from Google: “”Spitspot” is generally taken to mean “Hurry up! No dawdling!” Most people first heard of it when it was used by the character Mary Poppins in the film of the same name (and the series of books on which it’s based).”…I didn’t really know what that meant in Mary Poppins…I just assumed it had to do with tidiness… like spit polishing your shoes…so I was surprised to know it meant “hurry up!…no dawdling!”…makes sense since Mary says it to the children before cleaning up their room…then I kept reading…What does the saying “spit spot” mean? It means ‘look lively’ or ‘be quick about it’, with a hint of ‘and do what you are told’, and ‘no talk, all action’. As others have said it is used in Mary Poppins. Because it was used in the books, and that is because it was nursery-speak in Edwardian England.’…which begs the question when was Edwardian England… just Google it…1901 – 1910: The Edwardian era (1901-1914) is the last period in British history to be named after the monarch who reigned over it. Although Edward VII reigned from 1901 to 1910 to be succeeded by George V, the Edwardian period is generally considered to have ended at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.”…so it seems Mary Poppins is set in London in 1910….and Mrs. Banks, Glynis Johns was marching for a woman’s right to vote…right smack dab in the Edwardian era…this was Julie Andrews first feature role…before a theater star…from Wikipedia: “she rose to prominence in Broadway musicals starring as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1956) and Queen Guinevere in Camelot (1960). She also starred in the Rodgers and Hammerstein television musical Cinderella (1957)”…but when it came to play Eliza Doolittle on the big screen, the part went to Audrey Hepburn…she was so beautiful coming down the steps at Professor Higgins house in that beautiful gown and those “rented” jewels…it was so worth it…the same year that Mary Poppins was up for consideration for Oscar…as well as My Fair Lady, Becket, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and Zorba the Greek…My Fair Lady won almost everything…including Best Picture, Best Director to George Cukor, Best Art Direction Color to Art Direction: Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins, Best Sound, Best Cinematography Color to Harry Stradling, Best Music Scoring of Music – Adaptation or Treatment to Andre Previn, while Mary Poppins won Film Editing for Cotton Warburton, Best Song for Chim Chim Cher-ee in “Mary Poppins” Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, Best Music Score – Substantially Original to Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, and Best Visual Effects to Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett, Hamilton Luske…but when to came to Best Actress they gave it to Julie Andrews aka Mary Poppins against ANNE BANCROFT, The Pumpkin Eater, SOPHIA LOREN, Marriage Italian Style. DEBBIE REYNOLDS. The Unsinkable Molly Brown and KIM STANLEY, Seance on a Wet Afternoon..and wonderful, beautiful Audrey wasn’t even nominated…snub of snubs…by whoever nominated the Best Actress actresses…Audrey Hepburn did become an EGOT despite the snub…I went to see Mary Poppins this afternoon…spitspot at 1:00…barely made it…from Wikipedia: “Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. Travers‘s book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins, who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family’s dynamic. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes.
Mary Poppins was released on August 27, 1964, to critical acclaim and commercial success, earning $44 million in theatrical rentals in its original run. It became the highest-grossing film of 1964 in the United States, and at the time of its release became Disney’s highest-grossing film. During its theatrical lifetime, it grossed over $103 million worldwide. It received a total of thirteen Academy Award nominations—a record for any film released by Walt Disney Studios—including Best Picture, and won five: Best Actress for Andrews, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee“. It is considered Walt Disney’s crowning live-action achievement and is the only one of his films to earn a Best Picture nomination during his lifetime. In 2013, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
A biographical drama based on the making of the film, Saving Mr. Banks, was released on October 20, 2013. A sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, was released on December 19, 2018.”…
I was out of Mary Poppins in enough time to pick up Elissa, to go in town to Julia and Maddy’s happy hour get-together…up to the fourth floor walk-up…reminds me of Doris’ first apartment in D.C., in Georgetown…it was lovely and fun…great little spread…they drove around Penn and Drexel for Sydney during the day…Sydney stayed overnight last night after Susan’s…we had a great time at Julia and Maddy’s Happy Hour…Elissa was back at home at 10:00ish…it was a great Sunday…that had a little pouring of rain…it was pretty quick…spitspot!…
Art Salazar 