Which 1964 Disney film introduced the character Mary Poppins?

The 1964 Disney film that introduced the character Mary Poppins is Mary Poppins. The film adapts P. L. Travers’s children’s books about a magical nanny who arrives to care for the Banks children in Edwardian London.

Walt Disney had pursued the screen rights since 1938, partly because his daughters loved the books. Travers eventually agreed in 1961, but insisted on script-approval rights and resisted Disney’s plans for an animated adaptation. The finished film combined live action with animation and starred Julie Andrews in her feature-film debut.

Robert Stevenson directed the movie, while Walt Disney produced it and the Sherman Brothers wrote its songs. Common mix-ups include confusing it with Mary Poppins Returns, the 2018 sequel, or with other Disney fantasy films such as Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The original became a major critical and commercial success and won five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Andrews and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”