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Stories

Kurt Russell Inspired The Penguins Scene In ‘Mary Poppins’

by Lauren Novak

Published February 11, 2023

Kurt Russell inspired the penguins scene in Mary Poppins

While the scene in Mary Poppins where Dick Van Dyke’s character dances with penguins is one of the most beloved scenes in the film, fans may not realize who inspired it. When actor Kurt Russell was young, he actually had a close friendship with Walt Disney himself. Walt would often ask Kurt about his opinions on new films.

Walt reportedly asked Kurt what he thought of the then-current version of Mary Poppins. He said it was only “okay.” After talking to Kurt they decided that the film needed some penguins and that scene was added in. At the time, it was very difficult to add animations.

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Kurt Russell inspired the penguins scene in ‘Mary Poppins’

MARY POPPINS, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, 1964
MARY POPPINS, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, 1964 / Everett Collection

Even so, the team worked tirelessly and it was worth it. When the film came out in 1964, it was one of the first movies that featured both live-action and animations. Frank Thomas was in charge of the scene’s animations and once talked about the difficulty of creating the scene.

RELATED: The Cast Of ‘Mary Poppins’ Then And Now 2022

THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL, Kurt Russell, 2014
THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL, Kurt Russell, 2014. © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

He said, “As I get the film of Dick actually doing the dance, here’s his feet flying all around [and] stepping on my penguins. […] So I had them duck and I had them jump and I had them get out of the way any way they could.”

MARY POPPINS, Dick Van Dyke, 1964
MARY POPPINS, Dick Van Dyke, 1964 / Everett Collection

Interesting to think that because of the talented animators and Kurt’s inspiration, the film may have never featured that iconic scene! Watch it again below:

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