10 Movies Actors Thought Would Suck (But Were Awesome)
4. David Tomlinson Called Mary Poppins "Sentimental Rubbish"
Mary Poppins is a film that radiates confidence from its every pore, giving the impression that everybody knew they were making something truly special and gave 110% accordingly.
Yet David Tomlinson, who played Mr. Banks in the film, wasn't quite so convinced. According to his son James, Tomlinson viewed dailies of Mary Poppins during production and had little faith in the end product turning out well:
"When he saw the rushes for Poppins - he watched them with Walt Disney - he thought it was the most sentimental rubbish he had ever seen. He thought it was going to be a disaster. It's good he wasn't a producer."
Ultimately the film's legacy speaks for itself - it was a colossal financial smash and scored a stonking 13 Oscar nominations with five wins, including a well-earned Best Actress triumph for Julie Andrews.
Beyond this, the film is largely accepted to be Walt Disney's crowning achievement as a producer, carrying with it such a large cultural cachet that a belated sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, was released 54 years later in 2018.