Monday, July 28, 2008

the rocket car

one of my favourite children’s films has to be chitty chitty bang bang. based loosely on a book of the same name written by ian fleming (yes, the very same man renowned for his authorship of the james bond series), chitty chitty bang bang is now considered one of the all-time classic children’s films. the story hinges on one key moment when baron bomburst, the tyrant ruler of vulgaria, who wants to steal chitty chitty bang bang and keep it all for himself, has his men begin firing at the car as it sits on the beach during a family picnic. amazingly and magically, as the family begin to panic, chitty suddenly develops powers which enable it to float, and they escape!

how many kids saw that film and wished that they could have a car with those features? well somewhere out in silver lake, los angeles someone has banged together something that takes the design ethos of that wonderful machine and unleashed it onto the streets. the good folks at l.a. metblogs have put together an excellent story and stunning accompanying photographs like this . . . bottom line here is - if you’ve gotta drive then drive big! this is the way to go!

4 comments:

Goldenrod said...

I'd forgotten about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ... clever story! Wasn't that one with Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore? I'm too lazy to look it up on Wikipedia.

steven said...

absolutely!! dick van dyke was quoted as saying about this movie that it would "out-disney disney" or something to that effect. the result of that comment is that he wasn't used in anything by disney for years afterwards. chitty chitty bang bang is a cute movie full of stereotypes and whatever, but really lovely fun for children. oh, and the female lead was sally ann howes playing the role of "truly scrumptious".
steven

Goldenrod said...

I knew I could count on you to fill me in, Steven! Boy, the name Sally Ann Howes doesn't ring a bell at ALL!! By the way, Charles Osgood yesterday morning had -- as one of the program's features -- the background story of the gal who did the actual singing for Deborah Kerr in the King and I, Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, and Natalie Wood in West Side Story. I don't really know WHY the name Sally Ann Howes would remind me of that, but it did.

steven said...

sally ann has appeared in a lot of films and stage productions but has somehow avoided the limelight (can you say that about an accomplished actress?!) or has been overlooked. i imagine that as with the woman who did the actual singing for the stars in the productions you mentioned, it's just one of those things . . . . indirect fame.
steven