Movie Musings: Disney and More

Karen and Matthew: Two Disney Peas in a Pod

Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964) is one of the most special films in the history of the studio and there are many reasons why: Beautiful music, exquisite costumes, heartwarming dialogue, breathtaking scenery, and of course, wonderful acting performances. Julie Andrews was a hit in her Oscar-winning film debut performance as Mary Poppins, with Dick Van Dyke portraying lovable chimney sweep Bert. David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns played Mr. and Mrs. George Banks, and Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber played their children, Jane and Michael. Did you happen to know that, like many stars of classic Disney films, the children also have a remarkable history at the studio.

Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber made their debut at the Disney Studios starring together in The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963). They made “Mary Poppins,” next and The Gnome-Mobile (1967). In both “Poppins,” and “Gnome-Mobile,” they portrayed brother and sister, but their characters in “Thomasina,” were not related. 

Dotrice and Garber were fortunate enough to work with Ed Wynn in both “Poppins,” and “Gnome-Mobile.” As they shot the “I Love to Laugh sequence,” in “Mary Poppins,” (with Ed Wynn as the laughing Uncle Albert) they had to be hung from wires all day. Matthew Garber disliked being hung from the wires, but someone who worked on the film offered him a dime for every take that he did of the sequence, and he made a great deal of money as a result! 

After “Gnome-Mobile,” Garber permanently retired from the acting world and unfortunately passed away at the untimely age of 21 as a result of pancreatic cancer.

Dotrice’s family, is overrun with actors. Her parent met and married while performing in repertory theatre in England. Her godfather was Charles Laughton, who was married to Elsa Lanchester, who portrayed Katie Nanna in “Mary Poppins.” Her father Roy, was also a close friend of the Garber family. (It was because of him that Matthew Garber won the role of Michael Banks in “Poppins.”) Karen Dotrice continued acting until 1984.     

At which point, she became a full-time wife and mother, marrying actor Alex Hyde-White in 1986. (Alex Hyde-White went portrayed David Morse in Pretty Woman (1990) for Disney. His father, Wilfrid Hyde-White, played Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady (1964) and made In Search of the Castaways for Disney in 1965). In 1987, Karen Dotrice’s older sister, Michele Dotrice married Golden-Globe Winning actor Edward Woodward. (Woodward received his Golden Globe for the Drama Series The Equalizer (1985-1989 and also starred in the Emmy-Nominated television adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1984) with George C. Scott, playing the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present.)    

Dotrice and Hyde-White’s marriage produced one son, Garrick, but unfortunately resulted in divorce in 1992. Dotrice remarried in 1994 to television producer Ned Nalle and they have a daughter and a son together, Isabella and Griffin. Today, Dotrice makes public appearances and provides commentary for various Disney projects including the documentaries Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (2001) and The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story (2009). She and Matthew Garber were both named Disney legends in 2004 which was the 40th anniversary of “Poppins.”

Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber’s performances as Jane and Michael Banks were just two of many assets that helped make “Mary Poppins,” the classic that it’s been for the last 52 years. While “Poppins,” is arguably the best work for both of these child actors, their adorable brother/sisterly chemistry was maintained throughout the course of all three of their Disney films. There is currently a sequel to “Poppins,” entitled Mary Poppins Returns in the pre-production stages at Disney. It will star Emily Blunt as the title character and Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw as grown-up Jane and Michael Banks. The sequel has a planned released date of Christmas Day 2018.