Even though Mary Poppins is a Disney classic, the original author of the book it was based on hated the Disney movie. P.L. Travers wrote the book about the fantastical nanny who saves the Banks family in 1934, and it was eventually adapted into a film by Disney in 1964. However, the adaption took far more work than many films as it was a struggle to get Travers to sign over the rights to the book.
Most authors would be thrilled to have a company like Disney adapt their work onto the big screen, even if it isn’t identical to their book. But Travers didn’t share the sentiment, frustrated by the child-friendly direction that the Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert, along with writer Don DaGradi, wanted to take the film. Her biggest complaint was that the film’s version of Mary Poppins was too nice. Mixing animation with live action and adding musical elements to the film were also a particularly sore spot for Travers. Composer Richard Sherman recently revealed, “She hated everything,” he says, recalling her insistence that they not make up words, such as Bert the chimney sweep rhyming “responstable” with “constable.” “She said, ‘Unmake it up.’ Oh God, it killed us.” (via Variety)
Why Mary Poppins’ Author Agreed To Have The Disney Movie Made
In spite of all this, Travers did eventually sign over the rights and the classic movie was a success. Walt Disney spent nearly 20 years trying to convince Travers to sign the rights over so the movie could be made, a problem he was not used to encountering. But Disney knew the movie would be a success, even spawning the successful sequel Mary Poppins Returns 54 years later. Disney was also bent on making the movie because his daughter had fallen in love with the book, and he promised her he would make it into a movie. Although it took two decades, Disney was able to fulfill his promise when Travers finally relented. Much like any author facing financial troubles today, the book was not performing very well and Travers needed the money that Disney could provide, so she begrudgingly agreed to let the movie be made.
How P.L Travers’ Disney Movie Hate Affected The Film Franchise
Mary Poppins has become something of a franchise with Mary Poppins Returns and the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks. There are even rumors that Mary Poppins 3 could be in the works. While not a formal Mary Poppins story, Saving Mr. Banks is based on Travers’ fights with Disney and the ultimate decision to produce the movie. However, Saving Mr. Banks is only based on the true story and sugarcoats a few details. Most notably, the film ends with Travers crying at the film premiere out of relief and happiness that her story has been done justice. In reality, Travers was so upset by the final film that she refused to do any further work with Disney and even included a clause in her will that none of her work should ever be adapted by them ever again.
Travers’s wishes have technically been honored, as the sequel was an original screenplay, although Mary Poppins Returns did draw inspiration from the books. Travers did warm slightly to Disney a few years before her death, going back and forth with Roy Disney on a possible sequel. But when she was just as demanding as ever (by not allowing Mary Poppins to wear red, for example), Roy eventually called the sequel off. If P.L Travers were alive today it would be reasonable to assume that she would be displeased with the two subsequent films featuring her beloved character of Mary Poppins.
