Rochdale Observer

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HEN the creative talents behind British super spy 007 and chocolate factory Willy Wonka came together the result was a magical car with a mind of its own.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was based on the book by James Bond creator Ian Fleming and was adapted for the screen by children’s writer Roald Dahl.

Roald had previously worked as screenwrit­er for the 007 movie You Only Live Twice and he added his own distinctiv­e twist to the script of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Ian Fleming’s original book was written for his son Caspar and was an adventure about the Potts family and their flying car coming to the rescue of a French sweet maker plagued by gangsters. Roald’s imaginatio­n came up with the kingdom of Vulgaria and heroine Truly Scrumptiou­s.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened in UK cinemas in 1968 just in time for Christmas and quickly proved a box office hit as it promised film lovers: “The most fantasmago­rical musical entertainm­ent in the history of everything!”

Mary Poppins actor Dick Van Dyke signed up to play struggling inventor and father-of-two Caractacus Potts with Sally Ann Howes as the sweet factory owner’s daughter Truly Scrumptiou­s.

Dick later said of the casting in a documentar­y: “They couldn’t have picked a better Truly Scumptious than Sally. They came up with Sally Ann and I heard her voice and it was the richest contralto.

“She auditioned with The Lovely Lonely Man and I thought ‘My God, this girl is great’ and then she was stunningly beautiful. She loved those kids and they loved her – which I think comes across on screen. They just thought a great deal of her and she spent a lot of time with them between shots telling stories and playing games during all those long waiting periods.”

Producer Albert R Broccoli also sang her praises and wrote: “We wanted a typical English beauty and, to me, Sally Ann represents

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