Sally Ann Howes, Star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dies at 91

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Sally Ann Howes has passed away at the age of 91. The former child actor starred alongside Dick Van Dyke in the 1968 musical film. Howes’ nephew, Toby Howes, shared the news of her death on December 19th on Twitter. “I can also confirm the passing of my beloved Aunty Sally Ann Howes who died peacefully in her sleep yesterday,” Howes posted. “My brother & I thought Sally Ann might hold on until the Christmas screening of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ as this would have greatly appealed to her mischievous side.”

The fan-favorite movie has become a Christmas Day staple in the U.K. Howes played the fictional character Truly Scrumptious, a wealthy woman who gets into a romantic relationship with Dick Van Dyke’s Caractacus Potts. Truly Scrumptious was an original character created for the film based on the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car novel by Ian Fleming. The role of Truly Scrumptious was originally intended for Julie Andrews, who turned it down since it was too similar to her Mary Poppins character.

Howes had a 50-year acting career across film and television, before focusing on theater work in the latter half of her career. She made her debut at the age of 12 in 1943’s Thursday’s Child, where she played a schoolgirl that goes on to become a successful child actor, in many ways mirroring her own illustrious career. Her Broadway debut came in 1958’s My Fair Lady, where she followed Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle.

She spoke to Playbill.com in 2007 ahead of her appearance in a My Fair Lady Broadway tour, where she joked about not being sure how she landed a return. “I really don’t know. [Laughs.] I just think it’s so funny because when I did My Fair Lady, I was very young . . . The [role] of Mrs. Higgins has always been [played by] somebody who has had a [lengthy] career . . . I was laughing to myself when I was young, saying, “Now I wonder if I’m going to be around to be able to play this role [when I’m older],” and here I am! [Laughs.]”

It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that is perhaps Howes’ most recognizable role, where she still makes new fans to this day. “Absolutely. It’s absolutely marvelous,” she continued. “I’m very, very glad I did that film because I think it’ll probably be the only thing that’s sort of left. Unfortunately, in the theatre you go on and on, and nobody’s really captured those moments. They’re doing a little bit more now, and people are having performances taped. I think The Dead is in the Theatre Museum at Lincoln Center.”

Cover photo by Freddie Reed/Mirrorpix via Getty