Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

"The most fantasmagorical musical entertainment in the history of everything!"

1968 2h 24m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 773

FamilyAdventureFantasyComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A hapless inventor finally finds success with a flying car, which a dictator from a foreign government sets out to take for himself.

“The most fantasmagorical musical entertainment in the history of everything!”

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ken Hughes
Writers: Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 75% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

58 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ken Hughes, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard M. Sherman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Shirley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes and Lionel Jeffries carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most fantasmagorical musical entertainment in the history of everything!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ken Hughes directs. Christopher Challis behind the camera. Richard M. Sherman scores. John Shirley cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America, France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 75% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
258 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France.
4Directed by Ken Hughes, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Richard M. Sherman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor John Shirley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes and Lionel Jeffries carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The most fantasmagorical musical entertainment in the history of everything!".
9IMDB entry: tt0062803 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Christopher Challis
Original score: Richard M. Sherman
Editing: John Shirley
Production design: Ken Adam
Costume design: Elizabeth Haffenden
Runtime: 144 min · 2h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $10,000,000
Box office: $7,500,445
Return: 75% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Also by

Ken Hughes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-09-06
★ 8/10
Fantasmagorical! Based on the novel written by James Bond creator Ian Flemming, this delightful fantasy charts the journey into the mysteriously childless world of Vulgaria by Caractacus Potts, his two children, Truly Scrumptious and super car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I think the main thing that makes this film work so well is that it has a little of everything to make a successful family movie. Catchy tunes at every turn, a fairy tale kingdom awash with colour, bonkers technology, and a little slice of wickedness involving class distinction. Split very much into two halves, Chitty at its core is really about forming a complete family. We are introduced to Caracatus (Dick Van Dyke) who is a single father, who is doing his best to raise his two children with moral fortitude. It's through the children's love of an old rusty car that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is born, and after pretty lady Truly Scrumptious (a gorgeous Sally Ann Howes) comes into their lives, all four of them enter the second half of the movie after having firmly capturing the audience's attention with a firming promise of a family in waiting. The second half of the picture then whisks us far away into fantasy territory. Vulagaria is ruled by crackers toy obsessive Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe in wonderful bacon sandwich mode), he has banned children, and naturally he has his sights set firmly on the magnificence that is Chitty Chitty. Bomburst sends out his child snatcher to nab Caracatus' kids in the hope of bargaining for the special car. The child snatcher played by Robert Helpman is as iconic as he is terrifying, wonky hat and pointy nose he lures children in with promises of sweets and treacle tarts, he thus became the invader of many a childs poor nightmares for sure. But this is a family film after all, and sure enough this splendid ride speeds to a joyous finale that is cloaked in colour and feel good eccentricity, yep, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang still works on repeat viewings. 8/10
CinemaSerf2022-04-13
★ 7/10
This was never my favourite musical as child, but as I get older I think I appreciate it more. Sure, it has it's cheesy moments, but there is genuine chemistry between the characters on display here and coupled with some superbly catchy - and often poignant - lyrics from the Sherman twins, we are presented with a really quite enjoyable fable. The Potts family live in a dilapidated farmhouse. Grandfather (Lionel Jeffries); the well meaning but hopeless inventor of a father "Caractacus" (Dick Van Dyke) and the two children "Jeremy" (Adrian Hall) and "Jemima" (Heather Ripley). Luckily, one day the youngsters are nearly run over by "Truly" (Sally Ann Howes) the daughter of the wealthy confectioner "Lord Scrumptious" (James Robertson Justice). She might just be able to help the father make a few quid from her father with his sweets that double up as pan pipes. Meantime, the family manage to rescue an old rust bucket from the local garage, and lo and behold, enter our eponymous vehicle. It can drive, it can become an aeroplane, an hovercraft - indeed it can do just about everything bar make the tea. It's a must-have prize for the megalomaniac child-hater "Baron Bomburst" (Gert Fröbe - who really does enter into the spirit of the story), so the family must fight tooth and nail to stop their car, and themselves, falling into his malevolent hands. Ian Fleming demonstrates great imagination with this and Van Dyke shows off his varied skills well and engagingly. Howes over-cooks her singing at times, but the almost 2½ hours this story takes really does fly by. The Oscar winning "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; the delightful "Hushabye Mountain"; "Me Ol' Bamboo" and Jeffries' enjoyable rendition of "Posh!" as he is gradually drowned in his outhouse all add bundles to this colourful and joyous series of well photographed escapades. Maybe it is wasted on youngsters? It certainly was on me!