Tuesday, March 31, 2020

March 31 - Robert Stevenson


Happy Birthday, Robert Stevenson! Born today in 1905 as Robert Edward Stevenson, this English actor, film screenwriter and director, after directing a number of British films, was given a contract by American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive David O. Selznick and moved to Hollywood in the 1940s. 
  
Stevenson later ended up directing nineteen films for the Walt Disney Company in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, becoming the most commercially successful director in the history of film. 

With Disney, he also directed the first two Herbie films, 'The Love Bug' (1968) and 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), as well as 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' (1971). Three of his films featured English actor David Tomlinson. 
  
Of his films with Disney, Stevenson is best known for directing the 1964 American Technicolor musical/family film 'Mary Poppins'. 

The film was based off of Australian-British writer P.L. Travers' eponymous series of eight children's books. On a budget of $4.4–6 million, the film grossed $103.1 million at the box office. 
  
The following year, 'Mary Poppins' received a total of thirteen Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, a record for any film released by Walt Disney Studios. 

It also received five nominations for Best Actress for Julie Andrews, Best Film EditingBest Original Music ScoreBest Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee". This occurred at the 37th Academy Awards in early April 1965. 
  
'Mary Poppins' is considered Disney's crowning live-action achievement, and is the only one of his films which earned a Best Picture nomination during his lifetime 
  
In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 
  
Whether it was levitating nannies or leprechauns, Stevenson's unusual knack for blending fantasy with credibility made anything seem possible. 
  
Stevenson had been active from 1928–1985.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykieEE1j9eA  
  
#borntodirect 
@Disney 
@BFI 
@librarycongress 
@Britannica

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