Robert Sherman and his writing-partner brother Richard won Academy Awards for their work on ‘Mary Poppins’ best-loved film to all Americans, who has the DVD of the movie. It’s an America classic for family’s movies. The brothers also contributed their songs to other films, such as “Chity, Chity Bang, Bang” no it’s not a porn movie another great family movie.
In 1965 they won an Oscar for best score in film, which was “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” in Mary Poppins.” The brothers were hit and to make the movie more memorable the music in the film was about themselves growing up and the music too. The music and lyrics were astonished.
The Shermans already had done work for the Disney Studio, including writing the 1959 hit “Tall Paul” for Annette Funicello, when Disney handed them a small book by British author P.L. Travers in 1960.
Other songs they wrote were “It’s a Small World (After All”) for an attraction at the 1964New YorkWorld’s Fair, a tune heard repeatedly at Disney’s theme parks.
The Sherman brothers contributed songs and scores to many other Disney films, including “The Parent Trap,” “That Darn Cat!,” “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree,” “The Gnome-Mobile,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Aristocats” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.”
The two brothers, Dick Van Dyke said, “they were opposite ends of the pole as far as their personalities were concerned. Robert was the somber one. He kept within himself. Dick was gregarious and outgoing and loves to perform.
In addition to their two Oscar wins. The Sherman brothers received seven other Academy Award nominations and won three Grammy Awards. They also received 24 gold and platinum albums and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame — as well as receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“The Sherman brothers’ legacy goes far beyond the craft of songwriting,” multiple Oscar-winning composer-songwriter Alan Menken said in a statement. “There is magic in their songs and in the films and musicals, they breathed life into.”
In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded the Sherman brothers the National Medal of Arts for creating music that “has helped bring joy to millions.”
“So many personal details are hidden in their songs,” Greg Sherman said, “And for such different personalities, they really had a lot in common: It’s impossible to tell who wrote the music and who wrote the lyrics.
“We are different people,” Richard Sherman said. “In the broadest terms, Bob is an introvert who wanted to write great novels, and I was the showman. I loved to perform, and he’d rather sit in a corner reading a book.”
But, he said: “Success and creativity won out over petty differences. There was no way we were going to let those differences destroy our work.”
Besides his brother,Shermanis survived by his four children, Jeff, Robert, Laurie and Tracy; and five grandchildren.
Robert Sherman is buried at Hillside Memorial Parkand Mortuary inLos Angeles.
Buy this classic and time-less movie, it’s one of the best musical of all.