriting Sherman Brothers each garnered two trophies for their melodies. Months after the Mary Poppins release, Andrews returned to the screen in The Sound of Music, playing another singing nanny who helps a father bond with his children. | |
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