Mary Poppins & original novel

[Mactor327]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:43pm

I saw MP, afew months ago and i thought it was brilliant. It was very disney. But, for those who have seen it, you know its not at all verbatim to the movie. The plot is very different. So i am asking, is the musical based on the original novel by P.L. travvers or was it an original concept by disney so it translates better onstage?

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:57pm

I haven't read the original novel, but my guess is it leans more towards the movie. I do know that in the novel, Mary wasn't all spoonful-of-sugar and practically perfect. Apparently, she was kinda scary. I read somewhere that the movie strayed so far from the novel that P.L. Travers left the premier in tears.

[ski2904]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:00pm

The stage version mixed the elements of the movie with the books. Most of the Disney movie is only based on the first books in the series, and the stage production changes some parts of the movie and incorporates them with elements of the book, like singing Supercal at Mrs. Corry's.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:37pm

Exactly -- MARY POPPINS (stage version and the original 1964 Disney film) isn't based on a novel but a series of books. Elements from the books were used in both incarnations of MARY POPPINS, not just one of the books.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:00pm

"I read somewhere that the movie strayed so far from the novel that P.L. Travers left the premier in tears."

According to a biography of Walt Disney that I just read, Travers approached him at the premiere and told him that, "It was a good first draft, that Andrews woman is ok, but Bert will have to be replaced."

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:27pm

There is so much in each of the original books that can be used. Each chapter is a different story. There is no "romantic" feeling between Mary and Bert as is suggested in the film and the stage version. Yes, Mary can be a bit scary in the books.
I've read and reread all of them.

[ski2904]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:54pm

According to the Disney bio "Magic Kingdom", the movie drew from seven chapters of the books. I don't know how many more the musical uses. I should really probably know since I just wrote a paper on the movie and musical and my professor for the class wrote the biography.

[JaredBway]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:59pm

While I don't think Mary is scary in the show, she is still far from always being a spoon full of sugar, esp. with Ashley Brown's brilliant portrayal.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 12:09am

I know that in the books she does have more of an edge to her. And that she isn't as sweet as she comes of in the movies.

I do know that the show was trying to be a hybrid of the books and the movie.

I was at the lecture at Barns and Nobel which featured Brown and the guy that wrote the companion book to Mary Poppins. He said that they took elements from the book and had them lead into things that the audience knew and loved from the movies. An example would be Mrs. Correy and the talking shop which is from the books and have something from the movie like Supercal take place there.

The plot line about Mr. Banks almost loosing his job at the bank and all that was a story line that was created just for the musical and wasn't seen in either the books or the movie.

[BWayJunkie]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 12:21am

Actually, I'm really glad this question was asked. I work the show so I'm constantly around it have been since November, but there are still things about it that I don't know and probably should. Although many people don't really like "Temper, Temper," it happens to be one of my favorite numbers (probably because I love Cat Walker as the Glam Doll). Anyway, if anyone knows, was Temper, Temper for the show derived from a story line in one of the other books in the series? I've read most of the first book and it's not in there and it's definately not in the film. Just curious where the premise for Temper, Temper came from.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 12:27am

I don't remember if Temper Temper completly came out of the books or it was an idea that came out of the books. I know that the general idea was to show Poppin's darker side and show the creative ways she punished kids as well as had fun with them.

I know that that is gotten more into in the books rather then the movie. As I said, I don't know if Temper Temper was a story line from the book or was based off the general idea that Poppins was more bitchy in the books then in the movie.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 4:59am

I read someone that Pamela Traver refused to give the rights to the book for a stage version as she did not want to see the film on stage and Cameron Mackintosh finally succeeded aquiring them by going to see her and explaining that he had in mind.

I think the stage version of Mary Poppins does improve upon the film is that fleshes out Mr and Mrs Banks and gives a reason why the family need Mary.

I've never understood why people regard Julie Andrews portrayal of MP as sweet compared to the books and the stage version, I've thought that she was quite stern at times.

[metropolis10111]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 7:07am

I don't remember if Temper Temper completly came out of the books or it was an idea that came out of the books. I know that the general idea was to show Poppin's darker side and show the creative ways she punished kids as well as had fun with them.


Temper Temper is sorta based on a chapter in the original book called Bad Wednesday. I love the books and liked the fact that they used more of it. The Hole Jolly Holiday number is now from the book as well. I'd have to go back and check, but I think that all the ideas came from the first book.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 3:21pm

I always thought Julie Andrews was stern most of the time too. Although who would want any other nanny--sweet or stern? Andrews portrayal remains definitive in my book.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 5:49pm

metropolis10111, Thank you for clearing the whole thing up regarding Temper Temper.


It was said earlier in the thread that the movie was based on seven chapters of one of the books. Jolly Holiday could have easily been in one of those chapters.