Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Review
By Don Willmott
Based on a story by Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame), produced by Cubby Broccoli (of James Bond fame), and written by Roald Dahl (who knew a thing or two about scaring children), this gadgety fantasy finds unsuccessful inventor Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) working on a supercar that can both fly and float while also taking care of his dotty father (Lionel Jeffries) and his two children Jeremy and Jemimah (Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley). Also on hand, a potential love interest for Potts named Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), heiress to the Toot Sweet candy fortune.
When word of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (so named for the weird sound it makes) reaches Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe... of James Bond fame), the repellent leader of the small middle European nation of Vulgaria, he decides to kidnap the car and its inventor, but he swipes Grandpa by mistake, and the rest of the clan races off to the kingdom to get him back. What they don't realize is that the Baron and his wife (Anna Quayle) have outlawed children, and no sooner do Potts' kids hit the ground then they are swept up and dragged away by the hideous child catcher, a guy so scary that pants must have been wetted all across America when he first appeared on screen. Potts and Truly will have to infiltrate the castle (the glorious Bavarian "Cinderella" castle called Neuschwanstein) in disguise (with the help of toymaker Benny Hill) to save his kids and all the other imprisoned children of Vulgaria.
It's quite an adventure, and it's interspersed with plenty of tunes, some, most notably the title track ("our fine four-fendered friend") quite catchy, others somewhat lugubrious. It's too long and drags during some of the romantic bits. After all, the question of whether a fine young lady like Truly could ever go for a crackpot like Potts will not interest the younger crowd.
What's interesting to note from today's vantage point is how Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is very much of its time, 1968 that is. This is one trippy flick, psychedelic and groovy and like a real freakout, dude. Come to think of it, it's like The Wizard of Oz in that sense, as well, but it lacks a compelling Dorothy character to root for. So stick this one in the DVD for the kids, and leave them alone with it. Just make sure you're around when they come running to you in a panic. The child catcher is after them!
What a Chitty wagon.
Facts and Figures
Year: 1968
Run time: 144 mins
In Theaters: Wednesday 18th December 1968
Budget: $10M
Distributed by: United Artists
Production compaines: Dramatic Features, Warfield
Reviews
Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Fresh: 17 Rotten: 9
IMDB: 6.9 / 10
Cast & Crew
Director: Ken Hughes
Producer: Albert R. Broccoli
Screenwriter: Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes
Starring: Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts, Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious, Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa Potts, Gert Fröbe as Baron Bomburst, Anna Quayle as Baroness Bomburst, Benny Hill as Toymaker, Robert Helpmann as Child Catcher, Heather Ripley as Jemima Potts, Adrian Hall as Jeremy Potts, Desmond Llewelyn as George Coggins, James Robertson Justice as Lord Scrumptious, Barbara Windsor as la blonde, Davy Kaye as l'Amiral, Alexander Doré as le premier espion, Bernard Spear as le second espion, Stanley Unwin as le Chancellier, Peter Arne as le Capitaine de la Garde, Victor Maddern as un drogué, Arthur Mullard as Cyril, l'homme gros, Ross Parker as Chef, Gerald Campion as un prêtre, Felix Felton as un prêtre, Monti DeLyle as un prêtre, Totti Truman Taylor as la Duchesse, Larry Taylor as un Lieutenant, Max Bacon as le chef d'orchestre, Max Wall as les inventeurs, John Heawood as les inventeurs, Michael Darbyshire as les inventeurs, Kenneth Waller as les inventeurs, Gerald Taylor as les inventeurs, Eddie Davis as les inventeurs
Also starring: Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes