Chitty Chitty Bang Bang **** (1968, Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe) – Classic Movie Review 2464

Co-writer/ director Ken Hughes’s 1968 children’s movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stars Dick Van Dyke as Edwardian inventor Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as his fiancée Truly Scrumptious, who whizz off in their flying, sailing car to rescue Grandpa (Lionel Jeffries) from wicked Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe).

This sweet-natured children’s extravaganza mixes jovial comedy with whimsical fantasy and happy musical numbers via songs with music and lyrics the Sherman twins, Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman.

If the mixture is unruly at times, there is much pleasure to be gained from the hard-working cast, the songs, the inventive sets and the clever gadgetry. The title song was Oscar nominated.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is based on Ian Fleming’s children’s stories. It comes from the producer of Fleming’s Bond movies, Albert R Broccoli, with Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) and Desmond Llewelyn (Q) among the welcome cast, and Ken Adam as production designer, as well as Roald Dahl and Richard Maibaum as screenplay writers.

Also notable in the welcome cast are: Benny Hill, James Robertson Justice, Anna Quayle, Barbara Windsor, Stanley Unwin, Davy Kaye, Peter Arne, Victor Maddern, Arthur Mullard, Desmond Llewelyn, Gerald Campion, Totti Truman Taylor and Richard Wattis.

RIP Sally Ann Howes, who died on 19 December 2021, aged 91. Her stage, screen and TV career spanned six decades, but she was best known for the role of Truly Scrumptious.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2464

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