Making Mary Poppins

When Bob and Dick Sherman—two relatively unknown songwriters—walked onto the Walt Disney Studios lot to pitch a song for Annette Funicello, they had no idea that they’d end up meeting Disney himself or that a few months later they’d be developing the songs and story line for the studio’s biggest live-action film ever. In this captivating book, Todd James Pierce details the process from conception through production, including the challenges faced in dealing with author P. L. Travers. While the Shermans and their songs are at the heart of the book, there are also lively anecdotes about the casting of the film, 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.