Darkish Dick Van Dyke tragedy that almost killed him and curse of the Mary Poppins solid
The world of Mary Poppins was practically perfect in every way – but behind-the-scenes there have been a number of devastating tragedies.
On-screen we were transported into a magical all-singing, all-dancing world with the much-loved British nanny and a various quirky characters.
But behind the innocent adventures of the 1964 classic, the cast were enduring personal struggles and health battles.
None more so than legendary actor Dick Van Dyke, who is thankfully still going strong at the age of 97-years-old and was recently unveiled as the Gnome on The Masked Singer.
From heartache to a suicidal battle with alcohol and a heartbreaking death, here’s a look back at the tragedies that befell the Mary Poppins cast.
Dick Van Dyke – Bert
Everyone loved cheery chimney sweep Bert(Image: Rex)
Played by Van Dyke, Bert was the one-man band, chimney sweep and kite seller with a terrible Cockney accent and a massive crush on Mary.
But during their days on set, Dick was hiding a dark secret – he was in the grips of alcoholism.
He was so desperate to get sober that he entered rehab twice, and when that failed he fell into a suicidal depression.
“We moved to a neighbourhood full of young families with the same age kids and everyone drank heavily, there were big parties every night. I would go to work with terrible hangovers which if you’re dancing is really hard,” he told the Telegraph.
“I was in deep trouble, you get suicidal and think you just can’t go on. I had suicidal feelings, it was just terrible.
“But then suddenly, like a blessing, the drink started not to taste good. I would feel a little dizzy and a little nauseous and I wasn’t getting the click. Today I wouldn’t want a drink for anything.”
After finally winning his 25-year battle, he returned to screens with Diagnosis Murder in 1993.
Dick Van Dyke was unveiled as the Gnome(Image: FOX)
Dick was unmasked as the Gnome of the American version of The Masked Singer this week – after reducing judge Nicole Scherzinger to tears.
He belted out a powerful rendition of When You’re Smiling by Frank Sinatra, then treated the audience to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins.
Nicole then gushed over the Mary Poppins icon as she broke down in tears.
“It was really dark in there. I couldn’t see anything,” Dick joked when asked how he found performing in the Gnome outfit.
“I love you so much, we love you, the whole world loves you so much. It’s an honour to have you on our show.
“I can’t believe you’re here, I’m trying to like play it cool. You look so gorgeous, you look so handsome,” she said.
Julie Andrews – Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews was apparently the opposite of her goodie-goodie character(Image: Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar)
Julie played the practically perfect Mary Poppins, but it was a different story off-camera.
Karen Dotrice, who played her young charge Jane Banks, said the Oscar winner was a foul-mouthed chain smoker behind-the-scenes.
“There was swearing. Julie Andrews was smoking on set. It was a very real 1960s set, I can tell you. They were polite around minors to begin with, but that soon ended,” she told The Sun.
Julie went on to win an Academy Award for her role before being cruelly robbed of the singing voice that had made her a star in a botched operation.
In 1997, she underwent surgery to remove noncancerous nodules from her vocal chords, but when she woke up her ability to sing had gone.
“If it had happened earlier, it would have been really devastating. As it was, it was devastating,” she told People magazine. “For a while, I was in total denial… I thought at the time, my voice was what I am.”
She later sued the two doctors and her case was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2000.
Matthew Garber – Michael Banks
Matthew Garber retired from acting soon after Mary Poppins(Image: Supplied by LMK)
Brit star Matthew played Michael Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins – but retired from acting aged 10.
He unknowingly contracted hepatitis while in India in 1976, but by the time his dad managed to get him home in 1977, it had already spread to his pancreas.
Sadly, Matthew died from haemorrhagic necrotising pancreatitis at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London at the age of just 21.
His brother Fergus, who was 13 when Matthew died, denied claims his brother contracted hepatitis by using drugs.
He said it had probably come from eating infected meat.
David Tomlinson – George Banks
David Tomlinson, pictured as Mr Banks, suffered a devastating personal loss(Image: Getty Images)
Tragically, David was widowed aged just 26 when his wife jumped from a hotel with her two sons, just weeks after they had got married.
Mary Lindsay Hiddingh’s first husband had been killed in action, leaving her to raise her two boys, Michael, eight, and John, six, alone.
Reportedly despondent over not being able to bring her children to the UK to be with David, Mary and the children plunged 15 floors on December 2, 1943, leaving him devastated.
He later married actress Audrey Freeman in May 1953 and they stayed together for 47 years until his death from a stroke aged 83.
