Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: Difference between revisions
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==Characters== |
==Characters== |
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*Caractacus |
*Caractacus Pott |
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*Mimsie Pott |
*Mimsie Pott |
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*Jeremy Pott |
*Jeremy Pott |
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Revision as of 04:15, 5 May 2009
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond) for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham. It was first published in 1964 by Jonathan Cape in London and Random House in New York, and later made into a successful film.
Writer Ian Fleming took his inspiration for the car from a series of aero-engined racing cars built by Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s at Higham Park, christened "Chitty Bang Bang". Fleming had known Higham Park as a guest of its later owner, Walter Wigham, chairman of Robert Fleming & Co.
Plot
Commander Caratacus Pott is an inventor who buys and renovates an old car after gaining money from inventing and selling whistle-like sweets to Mr. Scrumptious, wealthy owner of a local confectionery factory. The car, which was known then as the Paragon Panther, was previously a three-time Grand Prix winner, and had been damaged in an accident.
At first, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is just a sports car, but as the book progresses, the car surprises the family by beginning to exhibit independent actions. This first happens while the family is caught in a traffic jam on their way to the beach for a picnic. The car suddenly instructs Commander Pott to pull a switch, which causes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to sprout wings and take flight over the stopped cars on the motorway. Chitty flies them to Goodwin Sands in the English Channel, where the family picnic, swim, and sleep. While the family naps, the tide comes in, threatening to drown them and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty wakes the family just in time by honking, and instructs Commander Pott to pull another switch, which causes the car to transform into a boat. They make for the French coast and land on a beach near Calais. They explore along the beach coast in the car, and find a cave boobytrapped with some devices intended to scare off intruders. At the back of the cave is a store of armaments and explosives. The family detonate the cache of explosives and flee the cave.
The gangsters/gun-runners who own the ammunition arrive and block the road in front of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The gangsters threaten the family, but Commander Pott throws the switch which transforms the car into an airplane and they take off, leaving the gangsters in helpless fury. The Potts decide to stay overnight in a hotel in Calais. While the family sleeps, the gangsters break into the children's room and kidnap them, driving off towards Paris. Chitty tracks the gangstas' route and wakes Commander and Mrs. Pott, driving in pursuit.
The gangsters are planning to rob a famous chocolate shop in Paris, using the children as decoys. The Pott children overhear this and manage to warn Monsier Bon Bon, the shop owner. Chitty arrives in time to prevent the gangsters from fleeing. The police arrive and the gangsters are taken away. As a reward, Monsieur Bon Bon's wife shares the secret recipe of her world famous fudge with the Potts and the two families become firm friends. Chitty and the family fly away, perhaps home to England although the book implies that the car has yet more secrets. The secret recipe for Bon Bons' world famous French fudge is printed at the back of the last chapter (in certain copies of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the recipe is printed in the chapter where the fudge recipe is introduced).
Characters
- Caractacus Pott
- Mimsie Pott
- Jeremy Pott
- Jemima Pott
- Joe the Monster
- Man-Mountain Fink
- Soapy Sam
- Blood-Money Banks
- Monsieur Bon-Bon
Adaptations
A film was made based on the novel in 1968. A novelisation of the film was written by author John Burke.
Stage musical
On April 16 2002, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a stage musical based on the movie, opened at the London Palladium theatre. It was directed by Adrian Noble with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne and starred Michael Ball. This version of the show closed in September 2005.
After closing in London, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang took to the road on a UK European tour. The first stop was at the Sunderland Empire Theatre, where it previewed from December 9 2005 and premiered on December 13 2005 and also toured at Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Southampton and Edinburgh. It closed in Southampton on 16 September 2007 and then traveled to Singapore from 2 November 2007 to 9 December. It played at the Alhambra Theatre Bradford from 11 February until 5 April 2008 and played a second time at the Sunderland Empire Theatre from 17 April to 7 June 2008. The Tour played its final venue at the Wales Millennium Centre on 3 July to 30 August 2008.
Despite some initial problems with the mechanical flying Chitty used in the show, it has enjoyed a very successful run. A Broadway version opened on April 28 2005 at the Hilton Theatre in New York City and closed on 31 December 2005, after 34 previews and 284 regular performances. The production was nominated for five 2005 Tony Awards:
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Erin Dilly)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Marc Kudisch)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Jan Maxwell)
- Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Anthony Ward)
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Mark Henderson)