Longtime resident Julie Andrews and her work in the legendary 1964 film “Mary Poppins” will live on in history. The famous story about a nanny with miraculous talents has been added to the Library of Congress and its National Registry.
The supercalifragilisticexpialidocious family favorite also starred lovable local Dick Van Dyke. The Disney musical is based on the novel by P.L. Travers. Back in the day, it earned five Academy Award honors, including best song for Dick’s “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and best leading actress for Julie.
“Mary Poppins” is the latest of 25 beloved films to make it on to the National Registry. The latest selections span the history of filmmaking from 1919 to 2002.
In addition to “Poppins,” the list includes the early days of modern space aviation with 1983’s “The Right Stuff.” Other selections span the celluloid spectrum from 1929’s “Daughter of Dawn” to Michael Moore’s “Roger and Me.” The controversial and award-winning film was produced in 1989 and tells the tale of Moore’s ambitious pursuit to get answers on the automotive industry from General Motors’ CEO Roger Smith.
Other memorable entries include 1964’s “Gilda.” The film noir romance starred Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth. And who could forget the classic scenes of “Pulp Fiction”? Quentin Tarantino’s cutting-edge classic put “Saturday Night Fever”’s John Travolta back on the map. There were many memorable performances by the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman.
The graphic movie tells the tale of two mob hit men, a boxer and a gangster’s wife and how their lives come together in a story of violence and redemption. In addition to the violence and drama, it had several iconic scenes, like Travolta and Thurman tearing it up on the dance floor.
The effort earned Tarantino his first screenplay Oscar and went on to win the prestigious Palme d’Ore in Cannes.
Others on the registry include the 1966 Mike Nichols’ “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” featuring Academy Award-winner Elizabeth Taylor, as well as one of her favorite husbands, Richard Burton. (They married twice!) “The Magnificent Seven” with Yule Brynner and Steve McQueen also landed a top spot, as well as “Judgment at Nuremberg.”
Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, a selection must be at least 10 years old and must meet the criteria in terms of its authentic, historic or aesthetic qualities.
The Library’s James H. Billington sums it up by saying these films represent “the key component of American cultural history. However, it is endangered and we must protect the nation’s matchless film heritage and cinematic history.”