“I thought he was just being nice and coming to meet me,” Andrews told BBC’s The One Show in 2014. “But he asked me if I’d be interested in coming to Hollywood to see some designs and hear some songs for a film he was making.”
“I was terrified and I said, ‘Mr. Disney, I’m so happy, I’m so happy, but the truth is, I’m pregnant.’
But Disney was willing to wait patiently to ensure he got what he wanted. “He said OK, we’ll wait,” Andrews said.
So, shortly after giving birth to their daughter Emma, ​​Andrews and her then-husband, Tony Walton, a designer employed by Disney, arrived in Hollywood in 1963 to begin production on the film.
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The role proved to be her defining one, as she displayed her singing, dancing and comedic talents to the max: her performance brought dignity, warmth and a hint of mystery to the proper nanny, while songs like “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” showcased Andrew’s effortless charm and flawless voice.
In her second memoir, Home Work, published in 2019, she wrote: “Looking back, I can’t think of a better introduction to film I could have ever had, and learned so much in such a short amount of time. The special effects and animation assignments alone were a massive learning experience that I’ll never have again.”
The film was an innovative mix of live action, animatronics and animation, with children magically transported into paintings and chimney sweeps dancing with penguins. When it premiered in Los Angeles in 1964, audiences gave a spontaneous five-minute standing ovation, and co-star Dick Van Dyke’s unusual Cockney accent both thrilled and bewildered audiences, leaving a lasting mark on the film’s legacy.
Mary Poppins was the number one grossing film in the United States in 1964; the second was My Fair Lady. Despite having played the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway, Andrews was passed over for Audrey Hepburn in the film adaptation, ironically because the studio felt she wasn’t a movie star enough. Mary Poppins was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards and won five, including Best Actress for Andrews and Best Original Song for Chim Chim Cher-ee. Andrews also won a BAFTA for her performance.
