Following Bert for a short way, we come upon Cherry Tree Lane, and meet the eccentric Admiral Boom, who is famous for punctuality. His house is ship shape—literally it looks like a ship, and he keeps the place “ship shape” as well. Bert mentions that Admiral Boom is so punctual that “Greenwich, they say, takes its time from Admiral Boom.” The admiral warns that “storm signals are out for number 17—bit of heavy weather brewing” and as we draw nearer, we can hear screaming from within the Banks’s house. Inside, the cook and Ellen are fighting over the imminent departure of the latest in a long line of nannies, Katie Nanna. This almost ex-nanny is a very stern, masculine woman who is leaving because of the unruliness of the children: “those little beasts have run away from me for the last time” she comments. Before Katie Nanna can leave, Mrs. Banks arrives, oblivious to the situation.
During the next couple of songs, we meet the Bankses, each of whom arrive home separately. After being introduced to Mrs. and Mr. Banks, through their songs, we will examine the dysfunctional family dynamics, and since they mainly revolve around George Banks, we will discuss them at the end of his song, “The Life I Lead.” We will spend quite some time here, since these songs set up the family dynamics for the rest of the movie.
Comments