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23 May 2025, 17:13
Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman in 2009.
Picture:
Alamy
How did film’s most prolific writing duo go from being brothers doing dares to becoming the iconic ‘Sherman Brothers’?
At the heart of Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Jungle Book lies the wit and warmth of the musical brothers Robert and Richard Sherman. The duo are affectionately known as ‘The Sherman Brothers’ and composed some of the best-loved Disney tunes of all time.
The sons of Russian-Jewish immigrants – their father was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter himself – the duo began writing songs as a dare from their father, to see if they could match his talent.
Together, they founded their own publishing company, Music World Corporation, and wrote hit songs for Doris Day and Johnny Burnette. They also wrote for Wonderland Music Company, the music recording arm of Walt Disney Studios, which is how they were discovered, and hired, by none other than Walt Disney himself.
Read more: Unseen footage reveals Dick van Dyke singing ‘Mary Poppins’ with THE Richard Sherman on piano
Dick van Dyke performs ‘A spoonful of Sugar’
Which songs did the Sherman brothers write?
The Sherman brothers became staff songwriters for Walt Disney Studios in the 1960s, and their first song there was ‘Strummin’ Song’, in 1961, which was used in the film The Horsemasters.
During their time at Disney, they composed over 200 songs for 27 films and 24 television productions, as well as songs for the Disneyland theme park, such as ‘It’s a Small World’, which some have claimed to be the most translated and performed song on Earth, as it is continuously played at the park.
Their first major picture with Disney was the 1961 film The Parent Trap, for which they wrote the score, and in 1963, they wrote for their first feature animation, The Sword in the Stone.
Following this, the brothers got to work on their first ‘priority project’: Mary Poppins. They wrote all the songs for this film, whose soundtrack includes ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ and ‘Feed the Birds’. The soundtrack was conducted by American conductor Irwin Kostal, who had previously worked on West Side Story, and performed by the film’s principal actors, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns.
Read more: Julie Andrews on losing her voice after an operation: ‘I went into a depression’
The inspiration for ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ came from Robert watching his son having a polio vaccine. Richard Sherman recounted the moment inspiration struck, saying: “Bob came in the next day, and he said, ‘What do you think of it, ‘A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?’ The minute I sat down to play it, I knew that was it. We were both jumping around like a couple of freaks!”
A Spoonful Of Sugar – Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins 1964
Robert and Richard wrote some of the most popular film music in history. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang included songs such as ‘Truly Scrumptious’, ‘Hushabye Mountain’, and ‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’.
Although they didn’t compose ‘The Bare Necessities’, they wrote other Jungle Book tracks like ‘I wanna be like you’, ‘Trust in Me’ and ‘Colonel Hathi’s March’.
They wrote some of the most loved Aristocats’ song, including ‘Scales and Arpeggios’ and ‘She Never Felt Alone’, as well as the Academy Award-nominated song, ‘The Age of Not Believing’ for Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
Read more: Six times Disney did classical music
The Jungle Book. I wanna be like you. King Louis
What awards did the Sherman Brothers win?
The Sherman brothers’ music wasn’t just loved by the children that watched their films, but also by critics.
They won two Oscars in 1964 for Mary Poppins: Best Original Song for ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’ and Best Substantially Original Score for Mary Poppins. Over their career, they were nominated for seven more Academy Awards for their work on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Tom Sawyer, The Slipper and the Rose and The Magic of Lassie.
Read more: Dick Van Dyke singing ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ in a diner will put an enormous smile on your face
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) – Truly Scrumptious Scene (6/12) | Movieclips
They also won three Grammys for Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and were nominated for six more. They were nominated for five Golden Globes, one BAFTA, one Olivier Award, as well as receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976.
Chim Chimney with lyrics | Mary Poppins | by Dick Van Dyke
What was their legacy?
Although both brothers have passed away, their legacy is wide-reaching: together they wrote more motion-picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history.
Their music for Mary Poppins both featured in and was the inspiration for the latest two Mary Poppins-based films: Saving Mr Banks (2013) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018). Marc Shaiman composed the music for the Mary Poppins sequel and, although he wrote new songs, was keen to smuggle in elements of the Shermans’ original music.
“I learned everything about songwriting, arranging, orchestrating and writing for film from the ‘Mary Poppins’ soundtrack,” he told Variety. “For the first 18 years of my life, that was my school.”
Emily Blunt – The Place Where Lost Things Go (From “Mary Poppins Returns”)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang became a stage show that was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and premiered in London in 2002.
In 2005 both brothers were admitted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, ensuring that their genius would be recognised forever.
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