Name Matthew Garber Nationality British | Occupation Actor Siblings Fergus Garber Years active 1963–1967 | |
![]() | ||
Full Name Matthew Adam Garber Education St Paul's Primary SchoolHighgate School Parents Margot Garber, Louis Leonard Garber Movies Mary Poppins, The Gnome‑Mobile, The Three Lives of Thomasina Similar People |
Matthew Garber Tribute
Matthew Adam Garber (25 March 1956 – 13 June 1977) was a British child actor, best known for his role as Michael Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins. He also starred in two other Disney films, The Three Lives of Thomasina and The Gnome-Mobile, all three times appearing alongside actress Karen Dotrice.
Contents
- Matthew Garber Tribute
- Matthew garber 1956 1977
- Early life
- Matthew Garbers Family
- Margot Garber Louis Leonard Garber
- Fergus Garber
- Career
- Matthew Garbers Role as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins
- Matthew Adam Garber was a British child actor who was famous as the extremely suspicious and stubborn young Michael Banks in the film Mary Poppins This movie was the feature film adaptation of the Mary Poppins book series by P L Travers Destiny allowed this brilliant actor to appear only three times in silver screen as he died at a very young age of 21 All the three appearances were as a child actor after which he took a break from his acting career and could never return to the screen due to his early death The three films he acted were The three lives of Thomasina Mary Poppins and The Gnome Mobile It was actress Karen Dotrices father Mr Roy Dotrice who introduced Matthew Garber to Disney casting seeing his use of funny smirks In the film Mary Poppins Matthew Garber plays the role of Michael Banks who is Georges and Winifreds son He had a sister named Jane who was portrayed by Karen Dotrice Like Jane Michael also had a naughty side to his personality which caused the resignation of their six nannies in just four months However when Mary Poppins arrives as their next nanny they didnt seem as bad as they were expected Even though Michael is labeled as extraordinarily stubborn and suspicious in the film he also appears to be playful and friendly At the start of the movie Michael appears to be very distant from both his parents He feels that he is not able to live up to his fathers ridiculously high standards and this makes him very insecure Besides he also falsely believes that his father hates him However this feeling gets changed by the end of the film where we could see a better family bond is shared with George his wife and his children George decides to get more involved with his family and as a start for this he fixes the broken kite for his children Michael is so happy about the change in his fathers character that he even forgets to say goodbye to Mary when she leaves the house Chemistry of Michael Banks with Jane banks played by actress Karen Dotrice The story of the film Mary Poppins revolves around the children of George Banks namely Michael Banks and Jane Banks who were born to a dysfunctional family in London Michael and Jane share excellent chemistry between them as siblings all through the film They were two mischievous kids who appear to have run away causing their nanny to resign at the beginning of the film But in fact they went for looking after their missing kite On returning home they ask their father to help build a better kite but he dismisses them As Mr Banks children Michael and Jane were always felt distant to him as he was never genuinely involved with them and this caused them to be insecure The family dynamics changes when Mary Poppins becomes their nanny and Mr Banks decides to get more engaged with his children The film ends where the children are happily flying a kite with their father and Mary Poppins leaves Matthew Garbers Role in The three lives of Thomasina The three lives of Thomasina was Matthew Garbers first film and he was offered a relatively small role in it In the movie he plays the role of Geordie McNab who is one of Marys playmates who stands by her side when her cat gets injured in an accident The main characters of the film are Andrew MacDhui a distant atheist veterinarian his seven year old daughter named Mary and her cat named Thomasina who narrates the film One night Thomasina is chased by a group of dogs and falls off some boxes and ends up with an injury and was diagnosed with tetanus later Even though its a treatable disease MacDhui mercilessly tells his assistant to get the cat euthanised Mary is taken aback by this merciless decision by her father and loses faith in him According to her he should have protected her cat Overloaded with grief Mary and her playmates Geordie McNab Hughie Stirling and Jamie decides to give Thomasina a peaceful funeral However they are frightened away unintentionally by Lori who they think is a witch with magical powers to heal animals
- Later Years and Death
- How did Matthew Garber get Hepatitis and Pancreatitis
- Hemorrhagic Necrotising Pancreatitis The decease which took the life of Matthew Garber
- Questions Answers
- Is Victor Garber related to Matthew Garber
- How old was matthew garber when he died
- How didMatthewGarberDie
- Matthew Garbers Funeral
- Filmography
- References

Ten years after his retirement, Garber contracted hepatitis, which later affected his pancreas. He died of pancreatitis at the young age of just 21.

Matthew garber 1956 1977
Early life

Born in Stepney, London, to parents who had both performed on stage, Garber attended St Paul's Primary School in Winchmore Hill and Highgate School in Highgate, North London, from September 1968 until July 1972. He had a younger brother, Fergus Garber, who was born in 1964, the year Matthew played Michael Banks. His father's name was recorded by the school he had attended as Louis Leonard Garber. Matthew Garber was considered a spirited and bright boy in a 1967 Disney press release that noted his enjoyment of pulling practical jokes on his friends, playing sports, and reading adventure, mythology and poetry books.
Matthew Garber's Family
Margot Garber & Louis Leonard Garber
An interesting fact about Matthew Garber's parents was that both of them were theatrical actors, but neither was particularly famous. His mother’s name was Margot Garber, and his father’s name was Louis Leonard Garber. They were both ready to let Matthew appear in the silver screen at a very young age and offered their support to him in every possible way.
Fergus Garber
Matthew Garber had a younger brother named Fergus Garber. He was born in 1964, which was also the year Matthew played the role of Michael Banks. When Matthew has succumbed to an early death after his visit to India, there was a rumor that he caught hepatitis due to drug usage. But Garber’s brother Fergus denied these rumors vehemently and said hepatitis might have come from consuming lousy meat.
Career

As a friend of the Garber family, Karen Dotrice's father, Shakespearian actor Roy Dotrice, called Garber to the attention of Disney Casting, where his use of "artful dodges, like squinting, screwing up his nose, and brushing his hair back with one hand" led to his screen debut at age seven in Disney's The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963).

That same year, both Garber and Thomasina co-star Dotrice were hired to play Jane and Michael, the children of Mr. George Banks (David Tomlinson) and Mrs. Banks (Glynis Johns), who get more than they bargained for when they hire a nanny named Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). Disney's live-action animated film adaptation of the Mary Poppins book series by P. L. Travers won five Academy Awards and made its stars world-famous.

Garber and Dotrice teamed up again in 1967 in The Gnome-Mobile, as the grandchildren of a rich lumber mogul (Walter Brennan) who stumble across a gnome forest and are asked to help keep the gnomes from dying off.
Dotrice recalled, "He was how he looked—an imp, and I loved being his shadow. I can't imagine making movies would have been half as much fun without him. He loved being naughty, finding and jumping off of small buildings on the back lot. While I was Victorian proper and wouldn't let myself get dirty or muddy, Matthew had a great sense of fun and danger. He was a daredevil and could have been a race car driver. And he did live a full life over his 21 years."
Matthew Garber's Role as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins
Later Years and Death
Garber had unknowingly contracted hepatitis while in India in 1976. By the time his father was able to get him home to London several months later, the disease had affected his pancreas. Garber's brother Fergus, who was 13 at the time of Matthew's death, denied any suggestion that Matthew was using drugs and said the hepatitis likely came from eating bad meat. On 13 June 1977, Garber died at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, of haemorrhagic necrotising pancreatitis, aged 21.
How did Matthew Garber get Hepatitis and Pancreatitis ?
According to Matthew Garber’s younger brother Fergus Garber, Matthew may have got hepatitis Infection by eating a bad meat while he was in india in 1976. Fergus Garber also denied any suggestion that Matthew was using drugs or Alcohol.
"Hemorrhagic Necrotising Pancreatitis" The decease which took the life of Matthew Garber
Necrotising pancreatitis is an extreme complication which occurs due to the inflammation of the pancreas. In the human body, the pancreas is located behind the stomach, and its main job is to produce enzymes which help to digest the food we eat. Generally, these enzymes reach the small intestine through a small opening. However, in patients who suffer from pancreatitis, the pancreas becomes inflamed, and the enzymes leak into parts of the pancreas. Such a situation can cause the death of pancreatic tissues, and lead to necrotizing pancreatitis. These dead tissues can get infected easily and cause life-threatening problems.
Some of the major causes of this disease are, a gallstone stuck in the common bile duct away from the point where the pancreatic duct joins it, systemic disease, heavy alcohol use, trauma, and, in minors, mumps. This condition may be a single event, a recurrent one, or sometimes it may lead to chronic pancreatitis also.
Some of the major symptoms associated with this disease include severe upper abdominal pain which radiates to the back in half of the cases, loss of appetite, nausea, fever, vomiting, chills or shivering, rapid heartbeat, hemodynamic instability, and respiratory distress.
Recently, treatment options available for severe acute pancreatitis has changed from early surgical treatment to aggressive intensive care. Even though the treatment tends to be conservative in the initial phase, surgery might be more appropriate if the disease has advanced to a more challenging stage.
Mild cases of hemorrhagic necrotising pancreatitis are usually treated successfully with conservative measures such as hospitalization, nothing by mouth, pain control, intravenous fluid rehydration, and intravenous nutritional support. However, severe cases of this condition will often require an intensive care unit admission to manage and monitor complications. Also keep in mind that, complications are often associated with a high mortality rate, even with best management.
Questions & Answers
Is Victor Garber related to Matthew Garber?
Victor Garber, who starred in the movie Titanic and Matthew Garber looks very similar to each other, and many people confuse them to be brothers. But in reality, they are not related to each other.
How old was matthew garber when he died ?
How did Matthew Garber Die ?
Matthew Garber's Funeral
Garber's body was cremated at St. Marylebone Crematorium (East Finchley) London on 16 June. Fergus did not attend the funeral and did not know if any memorial had ever been erected for Matthew. Garber's parents both died in the decade following their elder son's death.
Garber was posthumously named a Disney Legend in 2004. Fergus Garber accepted on his behalf. On the Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary DVD, Karen Dotrice said she regretted not keeping in touch with Garber before his death.