Watch a Young Julie Andrews Accept Her Best Actress Oscar forMary Poppins —Which Came Out 60 Years Ago Today!

Mar. 15, 2025

It was a jolly holiday indeed on Aug. 27, 1964, when the Disney classicMary Poppinshit theaters.

The film starred two actors who were then up-and-comers:Julie AndrewsandDick Van Dyke. It ultimately made more than $100 million at the box office and has remained a family staple ever since.

At the 1965 show, the 29-year-old star was up against fellow iconsAnne Bancroft(The Pumpkin Eater),Sophia Loren(Marriage Italian Style),Debbie Reynolds(The Unsinkable Molly Brown) and Kim Stanley (Seance on a Wet Afternoon).

Television legendBob Hopehelped present alongside actorSidney Poitier, who one year prior had won his first Best Actor Oscar forLilies of the Field.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Andrews was visibly shocked when her name was called; she gave a kiss tothen-husband Tony Waltonbefore ascending the stage, as Van Dyke stood applauding enthusiastically.

“Thank you! Thank you. Oh this is lovely,” the actress said. “I know you Americans are famous for your hospitality, but this is really ridiculous.”

She continued, “I have so many thank-yous I only know where to start, and that’s with Mr. Walt Disney. And naturally, he has the largest thank-you of all. I wouldn’t know where to stop.”

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in a scene from the movie “Mary Poppins”.Donaldson Collection/Getty

Donaldson Collection/Getty

“I would somehow like to try and convey my really deep gratitude and, well, gratefulness — well I just said that didn’t I! — for being made to feel so really welcome in this country. Thank you very much indeed.”

Julie Andrews with her Best Actress Oscar in 1965.Courtesy Everett Collection

Courtesy Everett Collection

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2018 asMary Poppins Returnshit theaters, Van Dyke said he and Andrews “had a feeling” their original film “was going to work.”

“Walt Disney walked me to room after room with watercolor paintings of all the different scenes,” he shared. “And I walked out of there on air. He had me sold. And the score just wiped me out.”

Disney recruited Andrews for the part after seeing her on Broadway inCamelot; in a clip from theMary Poppinspremiere,he recalled going backstage, where he “tried to talk her into the thing. I tried to convince her I was capable of making a picture with live actors as well as cartoons … I think I put on quite an act that night.”

Van Dyke told PEOPLE that his chemistry with Andrews, now 88, “felt right from the beginning. She’s got a little bit of British aristocracy in her — that wonderful accent — but she’s a bit of an imp on the inside!”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in 2013.Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

AndAndrews recalled meeting the legendary actorduring the two-hourDick Van Dyke 98 Years of MagicCBS special in December 2023.

The actress said that her costar, now 98, was “young, fit as can be, and really gorgeous to look at” at first sight,admitting that meeting himwas “daunting.”

“I’d never made a movie before, and I’d given birth to my lovely daughter Emma nearly six weeks earlier, and I quickly realized that I had better pull my socks up and get in shape,” she said. “I found it pretty daunting, I can tell you. Dick could not have been kinder, more genuinely sweet and helpful. I like to think that we did bond instantly.”

source: people.com