The Magical Car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on the Auction Block

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the magical car from the 1968 movie is going on the auction block.  The auction is being conducted by "Auction house Profiles in History."  The sale will be held on May 14th and 15th in Beverly Hills California at "The Saban Theater".  Chitty, a 1910 replica, could fly with retractable wings and use floatation devices on water.

The car has been owned by British stunt man and actor Pierre Picton since he was hired to do promotional work for the film.  Pierre was also a stunt driver and double for the human star Dick Van Dyke.  Pierre is now 76 years old and is ready to sell Chitty after 50 years of showing her off  to waving and cheering crowds.   "Chitty has been a great friend and it has been an amazing experience to get noticed with admiration wherever I take her".  "I am getting older and it's now time to set her free to fly to pastures new".  "I hope the car will continue to bring great enjoyment for generations to come." 

The heroic car is still fully functional and road ready but sadly lacks the flying equipment and floatation devices.  The car was designed by Ken Adams who also designed the James Bond movie sets.   The car was built by Ford racing on a custom ladder frame chassis.  The power was from a 3.0 liter Essex competition racing engine that was covered by a polished aluminum hood.  The body was red with a wood white cedar boat tail.  Chitty also had brass fittings from antique cars and an alloy dashboard plate from a World War I British Fighter plane.  The car is still registered with the GEN 11 license plate seen in the film. 

Chitty is estimated to sell between $1 and $2 million dollars.   A small price to pay for a world famous magical car that is part of movie history.  I only wish it could fly. 

What do you remember about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?   I remember watching the movie at the Crocket Theater and on TV as a kid.  I always liked Chitty and the songs from the film.  The special effects were not the greatest and it has a few corny moments.   I still enjoy the movie and wish I could take a ride in this magical car.  I would like to watch the Blue Ray version with all the extras.  Does anyone have any reviews of the extras on the Blue Ray?  Do you have any favorite memories about the movie or any more information about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?  I  have included a few video clips about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  I hope these bring back a few more memories.

Stay tuned for more information about your favorite movies, TV shows and more on Remember When.   Coming soon "The Invaders" from the Twilight Zone.

"The Body Snatchers" Star dies

This just in:  Dana Wynter female star of the original SC-FI classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"  died Sunday of heart failure, she was 79.  She was best known for her role as Becky Driscoll who ran from the Pod People in 1956s "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".  The film, directed by Don Siegel, featured townspeople being replaced by emotionless duplicates grown from plant like pods.  Wynter grew up in England and studied to be a doctor before turning to acting.  She appeared with Robert Lansing in the ABC series "The Man Who Never Was,"  and starred in "Wagon Train,"  " Cannon" and "The Rockford Files." 
I remember watching "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" on late night TV and also seeing it at the drive in my hometown.   Do you remember Dana Wynter.  When and where were you the first time you saw this SCI-FI classic?   Please check out the video clip for "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Stay Tuned for my review of  "The Twilight Zone" - "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" on my next post.  

Travel Into Another Dimension, The Twilight Zone

This just in...
I just noticed that NetFlix just added the original 138 episodes of The Twilight Zone.  The Twilight Zone was one of my favorite all time TV shows.  It ran in glorious black and white from 1959-1963.  Each show was hosted by creator Rod Serling and stood alone as a complete story.  The episodes usually combined humor, horror, science fiction, mystery, history, and social issues such as prejudice, bigotry, greed, conformity, narcism, life and death.  Some of the best actors and actresses appeared on the shows.  Many of them going on to star in major TV shows and movies.  

I remember watching the Twilight Zone reruns on TV.  Please see the introduction clip from the pilot episode with a different narrator than Rod Serling.   
Stay tuned for more reviews, videos, pictures and show information...

Please comment on your favorite Twilight Zone shows and any other information relating to The Twilight Zone.