Baroness Bomburst
Encyclopedia
Baroness Bomburst is a fictional character
and one of the antagonists in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
and in the later stage musical adaptation
. The character was created by screenwriter Roald Dahl
and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming
novel.
. In the theatrical version in London, she was played by Nichola McAuliffe
, and Louise Gold
amongst others, and on Broadway, she was played by Jan Maxwell
. On the UK National tour she has been played by (amongst others) Louise Plowright
, Jane Gurnett
and Kim Ismay
.
alongside her husband, the childish tyrant Baron Bomburst
, and is notable for her eccentric sense of dress, which is different and increasingly lavish (not to say unusual) in each scene. Her age varies on the version being performed, in the film she is fairly young (31-32 in real life) but most stage musicals portray her as elderly or middle aged . Underneath her ruling, grown-up personality, she is quite childish (e.g.: her fear of children, she faints when she is told that she is ugly) and quite spoiled.
Her most loyal servant is the hideous Child Catcher
, because she utterly despises (and almost fears) all children. When the Toymaker explains this to the Potts family and to Truly, Truly enquires "Does she have any children of her own?" To which the Toymaker replies with a sneer, "Oh, no, she'd rather die." The Baroness and her loathing of children have caused children to be outlawed in Vulgaria, which is why the townspeople have to hide all of their children, or else the Child Catcher would take them away and imprison them. One of the running gags in the film is the Baron's numerous (failed) attempts to kill his wife. She herself is oblivious of his hatred of her (or perhaps in denial) and in return adores her husband. There is a scene when the Baron's guards have just captured Chitty, and she gets ejected out of the back seat, the Baron shoots at her, but her dress rises up, showing her bloomers, and she lands in the lake. She is then seen crying in the lake about her diamonds. Her clothes are always big, frilly dresses with diamonds, pearls and petticoats.
In the end during the Baron's birthday party, children gatecrash the party, to the horror of the Baroness. The townspeople ambush the castle, having been encouraged to rebel against the evil rulers, and the Baron and Baroness are thrown into exile
. Vulgaria is at last liberated from their reign of terror. In some versions of the stage musical as the two are lead away, the Baroness admits to strange cravings, suggesting she might herself have become pregnant.
She can be empty minded sometimes. Like when she and Baron were cowardly hiding from the Battle, to avoid children she orders Baron and her to escape by going down a slide. Baron declines because he becomes suspicious of the slide but she refuses to take his advice and when they make it down they find it was a trap by children to capture them into the Child Catcher
's Cage and when they are captured Baroness apologizes not knowing that she and Baron were now threatened of being exiled from Vulgaria because of their loss. And when she is threatened of being killed by Baron because he hates her by being shot at, she still likes him after she lands in the lake not knowing he was trying to kill her.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and one of the antagonists in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
and in the later stage musical adaptation
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Cubby Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.-Productions:...
. The character was created by screenwriter Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
novel.
Portrayals
In the 1968 film, she is played by Anna QuayleAnna Quayle
Anna Quayle is an English actress. Her father was the stage actor Douglas Quayle.She has appeared on film, on stage, and on television...
. In the theatrical version in London, she was played by Nichola McAuliffe
Nichola McAuliffe
Nichola McAuliffe is an English television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the sitcom Surgical Spirit.-Background:McAuliffe was born in 1955 in Surrey, England...
, and Louise Gold
Louise Gold
Louise Gold is an English singer, actress and puppeteer whose career has spanned almost four decades.From 1977, Gold was a puppeteer and voice actress for The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, and she has performed voice and puppet work on various other Muppet films and specials...
amongst others, and on Broadway, she was played by Jan Maxwell
Jan Maxwell
Jan Maxwell is an American stage and television actress. She is a four-time Tony Award nominee.-Biography:She is the daughter of former First District Judge Ralph B. Maxwell and Elizabeth Maxwell, a lawyer for the EPA. She attended West Fargo High School, West Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead...
. On the UK National tour she has been played by (amongst others) Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright is a British actress, who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and first came to prominence playing abrasive hairdresser Julie Cooper in the television soap opera EastEnders from 1989 to 1990....
, Jane Gurnett
Jane Gurnett
Jane Gurnett is a British actress best known for her leading roles in British TV series Casualty , Dangerfield and the second incarnation of Crossroads .-Career:...
and Kim Ismay
Kim Ismay
-Theatre roles:*Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baroness*Mamma Mia as Tanya*Santa Claus The Musical as Ms Drift-Television roles:*EastEnders as Female Guard *The Bill as Barmaid *Bob Martin as Maxine...
.
Role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Baroness and her husband are unnamed. She rules over the land of VulgariaVulgaria
Vulgaria is a fictional European barony visited by the Potts family and Truly Scrumptious in their flying car, in the 1968 children's film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the 2002 stage adaptation.-About Vulgaria:...
alongside her husband, the childish tyrant Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The character did not appear in Ian Fleming's original novel; it was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl. Played by Gert Fröbe, Bomburst rules the Barony of Vulgaria together with his...
, and is notable for her eccentric sense of dress, which is different and increasingly lavish (not to say unusual) in each scene. Her age varies on the version being performed, in the film she is fairly young (31-32 in real life) but most stage musicals portray her as elderly or middle aged . Underneath her ruling, grown-up personality, she is quite childish (e.g.: her fear of children, she faints when she is told that she is ugly) and quite spoiled.
Her most loyal servant is the hideous Child Catcher
Child Catcher
The Child Catcher is the supporting antagonist of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The character was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl, and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming book...
, because she utterly despises (and almost fears) all children. When the Toymaker explains this to the Potts family and to Truly, Truly enquires "Does she have any children of her own?" To which the Toymaker replies with a sneer, "Oh, no, she'd rather die." The Baroness and her loathing of children have caused children to be outlawed in Vulgaria, which is why the townspeople have to hide all of their children, or else the Child Catcher would take them away and imprison them. One of the running gags in the film is the Baron's numerous (failed) attempts to kill his wife. She herself is oblivious of his hatred of her (or perhaps in denial) and in return adores her husband. There is a scene when the Baron's guards have just captured Chitty, and she gets ejected out of the back seat, the Baron shoots at her, but her dress rises up, showing her bloomers, and she lands in the lake. She is then seen crying in the lake about her diamonds. Her clothes are always big, frilly dresses with diamonds, pearls and petticoats.
In the end during the Baron's birthday party, children gatecrash the party, to the horror of the Baroness. The townspeople ambush the castle, having been encouraged to rebel against the evil rulers, and the Baron and Baroness are thrown into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
. Vulgaria is at last liberated from their reign of terror. In some versions of the stage musical as the two are lead away, the Baroness admits to strange cravings, suggesting she might herself have become pregnant.
She can be empty minded sometimes. Like when she and Baron were cowardly hiding from the Battle, to avoid children she orders Baron and her to escape by going down a slide. Baron declines because he becomes suspicious of the slide but she refuses to take his advice and when they make it down they find it was a trap by children to capture them into the Child Catcher
Child Catcher
The Child Catcher is the supporting antagonist of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The character was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl, and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming book...
's Cage and when they are captured Baroness apologizes not knowing that she and Baron were now threatened of being exiled from Vulgaria because of their loss. And when she is threatened of being killed by Baron because he hates her by being shot at, she still likes him after she lands in the lake not knowing he was trying to kill her.