This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the movie Mary Poppins.
English Professor Jan Susina takes a look at the battle that brought the beloved book to the screen, as detailed in the movie Saving Mr. Banks. He also explores the odd connection Walt Disney and Mary Poppins author P. L. Travers have to Illinois and Illinois State University.
“It’s a fascinating story, and much of it is true,” Susina said of the movie Saving Mr. Banks, which was nominated for several Oscars.
Though she was open about her disdain to Walt Disney and the scriptwriters, Travers remained mum publically about her disagreements with the film until after Disney’s death in 1966. The first mention of her disappointment is—oddly enough—in a letter to then-Illinois State University student Joyce Madden.
Read more about Susina’s take on the Mary Poppins connection in Report.
