When you think about it, the way some memories are associated with a particular period of life is strange. I vividly recall that I was exactly a 5th grader when I saw the film in the darkness of my favorite film theater.
As one gets older, memories are not so well designated to a specific period. For example, it is sometimes difficult to temporally pin down the initial viewing of some memorable films (e.g. Solaris, El Sur, L'Albero degli zoccoli) that I encountered in my 20s. The childhood days are marked by vivid and colorful progressions of time. As one passes adolescence, the segmentation of time becomes less clear.
Back to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There were some features of the film that captured my imagination. For example, the contraptions that the mad inventor father (played by Dick van Dyke) builds in the film fascinated me. One of them cooked an egg and made a sandwich at the breakfast table, with some disastrous results.
There were some lovely tunes, like "Doll on a Music Box", where Truly Scrumptious (played by Sally Ann Howes), pretending to be a mechanically constructed doll, dances on a music box, ostensibly presented as a special gift to the tyrant Baron Bomburst.
There is a clip of this beautiful scene on youtube.
Looking back, the whole film is lovely, as in it the adults endeavor to entertain the children and children-at-hearts very seriously.
A scene from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
5 comments:
Dr.Mogi
I was watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's clips on the Youtube a liitle ago. I couldn't stop see them! Probably, I'm only 4years younger than you, but I didn't watch this film. Thank you for a fantastic opportunity. I would like to think back things about my childhood. For instance, Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) was the one that I read and was fascinated many times when I was 8 to 10.
Thank you for telling us about "Doll on a Music Box" on youtube.
Very funny and fantastic.
As I couldn't see these musical films in my childhood, I seem to be keeping away from them.
After seeing the scene on youtube, I feel it has a lively style and the mind of child in itself.
I'll see the whole " Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" to enjoy the father's contraptions.
The setting that the car was once an excellent racing car, and became a disused car by the accident looks good.
Perhaps it keeps special power,
and the talent will blossom with the inventor.
Dear Dr.Mogi
I am 24 years old, but when I was child around 3-10 years old, I loved see the movie "Chtty Chitty Bang Bang" too, because my parents loved it.
Thank you so much for letting me remember about it.
This film show us a wonderful lovely dream. We can feel and get heartful love story many, humor about human life and a lot of something happiness.
Thank you so much again for reviewing about "Chtty Chitty Bang Bang" on your blog.
In the rest of days of this silver week, I'll try to see the film with my parents again with lovely childhood memory and talk.
I used to love musicals too. Good old days hollywood musicals have still magic power to take me back to the warm heartful nostalgic period. I also liked the musicals by the Japanese musical theater group "Shiki". When I was in the sixth grade (I think you were too), all the sixth graders in Tokyo and surrounding area were invited to Nissei Theater to appreciate the musical by Shiki. That year, they performed "the Adventure of John Manjiro". Do you remember? I was so thrilled by their powerful and positive full of hope performance and the music. It is such a vivid memory.
Thanx for the link to the clip on YouTube. I have always loved Musicals. I love seeing them in movies or on stage. I must admit that I haven't seen any Japanese musical yet, but I would love to experience one. Indeed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brings back dear memories. As a child, I read the book too (probably the first English story I ever read).
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