Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bedknobs and Broomsticks

This is the era of the live action family musical--with animation/special effects. Mary Poppins actually precedes these movies by four years. Willy Wonka came out the same year as Bedknobs. All these movies are based on children's books, and all star actors will extensive stage as well as screen experience.

It is entirely appropriate that the two movies being reviewed this week star the intrepid Dick Van Dyke and the once-a-lady-always-a-lady Angela Lansbury. Despite their differing nationalities, they have had remarkably similar careers. (They were even born the same year!) Angela Lansbury's career did begin at an earlier age (she appears alongside Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet) but they both did most of their early, Tony-award-winning work on the stage. Dick Van Dyke then did a solid amount of work in television, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, before breaking into film with Bye, Bye Birdie although it was Mary Poppins that crystallized his fame. Both actors have wide-ranging abilities and have lent their famous voices to Disney. And both starred in their own, extremely popular mystery shows: Diagnosis Murder and Murder, She Wrote.

MIKE SAYS an advantage of growing up during the 80's, and the VHS boom, is that I got to grow up with many of the same films that my parents did; in a way that made them feel just as new to us during my childhood as those films did during theirs.

Chitty Chitty and Bedknobs were staples in my house, usually put in on a long dull Sunday to brighten things up; inevitably I always wound up falling asleep somewhere in the middle, and waking up again for the end.  Not that I didn't like the films, or watch them from beginning to end constantly, but really, who can stay awake for every viewing?

Chitty is probably the more complex film of the two, but I wouldn't say that makes it the better film.  It's complexity has everything to do with the structure: it's a story, then it's real, then a story, then real, then it's imaginary.  I've always found movies that are dream sequences to be somewhat annoying (you mean it never happened?!???!?!), and even as I kid I always found the reveal of the storytelling to be somewhat of a let down. While the flying at the end of the film redeems it somewhat, when viewed in context it just makes no sense!

Despite this, the film is fun, well-made (a tribute to the age of "epic" film making), and a lot of fun, even after all these years.  Chitty, the car, while not too impressive by today's standards, is still a cool gadget, and has a lot of fun surprises. The music is memorable for the most part, and the musical/dance sequences themselves many times make the music all the better.

The main attraction, though, is Dick Van Dyke.  He's warm, gentle, clever and funny, can dance and mime like a madman, yet sing so gently that I want to drift off to sleep.  Dick Van Dyke has a special place in my heart, not just for his roles in a few of my favorite childhood films; he also reminds me very strongly of my Papa (my mother's father).  None of my siblings agree with that, but for me, it makes the film all that more enjoyable. My favorite sequence of the film is "Music Box." The music is simple but charming, and Van Dyke's performance as the puppet (while admittedly aided by wires) is awe inspiring.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is also extremely fun and clever, though it has the unfortunate role of being the follow up to Mary Poppins, one of the greatest musicals of all time. Bedknobs is good, great even in parts, but will never be seen as the equal to it predecessor, which is very sad, for when taken on its own, the film is a definite classic.

As a kid, my favorite element was the magic and mythology.  That the film had a rich backstory made it all the more fascinating to me.  Finding the lost isle with the magic creatures was almost always enough to get my little geeky heart pounding.

Angela Lansbury's performance is graceful, witty and enjoyable.  Having grown up with her as somewhat of a grandmotherly figure, though, I'm always somewhat flustered by the romantic sub-plot (as when I was young).  David Tomlinson, returning from Mary Poppins, is a constant source of laughs in the film, and delivers a solid, though less complex performance.

It seems that you can't have a 60's musical without some children, and the kids from both films are fairly impressive, though I will always consider the kids of Chitty Chitty to be among the sweetest.

I do love these films, and I hope to share them with my kids someday, though, if my wife has it her way, they'll be used to gain a little free time after the kids fall asleep watching them!

KATE SAYS this is the era of shaggy-dog film extravaganzas. Both Bedknobs and Chitty Chitty contain fairly simply stories with fantastical elements that seem intrinsic to British storytelling (consider Gilliam's whimsical visions).

Both films set the stage with little fanfare. Bedknobs has those impressive opening credits alongside a medieval tapestry and Chitty Chitty has the hilarious and rather odd (it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the movie) sequence of early car races. (Actually, there is a relevant point here about human ingenuity: the moment humans can do something--even if logically, they would be more sensible to wait until it was easier to do--they do it, like hold car races. The moment Hollywood figured out it could film in exotic locations, real and imaginary, it did so, even though filming in exotic locations is far easier today than it was then.)

Both films have strong characters, entertaining action sequences, and perfect pay-offs. Both films also contain long, rambling middle sections. In the case of Bedknobs, the middle of the movie is packed with at  least four numbers, including the memorable but lengthy "Portobello Road." In general, I prefer watching Miss Price interact with the children and Emelius Brown (played by the adorable Mary Poppins-father David Tomlinson).

In Chitty Chitty, the middle of the movie is taken up with the father's story. Parts of the story are very amusing (the car-as-floating-device and the hilarious spies--"We'll act like British gentleman!"). However, I've never been a fan of child-rebels, who remind me too much of Ewoks (of course, since the dad is making up the story to entertain his kids, it doesn't have to make sense). I far prefer the "courtship" between Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious that takes up the rest of the movie.

In any case, I now see both films more as showcases for Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke than as examples of tight story-telling.

Angela Lansbury is like Julie Andrews: a pure lady no matter what the character. (To be honest, Miss Price is really just Jessica Fletcher with a different back-story.)

This was my first time seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed by Dick Van Dyke's serious side. In many films and shows, he plays up his goofy side. In Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he exhibits a gentle thoughtfulness as the film's well-meaning and loving father (with great comedic timing). He and Sally Anne Howes have great rapport. And his character has the most adorable, non-irritating children in film history.

Which isn't to say that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn't a chance for Van Dyke to demonstrate all his talents. Nowadays if someone like Hugh Laurie can play piano as well as act, everyone is extremely impressed (shoot, I am!). Yet actors like Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury could act, sing, dance, etc. etc. etc. and it was totally taken for granted. Consequently, they make it all look so effortless. Perhaps this is why the rambling middle sections don't irritate me as much as they do with other musicals. Watching these films is rather like playing shuffleboard or a long game of rummy: here's Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury are here to entertain us, isn't that nice?