Mary Poppins (character) air of grace and elegance about her. Author P. L. Travers was very firm about Mary Poppins' appearance in the novel's illustrations, working closely with illustrator Mary Shepard to create an image of the character. Eventually they based Mary Poppins' appearance on that of a Dutch doll: tall and bony, with short black hair, large blue eyes, a snub nose, and a prim, pursed mouth. Travers originally objected to the casting of Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, claiming Andrews was too attractive for the role; however, upon meeting Andrews in person for the first time, Travers allegedly examined the actress
Mary Poppins (film) earning a net profit of $28.5 million. Walt Disney used his huge profits from the film to purchase land in central Florida and finance the construction of Walt Disney World. "Mary Poppins" is widely considered to be Walt Disney's "crowning achievement". It was the only film of Disney's to garner a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars in his lifetime. The film also inspired the eighth season episode of "The Simpsons" entitled "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious", featuring a parody of Mary called "Shary Bobbins" who helps out the Simpson family after Marge loses her hair due to stress, and spoofs of the