Mary Poppins in 2004, Walt Disney first attempted to purchase the film rights to "Mary Poppins" from P. L. Travers as early as 1938, but was rebuffed because Travers did not believe a film version of her books would do justice to her creation and did not want an animated cartoon based on it. The books had been a favourite of Disney's daughters when they were children, and he finally succeeded in purchasing the rights in 1961, although Travers demanded and got script approval rights. The relationship between Travers and Disney is detailed in "Mary Poppins She Wrote", a biography of Travers,
Mary Poppins (film) the film has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". "Variety" praised the film's musical sequences and the performances of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, in particular. "Time" lauded the film, stating, "The sets are luxuriant, the songs lilting, the scenario witty but impeccably sentimental, and the supporting cast only a pinfeather short of perfection." Critic Drew Casper summarized the impact of "Mary Poppins" in 2011: The film earned $31 million in North American rentals during its initial run. The film was re-released theatrically in 1973, in honor of Walt