Family

Adventure

Fantasy

Comedy

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

United Artists

Dramatic Features

Warfield

United Kingdom

English

Dick Van Dyke

Sally Ann Howes

Lionel Jeffries

Gert Fröbe

Anna Quayle

Benny Hill

James Robertson Justice

Robert Helpmann

Barbara Windsor

Davy Kaye

Alexander Doré

Bernard Spear

Stanley Unwin

Peter Arne

Heather Ripley

Adrian Hall

Desmond Llewelyn

Victor Maddern

Arthur Mullard

Ross Parker

Gerald Campion

Felix Felton

Monti DeLyle

Totti Truman Taylor

Larry Taylor

Max Bacon

Max Wall

John Heawood

Michael Darbyshire

Kenneth Waller

Gerald Taylor

Richard Wattis

Phil Collins

Robert Arditti

Vic Armstrong

Michael Audreson

Theo Aygar

John Baskcomb

Jimmy Berriman

Eunice Black

Bill Brandon

Tim Condren

Sadie Corre

John Corrie

John Crocker

Cyril Cross

Dan Darnelli

Gabrielle Daye

Ernest Fennemore

Harry Fielder

Henry Gibson

Carson Green

Kay Hamilton

Miranda Hampton

John Hicks

Robert Jenner

Nigel Kingsley

Teddy Kiss Atom

George Leech

Jim Machin

Mary Maxfield

Connel Miles

Roy Murray

Grace Newcombe

Dickie Owen

Paul Phillips

Dido Plumb

Colin Rix

Jessie Robins

Reg Thomason

Ken Hughes

Ian Fleming

Roald Dahl

Albert R. Broccoli

Richard M. Sherman

Robert B. Sherman

Christopher Challis

John Shirley

Robin Clarke

Ken Adam

John Stears

David Middlemas

Harry Pottle

John Harris

Frank Ernst

Gus Agosti

Fred Hynes

John W. Mitchell

Robert W. Laing

Michael White

Peter Lamont

Jackie Cummins

Peter R. Hunt

Elizabeth Haffenden

Joan Bridge

Irwin Kostal

Richard Maibaum

Stanley Sopel

Harry Ledger

Mike Fox

Angela Martelli

Richard Taylor

Fantasmagorical!

Based on the novel written by James Bond creator Ian Flemming, this delightful fantasy charts the journey into the mysteriously childless world of Vulgaria by Caractacus Potts, his two children, Truly Scrumptious and super car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

I think the main thing that makes this film work so well is that it has a little of everything to make a successful family movie. Catchy tunes at every turn, a fairy tale kingdom awash with colour, bonkers technology, and a little slice of wickedness involving class distinction. Split very much into two halves, Chitty at its core is really about forming a complete family. We are introduced to Caracatus (Dick Van Dyke) who is a single father, who is doing his best to raise his two children with moral fortitude. It's through the children's love of an old rusty car that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is born, and after pretty lady Truly Scrumptious (a gorgeous Sally Ann Howes) comes into their lives, all four of them enter the second half of the movie after having firmly capturing the audience's attention with a firming promise of a family in waiting.

The second half of the picture then whisks us far away into fantasy territory. Vulagaria is ruled by crackers toy obsessive Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe in wonderful bacon sandwich mode), he has banned children, and naturally he has his sights set firmly on the magnificence that is Chitty Chitty. Bomburst sends out his child snatcher to nab Caracatus' kids in the hope of bargaining for the special car. The child snatcher played by Robert Helpman is as iconic as he is terrifying, wonky hat and pointy nose he lures children in with promises of sweets and treacle tarts, he thus became the invader of many a childs poor nightmares for sure.

But this is a family film after all, and sure enough this splendid ride speeds to a joyous finale that is cloaked in colour and feel good eccentricity, yep, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang still works on repeat viewings. 8/10

CinemaSerf

This was never my favourite musical as child, but as I get older I think I appreciate it more. Sure, it has it's cheesy moments, but there is genuine chemistry between the characters on display here and coupled with some superbly catchy - and often poignant - lyrics from the Sherman twins, we are presented with a really quite enjoyable fable. The Potts family live in a dilapidated farmhouse. Grandfather (Lionel Jeffries); the well meaning but hopeless inventor of a father "Caractacus" (Dick Van Dyke) and the two children "Jeremy" (Adrian Hall) and "Jemima" (Heather Ripley). Luckily, one day the youngsters are nearly run over by "Truly" (Sally Ann Howes) the daughter of the wealthy confectioner "Lord Scrumptious" (James Robertson Justice). She might just be able to help the father make a few quid from her father with his sweets that double up as pan pipes. Meantime, the family manage to rescue an old rust bucket from the local garage, and lo and behold, enter our eponymous vehicle. It can drive, it can become an aeroplane, an hovercraft - indeed it can do just about everything bar make the tea. It's a must-have prize for the megalomaniac child-hater "Baron Bomburst" (Gert Fröbe - who really does enter into the spirit of the story), so the family must fight tooth and nail to stop their car, and themselves, falling into his malevolent hands. Ian Fleming demonstrates great imagination with this and Van Dyke shows off his varied skills well and engagingly. Howes over-cooks her singing at times, but the almost 2½ hours this story takes really does fly by. The Oscar winning "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; the delightful "Hushabye Mountain"; "Me Ol' Bamboo" and Jeffries' enjoyable rendition of "Posh!" as he is gradually drowned in his outhouse all add bundles to this colourful and joyous series of well photographed escapades. Maybe it is wasted on youngsters? It certainly was on me!

Best Movies

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Dick Van Dyke

Sally Ann Howes

Lionel Jeffries

Gert Fröbe

Anna Quayle

Benny Hill

James Robertson Justice

Robert Helpmann

Barbara Windsor

Davy Kaye

Box office

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