Missouri-born Dick Van Dyke, cast in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while in his early forties, was already a major star when he agreed to take on the role of inventor Caractacus Potts in the Disney classic - a 1964 appearance as loveable chimney sweep Bert in Mary Poppins alongside Julie Andrews had made him instantly A-list.įive decades on the actor, singer and dancer, who has just celebrated his 96th birthday, is still going strong - with acting work still apparently pouring in. Here, FEMAIL looks at what happened to the film's cast after Chitty Chitty Bang Bang made them household names in the late Sixties.Ĭaractacus Potts, played by Dick Van Dyke The plot follows the adventures of Potts, newly widowed, and his two children Jeremy and Jemima, played by Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley, as they recount a story to Truly Scrumptious about the evil Baron Bomburst (Gert Frobe) and his attempts to steal the Potts' fantastical flying machine. It tells the story of a charismatic inventor Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) who creates a magical flying car. However, for many, it will be for the role of Truly Scrumptious in the Disney classic that Ms Howe will be remembered. The 1968 film, which has been reinvented for global stages including the West End and Broadway in the decades since, was based on a novel by Bond writer Ian Fleming - and adapted for screen by Roald Dahl. The actress, who made her first appearance on screen aged just 12, passed away just months after the death of her husband of 48 years, British literary agent Douglas Rae, in September.ĭuring a glittering career on stage and screen, Ms Howes, who was born in London in 1930 to actress Patricia Malone and actor Bobby Howes, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in 1963 musical Brigadoon and starred in My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle. Published: 13:24 BST, 22 December 2021 | Updated: 16:14 BST, 22 December 2021įans of enduring children's Christmas classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have been paying tribute to Sally Ann Howes, who played Truly Scrumptious in the film, after her death on Sunday at the age of 91. Sir Robert Helpmann, who terrified a generation of children as the child catcher, fell out with his homeland following a stint as the co-director of Australian Ballet Company - but is now considered an LGBT+ icon.Heather Ripley, now 60, who played Jemima Potts when she was just eight, shot to fame after the film.but her acting career faded, and the self-styled 'hippy' has seen her eco-activism land her in trouble with the law.The show's lead, Dick Van Dyke, who played Caractacus Potts, is still in good health - and still working - at 96.She starred alongside Dick Van Dyke, Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall in the 1968 classic about a flying car.Sally Ann Howes, who played Truly Scrumptious, has died aged 91 after a career spanning six decades.Where are the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cast now? As tributes are paid to Sally Ann Howes, 91, Femail reveals the varied fortunes of the stars - from Dick Van Dyke still acting at 96 to the child star arrested for being an eco-warrior