Making Mary Poppins: The Sherman Brothers, Walt Disney, and the Creation of a Classic Film

The surprising story behind Walt Disney’s most successful live-action film. When Bob and Dick Sherman–two relatively unknown songwriters–first walked onto the Walt Disney Studios lot to pitch a song for Annette Funicello, they had no idea that they’d end up meeting Walt himself, or that a few months later they’d be developing the songs and story line for the studio’s biggest live-action movie ever. In this captivating book, Todd James Pierce details the process from conception through production, including the challenges that the boys–and Disney–faced in dealing with author P. L. Travers and persuading her that their vision for the film would resonate with audiences. While the Shermans and their songs are at the heart of the book, there are also lively anecdotes about the casting of the movie, the innovative special effects, and the relationship between “Mary Poppins” and the larger Disney world. Making Mary Poppins tells the fascinating story behind an iconic film.