The Tarnished Silver Screen Jan 18, 2008
For instance, I have friends who still recall after 40 years that in summing up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a god-awful Dick Van Dyke vehicle, I wrote that it started off with a bang, but ended up chitty ... For instance, I have friends who still recall after 40 years that in summing up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a god-awful Dick Van Dyke vehicle, I wrote that it started off with a bang, but ended up chitty. (Townhall.com)
Fireworks light up Sydney Harbour Dec 31, 2007
Music blasted from loudspeakers around the harbour, with theme songs from children's movies including the oldie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Fireworks erupted from four of the seven barges anchored along the harbour on both sides of the bridge in an eight minute display that delighted onlookers. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
DIVINE' INTERVENTIONS FOR 2008 Dec 30, 2007
" * Woody Allen - actor, comedian, filmmaker, writer, producer, director, musician - finally realizes he can't hold a job. * Heidi Fleiss doing a DVD on how to be a hooker. It's called "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Bang. (New York Post -- Gossip)
Worst films of 07: Awful is the new awesome Dec 28, 2007
So take that Grease and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You both only had one flying thing. (MSNBC -- News)
Actor Anton Rodgers dies aged 74 Dec 5, 2007
He also appeared in the opening night of the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2002. Surburban man. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Big films hit the DVD shelves Dec 2, 2007
Also this week:Film: "12 Angry Men"; "Artic Tale"; "Carrie"; "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; "Erik the Viking"; "Fiddler on the Roof"; "Guys and Dolls"; "Lady Chatterly"; "Mad Max"; "Midnight Clear"; "Moonstruck"; "Rocky: The complete saga"; "The Sure Thing"; "West Side Story"; "When Harry Met Sally"TV: "24," season six; "7th Heaven," season five; "Battlestar Galactica: Razor"; "The Best of Crank Yankers"; "Diagnosis: Murder," season three; "The Fever"; "Highlander," complete series; "Law SVU,"... (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Tune into Christmas TV Nov 30, 2007
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (6 p.m. ABC Family) -- Dick Van Dyke stars in this musical about an oddball inventor. Dec. 17. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Top heroes and villians named in movie list Nov 28, 2007
16 Peyton Flanders (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) 17 Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) 18 Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction) 19 The White Witch (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe) 20 Captain Videl (Pan's Labyrinth) 21 Annie Wilkes (Misery) 22 Tony Montana (Scarface) 23 Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct) 24 Michael Corleone (The Godfather) 25 Dr Christian Sezell (Marathon Man) 26 Reverend Harry Powell (The Night of the Hunter) 27 Ray (Nil by Mouth) 28 The Wicked Witch of the... (NEWS.com.au)
Movies for everyone Nov 24, 2007
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Ken Hughes, 1968) With his battered top hat and lank hair, Robert Helpmann's creepy Child Catcher prowled from Vulgaria into our nightmares, hoping to catch a whiff of his prey with his unfeasibly long nose. The only film character to give the Wicked Witch of the West a run for her money. (CNN -- International)
A desperate 'Desperately Seeking Susan' and a small gem: 'Free Outgoing' Nov 20, 2007
Emma Williams, late of the London stage adaptation of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," here does a complete about-face, donning body-hugging black and a faux-fur collar to enact the Susan who is on the run from an Atlantic City mobster. (In that role, an android-like Steven Houghton could just as well have ambled in from a David Cronenberg film. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
No Madonna in this 'Susan' Nov 15, 2007
Williams, a rising star whose West End credits include "Bat Boy" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," says her character pays homage to Madonna but is very much her own woman. "To me, she's a combination of Debbie Harry, Madonna, Courtney Love, Shirley Manson, Gwen Stefani - the people who are individual," she said. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Shuttle crew looking ahead to touchdown today Nov 7, 2007
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was this morning's wakeup music for the space shuttle crew. It was dedicated to commander Pamela Melroy, who's looking for a "smooth touchdown.". (WSJA.com, AL)
Get A Slice Of Army Life Nov 5, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007. " onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Driving force Nov 2, 2007
Londons hugely popular West End musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is playing in Singapore ... The highly acclaimed and popular West End musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (CCBB) is starting its run in the island of Singapore at the Esplanade Theatre from today until Dec 9 ... Devilish: The evil Child Catcher is played to perfection by Richard OBrien (below, right), in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
A 'lover-ly' tour Nov 1, 2007
Sally Ann has a 60-year acting career rap sheet that includes playing Eliza Doolitte in the production of My Fair Lady immediately following Julie Andrews, a role in the Broadway play The Dead with Christopher Walken, and probably her most recognized film role, Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opposite Dick Van Dyke (another movie I watched over and over again as a child). Sally Ann has lived in Palm Beach for three years and is happy to be performing back home. (The Palm Beach Post)
This Halloween, TopTenREVIEWS Announces the Most Unforgettable, Creepiest Movie Characters Oct 18, 2007
The Child Catcher, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang- Seeing this character for the first time as an adult skews his horridness; however, see him through a child's eyes and it opens up a world of scary possibilities. A stranger snatching children from their parents is not just a creepy character, it's a horrifying thought. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Sony reaffirms 11 million PS3 shipment goal Sep 23, 2007
Electronics giant says it's still on track to hit worldwide shipment target by the end of March 2008, might acquire more development studios. By , Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:47 pm PT. (GameSpot)
Being known for two roles is just lovely for 'Fair Lady' Howes. Sep 16, 2007
And she's known to a larger audience as Truly Scrumptious, the English beauty who galvanizes the heart of Dick Van Dyke in the 1968 movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.". In the decades since, there have been many roles on stage and screen for Howes, now an elegant theatrical grande dame of 77. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang musical makes public appearance Sep 16, 2007
SINGAPORE : The star of the hit movie and musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang made a rare public performance at the Esplanade on Saturday morning. But do not expect to get any autographs although fans are allowed take pictures with her. (Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
Rivers rips it up during SF show Aug 28, 2007
Like everything else under the sun, her friend's misery was fair game: Rivers proceeded to offer up a cheery burlesque of Andrews croaking out some lines from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," still thinking she could sing. A high-voltage late-night set by a 74-year-old celebrity performer isn't something that comes along every day. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Window on her world Aug 26, 2007
"I remember as children we would go to screenings of movies at Sandringham occasionally, like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or whatever. Some of them would come to tea or drop in, but very, very rarely. My sister Sarah, in the mid-'70s, went out with Charles for a few weeks or months or something but I don't really remember. There wasn't really a huge closeness between the families.". The fact that two Spencer sisters were looked over for marriage to the heir to the throne, and one was eventually... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Community Events Aug 4, 2007
Music provided by Loose Strings, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be shown at dusk. Cost is 8 for adults and 4 for children under 10. (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Pick of the day Aug 3, 2007
and Half a Sixpence and films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Belles of St Trinian's. Joining Windsor and the BBC Concert Orchestra are Roy Hudd, Shane Ritchie and June "Dot Cotton" Brown. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Stars pay tribute to Mike Reid Jul 30, 2007
"A very, very funny man and a great story-teller. There are certain comedians who do one-liners, you know, which bounce off each other. "But Mike was a story-teller and a great deliverer of great, great jokes," Mr Abbott added. Reid started his career as a standup comedian on London's comedy clubs and on cruise liners. He then took up the career of a stuntman with roles in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and war epic Spartacus. He also acted as a stunt double for Roger Moore in The Saint before... (InTheNews.co.uk)
Ex-EastEnders star Mike Reid dies Jul 30, 2007
" Former stuntman Before entering the comedy scene and winning a place in The Comedians in 1973, Reid began his career as a stuntman. He worked on films including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and Spartacus. He had also been a stunt double for Roger Moore in The Saint. "I know it's hard to believe - Mike was a lot taller than him, and often used to laugh about it," Mr Hahn said. In the late 1970s Reid went on to host the ITV children's TV quiz show... (BBC News -- UK)
Blondie Taps into Susan's Groove Jul 13, 2007
British actress Emma Williams, who starred in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2003, will take on the role of Susan, while Guys and Dolls star Kelly Price will play Roberta, as she discovers the joy that comes from love and self-awareness and manages to foil a jewel heist in the process. Other songs being prepped for the stage include "One Way or Another," "Dreaming" and Harry's new effort, "Moment of Truth.". (E! Online)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Jul 7, 2007
The Weasleys rescue Harry from the Dursleys in an airborne Ford Anglia in a sequence that blends Jurassic Park with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and house elf Dobby (a computer-generated character with a demeanour that calls to mind Uriah Heep and Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) is introduced. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint shine as Harry and Ron, with Emma Watson as cute as a kitten in corduroy playing Hermione and robust supporting work from Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith and Richard Harris. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Summer 2007 Movie Central Jun 23, 2007
No, it's not Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. June 15. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
A world of troubles sparked his film Jun 17, 2007
Thursday night's show is "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," and there will be food for sale and vintage cars on display. The movie will get started around 8 p.m. Bring a picnic but leave the alcohol at home (617-734-2500 and ). (Boston Globe)
Safety on a small scale Jun 15, 2007
Viewers can pick out a alien spaceship, a unicorn and the flying car from the movie 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. . (Camdenton Lake Sun Leader, MO)
Infotainment Jun 6, 2007
Chitty Chitty Bang BangAuburn: Tony Darcangela polishes the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie car before its rolled to the auction ring at the Auburn Spring MotorFair. ap. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Car in movie sells for $505,000 Jun 4, 2007
Jacksonville -- The red-and-yellow winged roadster in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang sold at auction for $505,000 to a Florida collector. Ralph Spencer of Jacksonville bought the car during a sale Saturday at the 16th annual Auburn Spring Motorfair at Kruse Auction Park. (Orlando Sentinel -- News)
Musical kids from Minneola wrap up season May 11, 2007
Students in the chorus classes have sung medleys from The Wizard of Oz and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang along with theme songs from I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Bonanza and Laverne & Shirley. Drama students have performed Oceans of Fun, Bugz and A Dickens of a Christmas. (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
Wanted: Green ogre and talking donkey for Broadway show May 3, 2007
Legally Blonde the musical opened on Broadway on Monday, while popular films Lord of the Rings, The Producers, Billy Elliot and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have all made a successful transition from screen to stage in recent years. SEE ALSO 01 May 07 | Entertainment 24 May 06 | Entertainment 24 Mar 06 | Entertainment 28 Sep 05 | Entertainment 17 Oct 04 | Entertainment. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Interview: Mark Gatiss on the Vesuvius Club Apr 27, 2007
"I used to go and watch films shown there. I remember watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and being almost as frightened of the people sitting around me as of the Child Catcher. The faces and personalities were true northern Gothic. "In my first year at college I got a job there as a gardener. I got a totally different view of it. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
The Proms tackle climate change Apr 26, 2007
Ball, who has starred in The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects Of Love, Les Miserables and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, will perform hits from West End and Broadway musicals. Mr Kenyon said: "I think he is one of the great, intelligent singing artists alive today. "He deserves a place at the Proms just as much as performers in the great classical tradition. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Art by local 12-year-old making the rounds Apr 4, 2007
His themes include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; the Fox and the Hound; Cinderella and Sinbad's ship. For those who did not catch his recent showing at Hilltop, Wally has taken his display of intricate pieces out into the community. (Nogales International, AZ)
No one wants to part with their shop-class art Mar 19, 2007
" King made the piece in Mr. Mewborn's class at Eastern Wayne Junior High School in Goldsboro. "I have always been creative, but I'm not sure what inspired this creation," he said. "The only thing I can think of was from watching the movie 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In that movie, there was a cage with children who were captured in town. (The Daily Reflector)
EXCLUSIVE Mega book deal for star's Neighbours ex Mar 12, 2007
"Jason and Kylie were the two biggest stars in the Aussie soap in the Eighties and their on-screen wedding attracted huge audiences worldwide.They both signed pop deals with hit-makers Stock, Aitken and Waterman and enjoyed massive pop careers - hitting No 1 together with their sickly duet Especially For You.But Kylie shocked fans and cast aside her squeaky-clean image when she began an affair with INXS star Hutchence, who went on to choke to death in 1997 during a bizarre solo sex game in a... (Sunday Mirror)
FILM GUYS' POLITICS Feb 23, 2007
" So wrote the scholar Gershon Legman back in 1977. If Gershon were still alive, he would probably in shock these days. WELL, NOW that Hollywood titan/ mogul David Geffen has emphati cally aligned himself with the Democrat's rising star Barack Obama and against his former friends the Clintons, I suppose we will take it as a given that the other undisputed king of Hollywood, Jack Nicholson, who is on the outs with Geffen - will now throw his support to Hillary. How else can it fall out? TAKE A... (New York Post -- Gossip)
Smith's entourage cashes in Feb 14, 2007
" And Sally Ann Howes, who appeared in the big-screen version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, showed up in the chambers and parked herself front and center. She also calls the Island home part of the year. Did the stars help? "No question," Flynn said. "It reminded everyone of what they have in this theater. " Sponsored Links : In print and online Copyright ? 2007, The Palm Beach Post. All rights reserved. By using PalmBeachPost.com, you accept the terms of our visitor agreement. . | | | 00000000. (The Palm Beach Post)
- 50 trips to banish the half term blues Feb 11, 2007
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the famous flying car, is on show at (01590 612345), Southampton from 19-25 February. It's home to other permanent attractions including the James Bond Experience, featuring cars and boats from the films and an interactive PlayStation Zone with over 20 games. (Guardian Unlimited)
- New York v London: the battle of the capitals Feb 10, 2007
David Hare and Tom Stoppard both have shows on Broadway while Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was one of several West End musicals to make the transfer. Neither city scored well on a quality-of-life survey conducted among expatriate staff in which Zurich and Geneva scored highest. (Guardian Unlimited)
NHS Chamber Choir takes New York City by Song Dec 29, 2006
Kantor's Broadway career highlights include "Brigadoon," "Mame," "Me and My Girl," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Guys and Dolls," "A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Forum" and most recently, "Phantom of the Opera." Having studied speech therapy in college, he slowly changed his direction finishing with a degree in acting and a graduate degree in teaching from Boston University. "You should always have something to fall back on as an actor," warned Kantor. (Newington Town Crier, CT)
Why the West End's on song Dec 10, 2006
My Fair Lady, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: I could watch those films again and again. I enjoy everything about them, from the silly storylines to the fairytale characters: Fagin, Eliza, Truly Scrumptious, even the Childcatcher. (Guardian Unlimited)
Turkey day TV Nov 22, 2006
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Dick Van Dyke. Bravo. (USA Today -- Life)
An unexpectedly delightful "Sound of Music" opens in London Nov 22, 2006
Small wonder that the two producers, Lloyd Webber and David Ian, decided against hiring a more seasoned performer - the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" alumna Emma Williams had already been named - to be Fisher's alternate across eight shows a week. After the TV series ended, callers were apparently flooding the box office wanting to see "that girl from the telly." Well, now they can at any performance, and one only hopes that Fisher's Mountview Academy studies included classes in delivering to one of... (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
REQUIRED READING Oct 29, 2006
October 29, 2006 -- ROALD Dahl is renowned for a wide range of wonderful work, from his famous children's tales ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") to his very funny and silly adult books ("Uncle Oswald") and even movies ("You Only Live Twice," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"). But it was his short stories that always seized the imagination and gave readers an intense blast of his peculiar world view. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
'Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka' Oct 27, 2006
"This is a professional production for children and the family." Bricusse had done "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and wanted to add songs for all of the children in the Willy Wonka story. Bailey felt the depiction of the Mike Teavee was dated. (Mail Tribune, OR)
Holder of all the marbles Oct 23, 2006
I ve always wanted one since I saw the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Elder said. When [Caractacus Potts] goes into his room where all the inventions are there s one that s made into an aquarium. (Petersburg Progress Index, VA)
'Alternate' Maria quits musical Sep 23, 2006
Emma Williams, who previously starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, had been contracted to appear in the West End show in two performances a week. In a statement, however, Lloyd Webber confirmed reports she had "withdrawn her services" from the musical. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Bonding with DVD Sep 12, 2006
have introduced their sons, Zack, 9, and Eric, 5, to classics such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins and Charlotte's Web, along with the modern Harry Potter films. "I remember going to (1973's Charlotte's Web) with my stepdad and him crying in the end," she says. (USA Today -- Life)
The height of fancy Sep 9, 2006
During that time, the work he managed to do, whether children's books such as Fantastic Mr Fox or the screenplay for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, involved a lot of outside help. It was in those years that he first learned that a writer could benefit from collaboration. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Six Of The Best Sep 6, 2006
Its roll-call of budding stars includes Anyi Wang who played Tam in Miss Saigon and Chloe Jones and Alexander Thompson who starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But while Stagecoach has recorded notable success with limelight and greasepaint, this has not been translated into bottom-line profit yet. (Sky News)
In 'Idlewild,' cool hip-hop, hot jazz Aug 24, 2006
"They remind me of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,' or something.". According to both Benjamin and Patton, Barber's segue into long-form film wasn't that big a deal. (Newsday -- New York City)
Fire destroys James Bond movie studio Aug 1, 2006
Originally called Pinewood Studios until the 2001 merger with Shepperton Studios, Pinewood has been home to some of Britain's best known films from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" to "The Day Of The Jackal". Reuters 2006. (Reuters.uk)
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books Jul 22, 2006
Gotham parents who have been spending over $100 a pop to take their offspring to flat-footed Broadway musicals -- like the recent "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," among others -- might want to high-tail it downtown to the Lortel. "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" is 60 minutes of theatrical enchantment for kids, with enough intelligence and imagination to hold adults as well. (Variety)
Queen delivers a fairytale day out Jun 26, 2006
As the children entered the Palace they passed a display of vehicles: Noddy s car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mr Toad s 1929 Bentley. They were greeted in the Grand Entrance by a huge model of the Big Friendly Giant, and on the terrace found the Mad Hatter s tea party in progress. (Times Online)
Vroooooooom with a view Jun 4, 2006
" Herbie , a '63 Volkswagen Beetle, is the title character, the most adorable Disney creation this side of Thumper . It's true Thumper accelerates better, but you wouldn't believe the price of premium unleaded carrots. 1968 ``Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Dick Van Dyke drives the flying car that gives the movie its name. His real-life brother, Jerry Van Dyke , starred in a television sitcom called ``My Mother the Car. (Boston Globe -- Living)
From paper to celluloid Jun 2, 2006
But the clear victor in any calculation of box office dollars earned per word would be Ian Fleming, through the consistent money-making power of the Bond franchise and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. An intriguing challenger is the cult American writer SE Hinton, who has had an impressive four of her mere six novels filmed, including both Rumblefish and The Outsiders by Francis Ford Coppola. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Disneyland Salutes 40th Anniversary of 'it's a small world' and One of Pop Culture's Most Enduring (and Un-Ending) Song Hits May 26, 2006
"Disneyland was the springboard for making our little tune a phenomenal hit," said songwriter Richard M. Sherman whose current projects include successful stage adaptations of his musicals "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Mary Poppins," soon to debut on Broadway. "The song was originally written as a slow ballad and a prayer for peace and in 1966 the world was in a bad state of affairs so I think the song sparked and resonated even more ... highlighting that we're all together in this world and... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
'Car is the star' movies May 2, 2006
I have to aggree on Christine, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ... Genevieve, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Love Bug, and special mention to Professor Fate's Hannibal twin 8 in The Great Race ... As far as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Fed up with Baldwin, actress quits show Apr 28, 2006
Jan Maxwell, a stage veteran who recently appeared in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," left the Roundabout Theatre Company show Sunday, five weeks before its scheduled close, a spokesman confirmed yesterday. Published reports said Maxwell had sent an e-mail to a friend saying that Baldwin "created an unhealthy and oppressive situation," and that he had punched a wall because he was angry that the air-conditioning on the set was not on high enough. (Newsday -- Entertainment)
Elle Woods Takes Manhattan Apr 27, 2006
" The musical adaptation is just the latest in an increasing line of hit films hoofing it over to Broadway. Most recently, High Fidelity and The Wedding Singer have both been prepping for their Broadway debuts. But the influx of Hollywood to Broadway is nothing new. In 2002, inspired by Broadway's then reigning megahits The Lion King and The Producers, MGM announced plans to dig through its vaults and some of their own films to adapt to the stage. Dubbed "MGM on Stage," the venture launched... (E! Online)
Actress Exits Play Over Alec Baldwin Apr 27, 2006
Maxwell has long been a critics' favorite and received a Tony nomination last season for her work in the musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." In "Sloane," she received mostly positive notices for her portrayal of a sex-starved woman vying with her brother, played by Baldwin, for the attentions of her hunky tenant. The Associated Press said Maxwell gave "a hilarious, tremulously determined performance.". (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
