MovieChat Forums > Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Discussion > In her prime, Sally Ann Howes had to hav...

In her prime, Sally Ann Howes had to have been one of the most beautiful women in the world

posted 6 years ago by TMC-4 (20153)
17 replies | jump to latest

She's practically the only real reason to watch this movie, especially once you get to the "Doll on a Music Box":
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1d/b3/71/1db3711292defcbbae78af736ceff254.jpg

http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/photo/b00/large/my_sister_and_i.jpg

I don't know if CCBB were ever to hypothetically be remade, what actress playing Truly could equal Sally Ann's elegance, class, and sophistication.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

Beauty is a matter of taste, I think she was good-looking but not stunningly beautiful.

I also think she wasn't at all sexy, and of course that little problem was compounded by her co-starring with Dick Van Dyke. He wasn't just not-at-all-sexy, he radiated a kind of anti-sexual charisma, which drained all the sex appeal out of anyone sharing a scene with him.

[–] AckbarsCorpse (316) 6 years ago

LOL!

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

She looked fantastic in the this film IMHO (the filmmakers really highlighted her at her best), but less so in some of her other acting roles.

Then again, I personally find the spoiled rich girl type sexy and that's pretty much the character Sally Ann Howes was playing here.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

"Then again, I personally find the spoiled rich girl type sexy"

My deepest sympathies.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Hey, no need to be rude, and I don't mean I find 'the spoiled rich girl type' attractive as girlfriend material (I prefer down-to-earth and relatable women when it comes to a potential partner).

Besides, there are worse fetishes.

My fetish, if one can call it that, is seeing lovely women spoiled and pampered and treated like princesses. You might think it's weird but surely that's far better that plenty of other fetishes.

[–] Wuchak (8742) 6 years ago

Dick Van Dyke. He wasn't just not-at-all-sexy, he radiated a kind of anti-sexual charisma, which drained all the sex appeal out of anyone sharing a scene with him.

Dick was/is fun, funny, amiable and goodhearted. But he wasn't one-dimensional, as shown in the Columbo flick "Negative Reaction" (1974) where he effectively played the cunning murderer with hottie JoAnna Cameron (aka Isis) as his assistant and blossoming girlfriend.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

But he's still the opposite of sexy.

[–] Wuchak (8742) 6 years ago

His wife Arlene Silver evidently disagrees with you; so did his former wife of 36 years, Marjorie Willett, before their falling out; not to mention thousands of women around the globe in prior decades, probably millions.

Sexy Lorna (JoAnna Cameron) in that Columbo episode was definitely hot for him.

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 6 years ago

She was truly scrumptious!

[–] halomaniac88 (1736) 6 years ago

I get a kim basinger, veronica lake vibe.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

TMC-4 is a huge Kim Basinger fan. Maybe that's why he's so attracted to Sally Ann Howes.

Hmm, it's a shame they didn't do a sequel/remake with Basinger in the 'Truly Scrumptious' part, although I don't know how good her English accent is.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

'Only reason'?

No way!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great movie. It still stands up today. Awesome songs, awesome characters, scary baddies, a wonderful leading man, and even the kids aren't annoying.

Sure Sally Ann Howes looks great in the film, and I love her character, a haughty spoiled rich girl with a heart of gold, but to say she's the only reason to watch this kids' classic is absurd.

And I've seen your other thread; The Child Catcher is not an anti-Semitic caricature. I certainly never took him that way, and I take anti-Semitism extremely seriously. But what are you saying here? That we can't have films featuring baddies who target children, because of the anti-Semitic blood libel tropes? That we can't adapt anything written by a wonderfully imaginative children's writer like Roald Dahl because of a few unfortunate anti-Semitic comments he made? What a sad society that would be.

[–] halomaniac88 (1736) 6 years ago

i love roald dahl, so funny and amusing

[–] wearsalan (5554) 6 years ago

I like when Grandpa Potts says he's just off to India, when we all know he's going for a shit!

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

If it wasn't so potentially xenophobic/racist, I might be inclined to use that as a euphemism.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 6 years ago

These days he would use a modern term linked to the computer generation. He would probably say he was just going to log off!

[–] Wuchak (8742) 6 years ago

I prefer Anna Quayle as the ee-vil baroness