Matthew Garber
Actor · Died June 13, 1977, aged 21 · Stepney, London, England, UK
Matthew Adam Garber (March 25, 1956 – June 13, 1977) was a British child actor mostly known for his role of Michael Banks in Disney's Mary Poppins (1964). In 1963, Garbet came to the attention of actor Roy Dotrice (father of Karen Dotrice) who was seeking potential child actors. Roy recommended Garber to the casting department of the Disney company, where young Garber's "artful dodges, like squinting, screwing up his nose, and brushing his hair back with one hand" were thought likely to make him stand out. He was cast in the film "The Three Lives of Thomasina" (1963), as the character Geordie McNab, a playmate to the Scottish girl Mary MacDhui (played by Karen Dotrice). Garber next received a bigger role as the character Michael Banks in "Mary Poppins" (1964), one of the two charges of the protagonist nanny. Jane Banks, Michael's sister, was played by Karen Dotrice. The film was the greatest hit of Garber's career, and is the role for which he is most remembered. In 1967, Garber had his third and last film role, as the character Rodney Winthrop in "The Gnome-Mobile". In the film, Rodney and his sister Elizabeth Winthrop (played by Karen Dotrice) are trying to prolong the life of a 943-year-old gnome, who has lost the will to survive. Following his brief film career, Garber returned to his school studies. He attended first St Paul's Primary School in Winchmore Hill, and then Highgate School in Highgate, North London. He graduated in 1972. In 1976-1977, Garber was in India and contacted hepatitis. He returned to London in June, 1977, seeking better medical treatment. It was too late as the disease had infected his pancreas. He died soon after, June 13, 1977 in Hampstead, London, England, UK, the official cause being hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis. He was only 21-years-old. He was single, and had no known children. Garber's remains were cremated at St. Marylebone Crematorium, in East Finchley, London. Both of his parents died within a decade following his death. Fergus Garber, a surviving younger brother of Matthew, was never informed whether there was any memorial erected for his brother. Garber was posthumously named a Disney Legend in 2004.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 25, 1956
- June 13, 1977 (aged 21)
- Stepney, London, England, UK
- Actor
- 3 on MovieCove · 4 credits in all
What are Matthew Garber's films like?
Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 0
Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 1
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Allyas Michael in Mary Poppins (1964)
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Matthew Garber's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 3 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Matthew Garber's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
4 credits, 3 with a MovieCove page.
Disney's Greatest Lullabies Volume 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The Gnome-Mobile(1967)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Mary Poppins(1964)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 79th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 4 titles from 1963 to 1986; peak year 1963.
Film career
Peak 1963 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1963Screen debut· The Three Lives of Thomasina
How do Matthew Garber's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 3 titles divides audiences: 2 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser2
Reviewers score the acting 79/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 57. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Matthew Garber work with?
People who share at least 2 of Matthew Garber's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Karen Dotrice shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Robert StevensonShared titles: The Gnome-Mobile (1967), Mary Poppins (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Stevenson
Actors
- Karen DotriceShared titles: The Gnome-Mobile (1967), Mary Poppins (1964), The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)See all 3 shared titles with Karen Dotrice
Cinematographers
- Edward ColmanShared titles: The Gnome-Mobile (1967), Mary Poppins (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Edward Colman
Producers
- Walt DisneyShared titles: The Gnome-Mobile (1967), Mary Poppins (1964), The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)See all 3 shared titles with Walt Disney
