Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - 1968

Coming up next we have 1968's musical film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", a story about a very unique motorcar which can fly, float, and bring two people together in a way nothing else can.

The film's cast includes Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Frobe, Anna Quayle, Benny Hill, James Robertson Justice, Robert Helpmann, Heather Ripley, Adrian Hall, and Richard Wattis.

Eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts is always up to something.  Currently, he's testing rockets.  Socialite Truly Scrumptious finds his children playing in a road when they should be in school.  She brings them home in an outrage, ready to give Caractacus a piece of her mind.

When she tells them that his children didn't go to school, he looks at them and then shrugs it off saying it will give the other children a chance to catch up.

When the children want to save an old race car from the scrap heap, they ask Caractacus to buy it for them.  In an effort to raise funds, he goes to sell a candy he's invented (Toot Sweets) to Lord Scrumptious, where he finds out that Truly is the candy mogul's daughter.  It looks like he will get the money, but an unfortunate accident sees that he does not.

Wanting to make his children happy, Caractacus has to give the situation a good think.  He's got to make thirty shillings by the next day in order to save the car.

At a carnival, Caractucus discovers just what an "Old Bamboo" can do.  By the end of the night, he's got the money.

He saves the car, which has to be towed to his home.  His father isn't exactly thrilled about the car, and only pitches in one finger to help his son get it into his workshop.

Caractacus gets busy working on the car to make it go.  When he's succeeded into turning it into something special, he invites the family on a picnic.  Grandpa can't be bothered to go.  He's off to Alaska.

With his kids in the car, Caractacus sets out on the promised picnic and the whole family begins singing the praises of their new car, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".

They nearly run into Truly while traveling on the same road.  "You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious," says an annoyed Caractacus.

With her car out of commission, the children invite Truly to go along with them.  Reluctant at first, she soon joins wholeheartedly in the festivities.  Caractacus drives them all to the seashore for some fun and frolic.

The children fall in love with Truly, and they find out just how "Truly Scrumptious" she really is.  By the end of the day, she has fallen in love with them too.

To finish the day at the beach, Caractacus tells a story about a mean Baron Bomburst, who wants to steal the car.  The tide comes in while he's telling it, and the car is turned into a floating vessel that ends up being chased by none other than the nefarious Baron.  Don't worry, everyone gets on dry land safely.

When Truly gets dropped off at home (Heatherden Hall just in case you were wondering), she finds that she's fallen in love not just with the children, but with their father as well.

Thinking that Grandpa is the inventor of the car, Baron Bomburst kidnaps him by zeppelin.  Grandpa thinks "this is living, this is style, this elegance by the mile!"  It's the "Posh" traveling life for him.

Caractacus, with Truly and the children, takes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (which can also fly) and follows the zeppelin so they can rescue Grandpa.

Baron Bomburst has taken Grandpa to his country of Vulgaria and has him imprisoned in his castle (Neuschwanstein Castle just in case you were wondering).

With Caractacus, Truly, and the children close behind, the Baron looks up into the sky and his courtiers fear an attack.

Vulgaria is a strange place.  For one, there aren't any children visible.  A child hating Baroness Bomburst has her creepy child catcher abduct them all and imprison them in the castle.

Baron and Baroness Bomburst have a strange relationship.  He seems to want her dead, and she seems to worship him.  "Chu-Chi Face" is a highly amusing look into their private life.

On the Baron's birthday, Caractacus and Truly, with the help of a toymaker, infiltrate the castle in order to provide a distraction.

To the distress of a horrified Baroness, the children are liberated and Caractacus, Truly, the children, and Grandpa can leave Vulgaria for home.

We find out that the whole episode was straight from the story that Caractacus was telling his children on the beach.  After a fun day, everyone goes home.

With the help of his children, Caractacus comes to realize that he loves Truly, and they decide to get married.

Cast rundown:

   Dick Van Dyke...................................Caractacus Potts

   Sally Ann Howes................................Truly Scrumptious

   Lionel Jeffries....................................Grandpa Potts

   Gert Frobe.........................................Baron Bomburst

    Anna Quayle......................................Baroness Bomburst

   Benny Hill..........................................Toymaker

   James Robertson Justice......................Lord Scrumptious

   Robert Helpmann................................Child Catcher

   Heather Ripley...................................Jemima Potts

   Adrian Hall........................................Jeremy Potts

   Richard Wattis....................................Phillips

And that's it for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Before Sally Ann Howes was cast, the filmmakers offered the part of Truly Scrumptious to Julie Andrews, hoping to capitalize on the success of the partnership between her and Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins".  Andrews refused to accept on the role on the grounds that she felt the character of Truly was too near that of Mary Poppins.

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