JULIE ANDREWS SAVED MY BEHIND!

KAREN DOTRICE REFLECTS ON THE FILM’S LEGACY

- Craig Bennett

Karen Dotrice was only nine years old when she starred as Jane Banks in Mary Poppins. But 60 years on, she says her memories remain remarkably vivid due to the "practically perfect" movie being so fun to make! "We had a ball. It was a total blast being on the set at Walt Disney's studios," Karen tells New Idea from her Los Angeles home.

Prior to starring in the iconic 1964 Oscarwinning film, Karen had made her first movie for Disney, The Three Lives of Thomasina. It was shot in Scotland, so getting to film Mary Poppins in Hollywood, California was just "unbelievable", Karen recalls. "Mum and Dad were hugely excited that I had been offered a role in a Hollywood musical."

British-born Karen hails from a renowned showbiz family. Her mother Kay and Tony-award winning father Roy were stage and screen stars, while sister Michele remains a busy actress.