Child Catcher

The Child Catcher is a character in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and in the later stage musical adaptation. The Child Catcher is employed by Baron Bomburst and Baroness Bomburst to snatch and imprison children on the streets of Vulgaria.

Child Catcher
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang character
First appearanceChitty Chitty Bang Bang
Portrayed byRobert Helpmann
In-universe information
GenderMale
NationalityVulgarian

In the film, he was played by ballet dancer Robert Helpmann. Whilst filming one of the scenes where the Child Catcher rides his horse and carriage out of the village, the Cage/Carriage uptilted with Helpmann on board. Dick Van Dyke recalls Helpmann being able to swing out of the carriage and literally skip across the crashing vehicle. According to Van Dyke, Helpmann did this with incredible grace and much like a dancer - which was Helpmann's original claim to fame. The Child Catcher does not appear in Fleming's original book. Reputedly, Roald Dahl (co-author of the film's screenplay) created the character.[1] Dahl's screenplay was heavily rewritten by Ken Hughes, the director, who said he had created the character.[2]

In the theatrical version in London's West End, he has been played by Richard O'Brien, Wayne Sleep (another ballet dancer), and Stephen Gately amongst others and on Broadway, he was played by Kevin Cahoon. In the Australian theatrical version, he was played by Tyler Coppin who wrote and performs a solo show about Robert Helpmann called LyreBird (Tales of Helpmann).

In 2005, the Child Catcher was voted "the scariest villain in children's books".[3]

In 2008, Entertainment Weekly called Helpmann's depiction of the Child Catcher one of the "50 Most Vile Movie Villains."[4]

References
  1. Kerridge, Jake (7 November 2018). "The dark truth about Roald Dahl: how anti-Semitism tainted his work". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. Chilton, Martin (20 December 2018). "10 things you didn't know about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". The Independent. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  3. "Childcatcher is scariest villain". BBC News. 9 May 2005.
  4. "50 Most Vile Movie Villains". Entertainment Weekly. 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
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