Disney's Long Fight for Mary Poppins: A Look Back at the Iconic Film's Development

Walt Disney first pursued the rights to adapt P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins in 1938, four years after the book's publication. Despite repeated offers over several years, Travers refused to give Disney the rights until 1959, when she finally agreed but insisted on having 'final say' on the script.

Travers reviewed the script and was not pleased with it, stating that Mary should never be impolite to anyone. She also took issue with the parents being harsh at first, only to change their ways later in the story.

Judie Andrews was considered for the role of Mary Poppins before Julie Andrews was cast. Andrews caught Disney's attention after performing 'What Do The Simple Folk Do?' on Broadway, and she eventually won over the part despite initial doubts that she would be able to star in it due to her commitment to another project.

The film took two years to develop, with the Sherman brothers writing around 32 songs, only 14 of which made it into the final version. Walt Disney's favorite song was 'Feed The Birds.'