Chitty Chitty Bang Bang came on ABC Family Channel this evening as part of their 25 Days of Christmas. The book upon which the movie is based was written by Ian Fleming, and it bears more than a passing resemblance to its darker cousin , the James Bond Series.
First there’s the producer. Everyone tends to assume that this is a Disney Movie, but it’s not. It was produced by Albert Broccoli, producer of all of the James Bond movies. It also stars a couple of the Bond staples – Gert Frobe (Auric Goldfinger) as the notorious Baron Bomburst, and Desmond Llewellyn (Q) as a junk dealer.
Fleming has a penchant for creating , ahem, rather unusual names for his female characters. Who could forget such pseudo-porn names like "Pussy Galore" and "Dr. Holly Goodhead?" Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has Truly Scrumptious.
Although more whimsical, and certainly less lethal than the Bond movies, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has its share of unusual gadgets. Vehicles must have some hidden features – in the case of the title vehicle, a race car that flies and floats. That’s not very far removed from an Aston Martin with rocket launchers or a Lotus that turns into a submarine. The "Man with the Golden Gun" even featured a flying car.
So, we have a megalomanic with a nefarious scheme, and a hero with a car with incredible features and configurations. Of course, I’ve never seen Benny Hill in a James Bond movie.
And a final observation, the translation of the Japanese name for the James Bond is "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang."