50th Anniversary of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) film

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2018-12-18

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Swedish film poster

This week marks 50 years since the release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the classic childrens film from 1968 produced by James Bond film makers EON Productions and based on the book that Ian Fleming wrote for his son Caspar. Above the original Swedish poster from our private collection.

The 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries and Gert Fröbe (Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger) first premiered at cinemas in the UK on 17th December 1968. Then it opened in USA on 18th December. In Sweden, the film premiered on 19th December 1968.

Film synopsis for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Pre-WWI England... A widowed, absent-minded, unsuccessful inventor (Dick Van Dyke) spruces up a wrecked racing car - which develops the amazing ability to float on water and fly - and plans to take his two children, his girlfriend and the flying automobile on a magical adventure. When the bullying Baron (Gert Frobe) of a middle European nation tries to kidnap the auto and its inventor, he grabs his Baronial car that he want the inventor to change. So the adventure becomes a rescue mission that takes the group and their wonderful flying car to a strange Oz-like land where nothing is as it seems.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang UK quad poster

The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang US 1/2 sheet poster.

Production notes on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

(Source: MGM / EON Productions)
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Filming locations used for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

• Bridgefoot House, Iver, Buckinghamshire, England (Dynamite scene)
• Cape Taillat, Côte d'Azur, France (beach scenes)
• Cobstone windmill, Ibstone, Buckinghamshire, England (Caractacus Potts' windmill)
• Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, England (Caractacus and the children drive in Chitty through a village, waving at the villagers and nearly running them over!)
• Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England (Truly's house and grounds)
• Ilmer, Buckinghamshire, England (Railway bridge scene)
• Kempton Steam Museum, Kempton Park Waterworks, Snakey Lane, Middlesex, England (The Scrumptious Sweet Co.)
• Longmoor military railway, Longmoor Military Camp, Hampshire, England (Caractacus drives Chitty alongside a railway)
• Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau, Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany (castle scenes)
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany (Castle town of Vulgaria and bridge outside the town scenes)
• Russell's Water, Buckinghamshire, England (duck pond)
• Saint-Tropez, Var, France (Beach scenes when Chitty takes to the waves)
• Zig Zag Road, Boxhill, Surrey, England (During the German Grand Prix the car crashes)

Studio used for Interiors, Close-Up shots etc - Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England

Over the years, FSWL has written a few articles about some of the people that worked on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:

>Albert R. Broccoli (Producer)
>Desmond Llewelyn as Coggins
>George Leech (Stunt coordinator)
>John Stears (Special effects)
>Ken Adam (Production designer)
>Michael Reed (Director of photography: title sequence)
>Peter Hunt (Production associate and Director of title sequence)
>Peter Lamont (Assistant art director)
>Richard Maibaum (Additional dialogue)
>Vic Armstrong (Stuntman)

EON Productions & Albert R. Broccoli present Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:

Read more about the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on MGM's official website.

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