Dick Van Dyke Says ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ Stunt Gone Wrong ‘Burned the Socks Off my Feet’
What To Know
- Dick Van Dyke hosted a charity high tea event at his home to raise funds for The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the upcoming Dick Van Dyke Museum.
- He recounted a stunt accident on the set of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that burned the socks off his feet, though he said he never suffered a serious injury during filming.
- Van Dyke, approaching his 100th birthday in December 2025, will be honored with a documentary film celebrating his life and career, featuring interviews with him and his former costars.
Dick Van Dyke recently opened up about some not-so-great memories from the set of his classic 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — including the time a stunt in the film literally burned the socks off his feet.
Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver, recently opened up their home for a Vandy High Tea charity event, raising money for The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the Dick Van Dyke Museum, which is currently in the works. During the event, he revealed that in the scene, in which his inventor character, Potts, straps a rocket to his back to fly up a ramp, the sparks that flew off the prop rocket actually burned him.
He revealed, according to PEOPLE, “I went to the dressing room, it had burned my socks off my feet. I didn’t feel anything. I took my shoes off, and my socks were gone, and I never felt a thing.” He added that despite all of the “crazy” stunts he did on set, he “never really had a bad accident.”
Everett Collection
The 99-year-old also opened up about the first day of filming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and how he started feeling a bit self-conscious after he overheard a conversation from the director Ken Hughes and the makeup artist. He said, “I heard him say, ‘What about the hooter?’ And all my confidence drained out of me, all I got was nose jokes. I never thought I had a big nose.”
While the first day was “not good,” he said, luckily things turned around and the film has become of his most beloved musicals. Van Dyke is also close to another very special celebration: his 100th birthday on December 13, 2025. For fans that want to celebrate alongside him, there will be a documentary film titled Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration will be released in theaters on December 13-14, 2025, featuring interviews with Van Dyke and many of his former costars.
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November 2020
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