Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land.

Director:

Ken Hughes

Writers:

Ian Fleming (novel), Roald Dahl (screenplay)

Stars:

Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dick Van Dyke	...	Caractacus Potts
Sally Ann Howes	...	Truly Scrumptious
Lionel Jeffries	...	Grandpa Potts
Gert Fröbe	...	Baron Bomburst (as Gert Frobe)
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 (as Alexander Dore)
Bernard Spear	...	Second Spy
Stanley Unwin	...	Chancellor

Storyline

An eccentric professor invents wacky machinery but can't seem to make ends meet. When he invents a revolutionary car, a foreign government becomes interested in it and resorts to skulduggery to get their hands on it.

---

Plot Keywords:

flying car | based on novel | old age makeup | car | children | 

---

Taglines:

It Was Just An Old Neglected Car. Who Could Have Guessed...

---

Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German French Latin

Release Date:

18 December 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dramatic Features, Warfield

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Benny Hill was first brought onto the project to rewrite some scenes at the request of Dick Van Dyke.

---

Goofs

When Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is first hauled back to the Potts' farm, Grandpa Potts is reading a National Geographic with a color cover. In 1910, the covers were text.

---

Quotes

Baron Bomburst: Oh, I haven't seen a good drowning in years.

---

Alternate Versions

Also shown in a Sing-a-Long version.

---

Connections

Referenced in Big Screen Britain: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2003)

---

Soundtracks

Lovely Lonely Man
(uncredited)
Written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman
Performed by Sally Ann Howes

User Reviews

Great Comic and Fantasy Film

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was one of those films from my childhood that I never outgrew. Every song, every outrageous comic moment tattooed itself on my memory and my heart. I love this film. It's funny, it's touching and it's beautifully made. True, it's not for the cynical or for those who want realism. For those, however, who seek adventure, comedy, great songs and most of all fun this classic 60's musical delivers it all in great style. A truly fun family film, although very small children may not be able to sit still through the entire movie (even with the Intermission). CCBB will always be at the top of my favourite movie list. Do yourself a favour if you like fun musical comedies and see Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes do some truly scrumptious work.