Audition Central: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang JR.
Script: Caractacus Potts
Side 1
JUNKMAN
Coggins, you got any scrap metal to sell?
COGGINS
Nah, business has been slow.
JUNKMAN
(indicating CHITTY)
What about that hunk of iron?
COGGINS
Don't be daft. That was once a great car. Won the Grand Prix three years running. Pride of England.
JUNKMAN
I'll give you fifteen bob for it.
COGGINS
Make it thirty, and you've got a deal.
JEMIMA
Mr. Coggins, you can't sell Chitty-
JUNKMAN
Course he can. I'll pick her up Wednesday.
JEREMY
But what are you going to do with her?
JUNKMAN
We're going to crush her up until she's one solid piece of metal. Then we're going to put her in a fiery furnace and melt her down till she's nothing but liquid iron. That's what we're going to do with her.
POTTS
Excuse me sir, you're scaring my children...
(CHITTY begins to shake in fear.)
And the car too.
JUNKMAN
I'll be back on Wednesday-
(exiting in disbelief)
scarin' the car... ?
Side 2
JEREMY, JEMIMA
Good evening, Grandpa!
GRANDPA
Attention!
(POTTS, JEREMY, and JEMIMA stand at attention.)
JEREMY, JEMIMA, POTTS
Attention!
GRANDPA
As you were. I got up this morning and I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How an elephant got-
JEREMY, JEMIMA, POTTS
-into my pajamas I shall never know.
GRANDPA
You've heard it before.
POTTS
Absolutely not. First time.
GRANDPA
So my boy, how's the sweet-making machine coming along?
POTTS
Well, it's very nearly perfectly perfected.
(POTTS hands GRANDPA the candy with the holes in it.)
GRANDPA
Is it supposed to have all these holes in it?
POTTS
No, that's the imperfect part.
GRANDPA
Boiling point of the sugar's too high-
POTTS
So I've been told.
JEMIMA
Grandpa, Mr. Coggins is going to sell Chitty-
JEREMY
To the junkman.
JEMIMA
And he's going to melt her down for scrap.
GRANDPA
Melt the world famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Poppycock!
JEREMY
He said we could have it-
JEMIMA
For just thirty shillings!
GRANDPA
Thirty shillings is a lot of money.
POTTS
Why don't you kids run up and get ready for bed.
JEREMY, JEMIMA
Awww-
POTTS
Move along now-
GRANDPA
Good night, God Bless, don't let the bugs undress.
(JEREMY and JEMIMA exit.)
POTTS
Thirty shillings. How on earth am I supposed to find thirty shillings?
GRANDPA
I haven't the foggiest. Still they don't ask for much, do they?
POTTS
That's because they don't get much.
GRANDPA
Ah well. Nothing's impossible. Mark my words, one day one of these inventions of yours is going to work.
POTTS
You think so?
GRANDPA
Almost entirely certainly.
POTTS
Thanks Grandpa - and good night.
Side 3
TRULY
You are an inventor?
JEREMY
He made this candy only this morning-
(He hands TRULY a piece of candy shaped like a flute.)
TRULY
Is it supposed to have holes in it?
POTTS
No, you see the problem is-
TRULY
The boiling point of your sugar is too high-
POTTS
An expert on candy making are we?
TRULY
Your children really ought to be in school.
POTTS
Oh! An expert in child welfare as well. Give it a try-
TRULY
(indicating the motorcycle)
I was only trying to-
(TRULY kick-starts the motorcycle, and the engine putters.)
POTTS
Butterfly valve - told you so - have a good day, truly.
TRULY
(driving away)
I'm quite certain it was the choke pull spring - good day to you too, Mr. Crackpotts-
POTTS
It's Caractacus!
Side 4
POTTS
Excuse me?
MISS PHILLIPS
There are no vacancies. Goodbye.
POTTS
But, I've invented a sweet, so if you would please inform Lord Scrumptious-
MISS PHILLIPS
Appointments are scheduled on the third Monday of every month. You're welcome to schedule an appointment to schedule an appointment, but not until next Thursday when appointments for appointments are scheduled.
POTTS
How on earth does anything get done around here?
MISS PHILLIPS
By appointment.
Side 5
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
Good morning, Truly.
TRULY
Daddy, this is Mr. Potts and he's invented something.
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
I'm hoping it's not a sweet.
TRULY
Daddy, please.
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
Very well, you have exactly twenty seconds.
(LORD SCRUMPTIOUS removes a pocket watch and tracks the time.)
POTTS
Thank you. Well sir, the fundamental novelty of this particular brand of confectionery is its musical quality-
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
Ten seconds-
POTTS
By placing one's fingers over the holes.
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
Five-
POTTS
And blowing thusly-
LORD SCRUMPTIOUS
(before POTTS can blow into the candy)
Too late! Goodbye Mr. Potts.
TRULY
Daddy, listen. Go ahead, Mr. Potts.
Side 6
TOYMAKER
Sir, madam, I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but take my advice and get out of Vulgaria.
POTTS
My father has been kidnapped by the Baron and Baroness. We came to get him out and that's what we're going to do. Please show us the way to the castle.
TOYMAKER
If I don't finish this toy for the Baron's birthday tomorrow he'll have me shot.
POTTS
All right, I'll go myself. Truly, you stay here with Jeremy and Jemima.
TOYMAKER
No, listen. There is a way, a secret way. It's past the hidden children.
TRULY
Children?
TOYMAKER
Those we have managed to hide. They're in the sewers under the castle.
POTTS
Take me there.
TOYMAKER
(to TRULY)
You'll be safe as long as you stay in my shop. The Child Catcher has been here already, he'll be looking elsewhere.
TRULY
Promise me you'll be careful.
Side 7
TOYMAKER
These are our children. The ones we've been able to hide.
(A few HIDDEN CHILDREN rush into the room with leftover food from a banquet in the castle.)
CHILDREN
Food! Food! Food!
TOYMAKER
They run up the drains and steal what food they can from the kitchens.
TOBY
Excuse me, Mr. Toymaker. Have you got any toys?
TOYMAKER
No toys this time, Toby. I've been too busy. It's the Baron's birthday. But listen, that means there'll be lots of leftovers.
MARTA
Someone's coming!
(The HIDDEN CHILDREN hide as TRULY enters.)
POTTS
Truly! What happened? Where are the children... ?
TRULY
They've been taken-
POTTS
What?!
TRULY
By that horrible creature, the Child Catcher. He tricked them-
POTTS
Where are they?
TOYMAKER
They'll be in the castle by now.
TRULY
What are we going to do?
POTTS
We're all going to break into the castle.
TOYMAKER
That's impossible, the children will be caught.
POTTS
Yes, totally impossible if we carry on like this.
Side 8
POTTS
Haircuts! Ladies and gentlemen, get a spiffing automatic haircut.
VIOLET
Come on Sid, you could do with a haircut.
SID
All right mate, do your worst.
(SID is wearing a bald cap with hair attached to it. POTTS places the haircutting machine on SID's head.)
POTTS
Now just you relax sir, we'll have you done in a jiffy.
SID
It tickles.
VIOLET
Sidney, you're smoking!
SID
Turn it off! My head's on fire.
(POTTS removes the haircutting machine and the bald cap with the hair attached to it. SID is completely bald.)
POTTS
Well sir, that's you cooked, I mean done, I mean finished.
VIOLET
Sid - you're bald as a baby's bum.
SID
I'm what? Come 'ere you -
POTTS
Sorry. I must dash -
Side 9
TURKEY FARMER
You there, Potts the inventor! Did you invent that hair-cutting machine?
POTTS
No.
TURKEY FARMER
That's a shame, because I want to buy it.
POTTS
I meant no in the sense of... yes.
TURKEY FARMER
What do you want for it?
POTTS
Thirty shillings.
TURKEY FARMER
Done.
(They shake hands.)
POTTS
I should warn you, it's still in the experimental stage.
TURKEY FARMER
I don't want it for cutting hair, I want it for plucking turkeys.
POTTS
Plucking turkeys?
TURKEY FARMER
Yes. I'm a turkey farmer. And with your machine I can pluck 'em and cook 'em all in one go. There you are, thirty shillings. And I call it a bargain.