High Flyers
You know the scene, when stuffy ol’ Mr Banks finally gets fired from the Bank he goes where any woe begone Banker would go because it’s the only place nobody gives a darn who you are and he does the only thing an out-of-work Banker might see themselves capable of doing at that moment in time. He flies a kite! Single lining as it’s known today.
It’s been 45 years since David Tomlinson played the hapless Mr Banks, the eternally youthful Dick Van Dyke was Bert and Julie Andrews spit-spotted her way into our aging hearts as Mary Poppins. Robert B. Sherman’s lyrics ring in our ears.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
Mr. Banks:”With tuppence for paper and strings l You can have your own set of wings l With your feet on the ground l You’re a bird in a flight l With your fist holding tight l To the string of your kite l Oh, oh, oh! l Let’s go fly a kite l Up to the highest height! l Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring l Up through the atmosphere l Up where the air is clear l Oh, let’s go fly a kite!
Bert: When you send it flyin’ up there l All at once you’re lighter than air l You can dance on the breeze l Over ‘ouses and trees l With your first ‘olding tight l To the string of your kite l
Londoners: Oh, oh, oh! l Let’s go fly a kite l Up to the highest height! l Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring Up through the atmosphere l Up where the air is clear l Let’s go fly a kite!
The Sherman Brothers
Robert B. Sherman is an American-born songwriter who specialised in musical films with his brother Richard M. Sherman. Some of his best known writing include the songs from Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose and the Disney Theme Park song, “It’s a Small World (after all)”.
In 1958, Sherman founded the music publishing company, Music World Corporation that later worked with Disney’s BMI publishing arm, Wonderland Music Company. That same year the Sherman Brothers had their first “Top Ten” hit with ‘Tall Paul’ sung by Mouseketeer, Annette Funicello. The success of this song yielded the attention of Walt Disney who eventually hired the Sherman Brothers as Staff Songwriters for Walt Disney Studios.
While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote what is perhaps their most recognised song: “It’s a Small World(after all)” for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In 1965, the brothers won 2 Academy Awards for Mary Poppins that included the songs “Feed The Birds”, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and the Oscar winner, “Chim Chim Cher-ee”.
Since Mary Poppins’ premiered, Robert B. Sherman has subsequently earned 9 Academy Award nominations, 2 Grammy Awards, 4 Grammy Award nominations and 23 gold and platinum albums. These were no average flying kite flyers! Robert and Richard Sherman worked directly for Walt Disney until Disney’s death in 1966. Since leaving the company the brothers have worked freelance as songwriters on scores of motion pictures, television shows, theme park exhibits and stage musicals.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli’s motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968 that also garnered the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination. They made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer for which they also authored the screenplay.
The Slipper and the Rose was chosen to be the Royal Command Performance of the Year and was attended by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. It was an adaptation of the classic Cinderella story. That same year the Sherman Brothers received their star on the Hollywood “Walk of Fame” directly across from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Their numerous other Disney and Non-Disney top box office film credits have included The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Parent Trap (1961), The Parent Trap (1998), Charlotte’s Web (1973) , The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland (1992).
Outside the motion picture realm, Over Here! (1974) was the biggest-grossing original Broadway Musical of that year. They also wrote numerous top selling songs including “You’re Sixteen” which holds the distinction of reaching Billboard’s #1 spot twice; first with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen years later. Other top-ten hits included, “Pineapple Princess”, “Let’s Get Together” [from The parent Trap] and many more.
The Disney Company
In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for Disney’s blockbuster film: The Tigger Movie (2000). This film marked the brothers’ first major motion picture for the Disney company in over twenty eight years. Two years later, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was turned into a musical for the London stage. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently the most successful stage show ever produced at the London Palladium boasting the longest run in that century old theatre’s history. In early 2005 a second Chitty company premiered on Broadway (New York City) at the Hilton Theatre. The Sherman Brothers wrote an additional six songs specifically for the new stage productions.
In that same year Sherman moved from Beverly Hills to London, England where he continues to write and paint. The following year, four Sherman Brothers’ musicals ranked in the “Top 10 Favorite Children’s Films of All Time” in a (British) nationwide poll reported by the BBC. The Jungle Book (1967)_ranked at #7, Mary Poppins (1964) ranked at #8, The Aristocats (1970) ranked at #9 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) topped the list at #1.
A new Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical made its world premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004 and featured the Sherman Brothers classic songs. A year later, Robert B. Sherman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with his brother. A further tribute was paid to Robert at the Théâtre de Vevey in Vevey, Switzerland by the Ballet Romand. Chitty opened on Broadway in 2005 and commenced its first full UK tour with subsequent tours and/or tour dates in each year since. Poppins opened on Broadway in 2006.
An Autobiographical Novel
In 2008, Robert Sherman completed an autobiographical novel entitled ‘Moose’ while Poppins embarked on a UK tour as well as a world tour beginning in Göteborg, Sweden. But the culmination of these doyens of the industry came on 17 November, 2008 when Robert and Richard were awarded the National Medal of Arts at the White House by President George W. Bush in the East Room.
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the Congress of the United States in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and ceremoniously presented the award by the President of the United States.
It’s fitting don’t you think! I do, for all the charm and loveliness they brought to many over the years who probably never stayed seated in the picture theatres long enough to know the names of two brothers that took some of us flying with them. To Robert and Richard, thank you.
