Mary Poppins (film) Banks as a junior partner. With her work done, Mary Poppins flies away, with Bert bidding her farewell, telling her not to stay away too long. The first novel in the "Mary Poppins" series was the film's main basis. According to the 40th Anniversary DVD release of the film in 2004, Disney's daughters fell in love with the "Mary Poppins" books and made him promise to make a film based on them. 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
Mary Poppins to go fly it outside. Though this is not the character specifically created in the books, he is represented well. Though he came across as brash and harsh and remained that way in the books, Disney felt that would be a pessimistic persona to portray. In the 1964 Disney film he is portrayed by David Tomlinson. The title of the film "Saving Mr. Banks" (as explained in dialogue at the film's climax) arises from the interpretation that Mary Poppins is actually not there to save the children, but to save their father. The film surmises that Travers wrote the Mary