Who Played Me in "Mary Poppins"? Quiz

Answer: David Tomlinson

Tomlinson, born on May 7th, 1917 in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, was cast as George Banks. George worked at a prestigious bank in London and was at his job so much that he did not spend as much time with his children, Jane and Michael. Early on in the film, George places an advertisement in the newspaper for a new nanny and he winds up hiring Mary Poppins. Midway through the movie, George speaks to Mary about how he dislikes her having the children partake in frivolous activities, such as jumping into drawings on the sidewalk and having tea parties on the ceiling.

At the end of the film, George is fired from his job at the bank because, previously, his children caused a run at the bank. However, near the very end, George not only gets his job back but is exalted to the title of partner at the bank.

Many "Mary Poppins" fans feel that Mary Poppins came to the Banks residence not so much to help the children but to help George Banks by encouraging him to spend more time with his children doing entertaining activities so he would not miss out on those fun times as they get older. Tomlinson starred in the films "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", "The Love Bug" and "Dominique".

Answer: Julie Andrews

Andrews, a native of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, played Mary Poppins. Mary was a magical nanny and she would arrive at places while using her umbrella, which had flying capabilities. When Mary arrived at the Banks residence, she spoke to Mr. Banks about an advertisement to be a nanny. Mary read off the qualifications in the ad but it was the one that Jane and Michael had written. George had ripped it up and thrown it into the fire but Mary pieced it back together. Mary went up to see Jane and Michael immediately after the interview with Mr. Banks and helped them tidy up their room. Mary would be seen having the children participate in fun activities, like jumping into a drawing, having a tea party on the ceiling and many others.

When it appears that George Banks will fire Mary, Mary encourages him to take Jane and Michael to the bank.

In one scene, Mary was seen dancing with chimney sweeps to the popular song, "Step in Time". In her final scene, Mary departed from the Banks residence via her umbrella since the wind changed and it was after her job was complete, i.e. to get George to spend more time with his kids. Andrews had roles in the movies "The Sound of Music", "The Princess Diaries" and "Victor Victoria".

In 1965, Andrews won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Mary Poppins. Other Oscar nominees for Best Actress that year were Anne Bancroft for "The Pumpkin Eater", Debbie Reynolds for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", Kim Stanley for "Séance on a Wet Afternoon" and Sophia Loren for "Marriage Italian Style".

Answer: Matthew Garber

Garber, born in 1956 in Stepney, London, England, landed the part of Michael Banks. Michael was shocked when he saw Mary slide up the banister at his residence. When Mary got up the stairs, she told Michael to close his mouth since he was not a cod fish. Michael was surprised when Mary pulled items out of her carpet bag while in his and Jane's room because most items were too large to fit in the bag.

When Michael jumped into the drawing on the sidewalk, he was seen in the drawing riding on a blue carousel horse.

At the end of the film, Michael flew a kite during the film's popular song, "Let's Go Fly a Kite". Garber played characters in the films "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and "The Gnome-Mobile". Garber tragically died from pancreatitis at the age of 21.

Answer: Karen Dotrice

Dotrice got the part of Jane Banks for "Mary Poppins". Jane was first seen coming home after she and Michael ran off to try and fly their kite. Jane apologized to her father for leaving home that day so she made it up to Mr. Banks by writing most of the advertisement for a new nanny.

When a queue of nannies lined up outside the residence on the day of the interview, Jane was surprised when the applicants did not look like what she and Michael wanted in their advertisement. Like Michael, Jane participated in many fun filled activities, including jumping into the drawing on the sidewalk.

In the drawing, Jane rode on a pink carousel horse. Later in the film, Jane and Michael caused a run on the bank after Mr. Dawes, Sr. took Michael's tuppence and many customers in the bank at that time assumed the bank would not give someone their money. Michael said they caused a problem at the bank and their father sent many law enforcement authorities after them but Jane told Michael not to exaggerate. Near the very end of the film, Jane cried when Mary Poppins started to pack up to leave because she wanted Mary to stay. Dotrice had roles in the movies "Upstairs, Downstairs", "The Thirty Nine Steps" and "Joseph Andrews".

Answer: Arthur Malet

Malet, born on September 24th, 1927 in Lee-on-Solent, England, was cast as Mr. Dawes, Junior. Mr. Dawes, Junior worked at the bank which employed Mr. Banks and was first seen when George took Jane and Michael to the bank. During a song, Mr. Dawes, Jr. told Michael that he could use his tuppence to help fund matters of private enterprise.

After the bank run, Mr. Dawes, Jr. called the Banks residence and told George he was to come to the bank at 9:00 p.m. When George arrived, Mr. Dawes, Jr. informed him that the last time there was a run on the bank was when the bank loaned a sum of money to finance a shipment of tea to the American colonies.

As the colonists dumped the tea into the harbor in the famous Boston Tea Party event, the loan defaulted and there was a run on that bank.

At the very end of the film, Mr. Dawes, Jr. told George that his father died laughing after George told jokes at the meeting where he was fired. George apologized but Mr. Dawes Jr. told him not to be sorry since he had never seen his father happier in his life. Due to Mr. Dawes, Sr.'s death, Mr. Dawes, Jr. promoted George to take his father's place as a partner in the bank. Malet starred in the films "Halloween" (1978), "Hook" and "Dick Tracy".

Answer: Glynis Johns

Johns, who was born in Pretoria, South Africa, landed the part of Winnifred Banks. Winnifred took part in the cause to get women the right to vote and was seen early in the film singing a song about the suffragette movement. When George arrived home one day, he was disappointed after Winnifred told him that Jane and Michael were not home. Winnifred said she thought Katie Nanna would be a great nanny for the kids.

She was happy when George said he would do the job of selecting the new nanny. After George told Winnifred that he hired Mary Poppins to be the nanny and felt Mary would be great with the children, Winnifred was glad because she said she would have bungled in selecting a nanny to replace Katie Nanna. Winnifred was seen later on in the film dancing with the chimney sweeps. Near the very end of the movie, Winnifred was seen with George and the kids flying a kite on a day when many other locals were also flying kites. Johns had roles in the movies "The Ref", "The Court Jester" and "Under Milk Wood". Johns was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1961 for her role in "The Sundowners" but lost to Shirley Jones for "Elmer Gantry".

Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress that year were Mary Ure for "Sons and Lovers", Janet Leigh for "Psycho" and Shirley Knight for "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs".

Answer: Arthur Treacher

Treacher, a native of Brighton, East Sussex, England, got the small part of the constable. The constable found Jane and Michael and took them home early on in the film. George and Winnifred were thankful to him but the constable scoffed at George when George told him that the cook would get him something as a thank you for returning the children.

The constable said he had to get back to work so he wished everyone good night. At the end of the film, the constable telephoned his colleagues at the police station about George going missing during the previous night but he delightfully told them that George not only had returned to the Banks residence but was rather euphoric. Treacher played characters in the films "Stowaway", "Heidi" and "Slave Girl".

Answer: Elsa Lanchester

Lanchester, born in 1902 in Lewisham, London, England, portrayed Katie Nanna. Katie Nanna was the nanny at the Banks residence but she was fed up due to Jane and Michael running off. She packed her bags and told the other workers at the residence that she could not stay in the house any longer.

When Winnifred arrived home, Katie Nanna informed her that Jane and Michael were not at home since they had run off. Winnifred told Katie Nanna that it was careless of her to let the kids run off and Katie Nanna broke the news that she was leaving. Winnifred begged Katie Nanna to stay, especially since George had started to like her. Katie Nanna rejected her overture.

When Katie Nanna got outside the residence, George had just arrived home from the bank and put Katie Nanna's suitcase in a carriage and Katie got in the carriage to leave. George at that point had no idea that Katie Nanna had quit her job as Jane and Michael's nanny. Lanchester was seen in the movies "Willard", "Me, Natalie" and "Bell Book and Candle".

In 1958, Lanchester was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "Witness for the Prosecution" but lost to Miyoshi Umeki for "Sayonara". Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress that year were Hope Lange for "Peyton Place", Diane Varsi for "Peyton Place", and Carolyn Jones for "The Bachelor Party".

Answer: Dick Van Dyke

Van Dyke, born on December 13th, 1925 in West Plains, Missouri, landed the role of Bert. Bert worked as a jack of all trades in this film and two of the jobs he had was a chimney sweep and a kite salesman. Bert was a good friend of Mary's and he noticed her one day with the kids.

The kids mentioned that Mary was taking them to the park but Bert said that was unlikely because, when people are with Mary, they go to places they could never dream of going. Bert tried to get the kids to jump into a drawing with him but was unable to do such so Mary showed them how to do it.

When the kids ran away from the bank after the bank run, they ran into Bert and spoke to him about what happened. Bert mentioned to the kids how he felt sorry for their father since George had nobody to look after him when things went awry at the bank whereas the kids had many people to turn to if they were in trouble.

At the end of the movie, Bert worked as a kite salesman and was seen singing a few lyrics to the popular song "Let's Go Fly a Kite". Van Dyke starred in the films "Night at the Museum", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Cold Turkey".

Answer: Jane Darwell

Darwell, a native of Palmyra, Missouri, had the small part of the bird woman. Midway through the film, Mary Poppins sang the beautiful song "Feed the Birds", and the bird woman was featured in that song feeding a bunch of pigeons. In the next scene, George, Jane and Michael went to the bank and they saw the bird woman on the steps to St. Paul's. Michael noted that the bird woman sold bags of bird feed for the cost of tuppence.

It has been said that Walt Disney's favorite song from the film was "Feed the Birds". Darwell appeared in the movies "Gone With the Wind", "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Girls in Prison".