An Ian Fleming novel produced by Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli featuring loads of gadgets and a flying car…you’d have to guess I was talking about one of the many James Bond movies but it fact and improbably it’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
From the first Bond film in 1962 to his last in 1989 ‘Cubby’ Broccoli devoted himself to producing what was to become the multi-million dollar James Bond movie franchise. However 1968 was a rare exception and sitting in between ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967) and ‘On Her Majesty's Secret Service’ (1969) we find the unlikely children’s film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (CCBB). Ian Fleming wrote the original story on which the film is based so it shouldn’t be that surprising to see Broccoli putting another of his books onto film. However it is another famous writer Roald Dahl that is probably responsible for this film being so successful on screen.
It is inevitable that CCBB will always be compared to the earlier (and in many ways better) ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964). Both are children’s movies with fantastical twists and memorable musical numbers penned by the Sherman Brothers. Dick Van Dyke also starred in both although thankfully he left his ‘English’ accent at home in the US for this one.
THE PLOT
This is a long film (almost 2 and half hours) and the plot does meander somewhat, changes direction completely about halfway in fact you could be mistaken for thinking that it is a completely different movie until at the end it all comes back together.
Set in Edwardian England we meet Caractacus Potts (a play on words Caractacus=Crack, Potts=Pot…) an eccentric inventor played by the versatile Dick Van Dyke. He lives in a ramshackle converted windmill in the English countryside with his two young children Jemima and Jeremy and the slightly barmy ex-military grandpa Potts. Caractus has a heart of gold but little business sense so his inventions don’t end up making much money. His latest is a musical sweet, a piece of candy with holes that you can
play a tune on aka Toot Sweet! Thorough a fortuitous set of circumstances Caractacus meets the beautifully named Truly Scrumptious whose father also happens to own the local sweetie factory, things are looking up until it’s discovered that the tune played on the Toot Sweets also seem to attract the local stray dog population…
Meanwhile the kids have set their hearts on an old banger they find in a scrap yard, money is tight but Caractus is convinced by Jeremy and Jemina to do up the car (I told you he was soft). Luckily they did, since another feature of the car is that it flies!
By now Caractacus and Truly are falling in love but trouble is on the horizon in the shape of the evil Baron Bomburst who having seen the car flying wants it for himself. After a string of implausible events Grandpa Potts gets kidnapped by an airship and Caractacus, the children and Truly set out for the distant land of Vulgaria to rescue him. I won’t tell you more except that Caractacus and friends have many adventures, plenty of songs and dance and of course we are introduced to the ‘Child Catcher’ one of the most sinister and frightening characters in children’s movies.
Dick Van Dyke .... Caractacus Potts Sally Ann Howes .... Truly Scrumptious Lionel Jeffries .... Grandpa Potts Gert Fröbe .... Baron Bomburst Anna Quayle .... Baroness Bomburst Benny Hill .... Toymaker James Robertson Justice .... Lord Scrumptious Robert Helpmann .... Child Catcher Heather Ripley .... Jemima Adrian Hall .... Jeremy Barbara Windsor .... Blonde Davy Kaye .... Admiral Alexander Doré .... First Spy Bernard Spear .... Second Spy Stanley Unwin .... Chancellor Arthur Mullard .... Cyril, Big Man Max Wall .... Inventor
Directed by Ken Hughes
Written by Ian Fleming (original novel), Roald Dahl , Ken Hughes and Richard Maibaum
CCBB is an enchanting film, right from the start when we see the windmill that the eccentric inventor and his kids live in we know we are in for an unusual treat. Dick Van Dyke who at the time could do no wrong in children’s films is the star of the show, he is funny in his usual quirky way, his singing and dancing are as exuberant as in all his previous films and thankfully he decided not to subject us to another repeat of his English accent in Mary Poppins (probably only topped in the worst accent ever chart by Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker’s Dracula!)
As the female lead Sally Ann Howes looks beautiful and manages to just about keep up with Van Dyke although it is true to say that she hasn’t got the screen presence of Julie Andrews. The supporting cast includes many familiar faces form 60’s British TV and movies. The most noticeable performers are those of Lionel Jeffries as the even more eccentric grandpa and Gert Frobe as the villainous Baron who had played 'Goldfinger' in 1964 and is again cast as the baddie although a little less menacing in this film.
Strong cameos are also seen by Benny Hill, James Robertson Justice and Arthur Mullard, Barbara Windsor, Max Wall and Stanley Unwin also make fleeting but noticeable appearances. The only person to challenge Dick Van Dyke as the best performer on the screen is Robert Helpmann as the scary Child Catcher a role he really made his own, although not on the screen for very long he does provide one of the unforgettable scenes of the movie.
The child stars are fine but in the end forgettable it is the adults that light up they screen in this movie.
The only other protagonist to mention is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang herself a beautiful period car that over the years is still recognisable and has become an icon of children’s movies far in excess of the film’s initial impact. After all no one can resist a car that flies!
The look of the film is impressive and a great deal of time and effort (and money) has obviously been spent bringing the story to life. The mad inventions of the eccentric Caractacus Potts from the breakfast making machine we see right at then outset of the film to the rocket backpack that goes wrong and Chitty itself are all great fun. All the actors seem to play their part with gusto and the baddies especially seem to relish and gladly ham up their roles. The script contains plenty of laughs for young children and just enough darker humour to keep them on their toes, which is exactly what any self-respecting fairy tale should do.
THE MUSIC
A large part of the film is devoted to the musical numbers and although the musical score written by the Sherman brothers doesn’t quite reach the heights of their previous hit Mary Poppins, it still includes some memorable numbers. Apart from the catchy title song the film also includes many people’s favourite ‘Hushabye Mountain’ and ‘Truly Scrumptious’. The Sherman Brothers are possibly the best known music songwriters in children’s movies having been responsible for films such as ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Aristocats’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Bedknobs And Broomstick, ‘The Slipper and The Rose’ As well as the previously mentioned ‘Mary Poppins’ just to name a few! It’s always a good bet that if they are doing the music you’ll get a few catchy songs at least and so it turned out.
THE DVD
The DVD package doesn’t offer very much but what it does offer is well presented and thought out. There is the standard Dolby 5.0 stereo sound although this is only available on the English version.
The DVD package comes with a choice of soundtrack in English, French, Italian and Spanish as well as a selection of subtitles including English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Swedish and Norwegian.
The movie is filmed in very bright colours and the DVD brings this out well.
*Special features
To be honest there aren’t many. You get a short but interesting colour booklet giving you behind the scenes information about the film. For instance we find out that there were no less than seven models or partial models of Chitty the car built for different scenes in the movie. On the disc itself we find a scene selection menu with 40 accessible scenes including an intermission (that’s a nice touch). Also included on the DVD is the original theatrical trailer.
All in all it doesn’t seem much but since you get so much of the actual film it’s not too bad. I liked the main menu screen, which included some of Caractacus Potts weird and wonderful gadgets surrounding the menu choices, all moving and making appropriate clunking, clicking noises.
OVERALL
The film has many faults, it’s probably too long especially for very young children although the inclusion of the intermission on the DVD helps to naturally break up the story. The story itself is a bit disjointed and doesn’t flow as well as it could and the musical score although by no means bad it is not quite as good as some kids musicals.
Having said this there is something in the look and feel of this film that does make it stand out for me. I haven’t read the original novel but the edginess and quirkiness of the story characters and tempered with some sinister elements in the plot reminded me of many of Roald Dahl stories and I think he must have had a big input in bringing the story to the screen.
With a stage version of this currently on in the theatres it is a good time to see the original film. All things considered this is great addition to any children’s DVD library.
‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ can be bought online from Amazon.co.uk for £15.19 (+ P&P) or you can buy from DVD.co.uk for £13.59 (incl. P+P), it is also part of a special offer on DVD.co.uk where you can buy three MGM DVD’s for just £20.00 (incl.P&P)
Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
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Feb 19th, 2003
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