Figure 1.--Here we see Jeremy in his suit. I think an Eton collar would have been more likely, but this style of collar was worn.

The film is set in Edwardian England in the years before World War I. A peculiar inventor well played by Dick Van Dyke cares for his odd father and two sweet children. They fall in love with an old junk car and a beautiful rich lady who finds them playing hooky from school. Their father fixes up the car which the children call Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because of the noises it makes After a rocky start he falls in love with the rich lady. They use the car to travel to a fantasy land in a dilapidated magical car. Lots of children in the movie. In a key part the king in a mythical kingdom has all the children locked up. The primary children's roles are Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and his sister Jemima (???). They are both suitably adorable and give fine performances. Not a serious film, but fun and the music is rather catchy. The costuming for the film is basically correct for the adults and reasonable for the children. One reader reports quite rightly that the children's bathing suits are not quite right for the early 1900s. Jeremy's costume would have included a top and his pants are too long. I am not sure aboyr Jemima's bloomer style out outfit, I am not sure that they were worn for swiming, although longer styles were worn in school gym classes. I am sure that it is scandalously short for the time. Many girls indeed went bathing with long stockings, especially before World War I (1914-18). HBC has some information on girls bloomers/rompers in America, but conventions varied among countries.

Filmology

The film is based on a book by, of all people, Ian Fleming. He is of course better known for his James Bond spy thrillers. A subsequent stage musical is based on the film.

Setting

The film is set in Edwardian England in the years before World War I.

Cast

This was a wonderful film vehicle for Dick Van Dyke who plays whacky inventor and widowed father. The star was actually the magical carr--Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There was even a rare film appearance for famed British commedian Benny Hill. The primary children's roles are Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and his sister Jemima (Heather Ripley). They are both suitably adorable and give fine performances.

Plot

This film has an imaginative mix of disperate items for a magical adventure--there was a candy factory, dogs, wacky inventions, pirates, castles, evil rulers, toys, and great scenery. A peculiar inventor well played by Dick Van Dyke cares for his odd father and two sweet children. They fall in love with an old junk car and a beautiful rich lady who finds them playing hooky from school. Their father fixes up the car which the children call Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because of the noises it makes After a rocky start he falls in love with the rich lady. They use the car to travel to a fantasy land in a dilapidated magical car. Lots of children in the movie. In a key part Baron Bomburst' in a mythical kingdom has all the children locked up. His coubntryb is aapropriately called Vulgaria.

Assessment

Not a serious film, but fun and the music is rather catchy.

Costuming

The costuming for the film is basically correct for the adults and reasonable for the children. Jeremy wears a suit with a stiff collar, although not an Eton collar (figure 1). One reader reports quite rightly that the children's bathing suits are not quite right for the early 1900s. Jeremy's costume would have included a top and his pants are too long. I am not sure aboyr Jemima's bloomer style out outfit, I am not sure that they were worn for swiming, although longer styles were worn in school gym classes. I am sure that it is scandalously short for the time. Many girls indeed went bathing with long stockings, especially before World War I (1914-18). HBC has some information on girls bloomers/rompers in America, but conventions varied among countries.

Created: April 15, 2004
Last updated: April 16, 2004