Disney's Long-Running Pursuit of Mary Poppins Rights Finally Bears Fruit

Walt Disney's pursuit of the rights to adapt P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins began in 1938, four years after the first book was published. Despite repeated refusals from Travers, Disney continued to send offers until she finally agreed to an adaptation in 1959, with Travers maintaining 'final say' on the script.

Two years into the adaptation process, P.L. Travers visited Disney Studios and expressed discontent with the work done so far. She stipulated that Mary should never be impolite to anyone and that the parents should not undergo a change of heart. Julie Andrews was eventually cast as Mary Poppins after Disney saw her in Camelot.

Dick Van Dyke, who played Bert, reportedly 'begged' Walt Disney for the role and even offered to do it for free. He later joked about his Cockney accent, saying he made up a story that it wasn't from London but rather a small county in northern England.