Robert B. Sherman, born December 19, 1925 and Richard M. Sherman, born June 12, 1928 were the only children of composer Al Sherman (1897-1973) and his wife Rosa.

Writing music most of their lives, they had their first hit that year with the song “Tall Paul” sung by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello which led to Walt Disney’s hiring them as studio staff songwriters. For Disney they wrote “It’s a Small World (After All)” for the 1964 World’s Fair, which later became a Disneyland theme park theme song. Working directly for Walt Disney, they scored such films as The Parent Trap; In Search of the Castaways; Summer Magic; The Sword in the Stone and Big Red before writing their iconic Oscar winning score for 1964’s Mary Poppins which also earned them a second Oscar for Best Song for “Chim Chim Cer-ee”.

The brothers’ last score written under Walt Disney’s direct supervision and approval was 1967’s The Happiest Millionaire which was completed prior to Disney’s death in December, 1966. They continued to work for the studio through 1967, completing The Jungle Book and The One and Only Genuine, Original Family Band. The latter film was released in 1968, the same year they scored their first independent film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for which they earned an Oscar nomination for the film’s title song.

Back at Disney, they scored 1970’s The Aristocats and 1971’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which earned them their fourth and fifth Oscar nominations for the film’s score and the song “The Age of Not Believing”.

Their infectious score for 1973’s Tom Sawyer, for which they also wrote the screenplay, earned them their sixth Oscar nomination. The Slipper and the Rose, another film for which they wrote the screenplay, received the Royal Command Performance for 1976. It earned the brothers their seventh and eighth Oscar nominations for Best Song (the film’s theme song) and Best Score after its release in the U.S. the following year.

Their ninth and final Oscar nomination came for the song “When You’re Loved” from the 1978 film, The Magic of Lassie.

Stretching their talents to Broadway, their 1974 World War II musical Over Here! received five Tony nominations and a win for Best Supporting Actress Janie Sell in a send-up of Marlene Dietrich. Broadway did not see their work again until the 2005 stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which had originated in London in 2002, followed by the stage version of Mary Poppins in London in 2004, on Broadway in 2006. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang received five Tony nominations and Mary Poppins eight, winning for Best Scenic Design.

Robert B. Sherman died in 2012 at 86. Richard M. Sherman soldiers on alone at 85. He was a major consultant on the 2013 film, Saving Mr. Banks which was about the maikng of Mary Poppins.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

MARY POPPINS (1964), directed by Robert Stevenson

The Sherman Brothers’ score, along with Julie Andrews’ enchanting screen debut, was the main reason for the film’s unparalleled success with awards organizations, something that had eluded Walt Disney aside from his record wins for animation and occasional nods for Best Song. The film received thirteen Oscar nominations and won five including Best Song and Best Score for the brothers.

The instantly popular “Chim Chim Cher-ee” was the song that won them the Oscar for Best Song, but others that became instant classics include “A Spoonful of Sugar”; “Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious”; “Feed the Birds” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”.

THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE (1967), directed by Norman Tokar

An unlikely musical about the blue blooded Biddles and Dukes based on a Broadway comedy from a book by Cornelia Drexel Biddle would seem an unlikely subject for a Disney musical, but this last film supervised by Walt Disney himself was just that.

One of the Sherman Brothers’ best scores, it included everything from “Fortuosity” and “I’ll Always Be Irish” for immigrant butler Tommy Steele to “Valentine Candy” for ingénue Lesley Ann Warren to “Are We Dancing?” and “Detroit” for baritone John Davidson to “There Are Those” as a counterpoint duet for liberal doyenne Geraldine Page and conservative grand dame Gladys Cooper. The lovely empty nest ballad performed by stars Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson, “Soon It Will Be Christmas”, was cut after the film’s roadshow engagement but is included as an extra on the DVD.

BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971), directed by Robert Stevenson

Long time screen character actress Angela Lansbury had to go to Broadway to become a superstar. She returned to the screen in her first major starring role in 1970’s Something for Everyone but that film didn’t quite live up to its title. Her follow-up film, this lovely gift from the Disney studio and the Sherman Brothers, on the other hand, certainly does.

Lansbury is an apprentice witch during World War II who sets out on an adventure with three kids and a con man (Mary Poppins’ Mr. Banks – David Tomlinson) to find a missing component to a magic spell. The jaunty score includes the Oscar nominated ballad “The Age of Not Believing” beautifully sung by Miss Lansbury.

TOM SAWYER (1973), directed by Don Taylor

Mark Twain’s classic gets one of its loveliest translations to film with the help of the Sherman Brothers and a strong cast that includes Johnny Whitaker in the title role; Celeste Holm as Aunt Polly; Warren Oates as Muff; Jeff East as Huckleberry Finn and Jodie Foster as Becky Thatcher.

The film was nominated for three Oscars including the brothers’ score. Among the gems they created for this one are “River Song” sung over the credits by Charley Pride; “Gratification” and “Freebootin”. Holm shines on “Aunt Polly’s Soliloquy”.

SAVING MR. BANKS (2013), directed by John Lee Hancock

Richard Sherman was a consultant on the making of this film about Walt Disney’s difficulty in getting P.L. Travers to sign over the rights to his intended film version of Mary Poppins.

Emma Thompson makes a wonderful no-nonsense Travers and Tom Hanks, though somewhat miscast, nevertheless makes a strong Walt Disney. B.J. Novak plays Robert Sherman and Jason Schwartzman plays Richard who are prominently featured in the film. The Oscar nominated score is by Thomas Newman, his twelfth overall, but the most memorable music in the film is the Sherman Brothers’ contribution to the earlier film’s score. The film takes flight with the brothers’ “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”.

THE SHERMAN BROTHERS AND OSCAR

• Mary Poppins (1964) – Oscar – Best Original Score
• Mary Poppins (1964) – Oscar – Best Original Song “Chim Chim Cher-ee”
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) – nominated Best Song – “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – nominated Best Score
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971– nominated Best Song – “The Age of Not Believing”
• Tom Sawyer (1973) – nominated Best Score
• The Slipper and the Rose (1977) – nominated Best Score
• The Slipper and the Rose (1977) – nominated Best Song – “The Slipper and the Rose Waltz (He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me”
• The Magic of Lassie (1978) – nominated Best Song – “When You’re Loved”