Child Catcher

Child Catcher
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang character
First appearance	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Portrayed by	Sir Robert Helpmann
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Nationality	Vulgarian

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

The Child Catcher does not appear in Fleming's original book. Reputedly, Roald Dahl (co-author of the film's screenplay) created the character. Dahl's screenplay was heavily rewritten by Ken Hughes, the director, who said he had created the character.

Character

The Child Catcher is a vividly dark character who serves as the enforcer for Baron Bomburst, the tyrannical ruler of the fictional land of Vulgaria. In "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang," Vulgaria is portrayed as a place where children are forbidden by law, reflecting the Baroness's intense dislike for them. The Child Catcher's role is to enforce this law by locating and capturing any children who are hiding within the country.

He dresses in a dark, old-fashioned outfit, complete with a top hat, and wields a large, butterfly net-like contraption to ensnare his young victims. His eerie, high-pitched voice and exaggerated movements add to his terrifying demeanor, making him one of the most memorable and frightening villains in children's literature and film.

His background, while not extensively detailed in the original film or the musical, is framed by his role as a tool of tyranny. He operates with a cunning and deceitful nature, using tricks and disguises to lure children out of hiding. For instance, he famously uses the guise of a candy seller, enticing children with the promise of sweets—a stark contrast to his otherwise dark persona. This juxtaposition of inviting promises with sinister intentions enhances his role as a terrifying figure in a children's story.

The inclusion of the Child Catcher added a layer of memorable terror to the film and later stage shows, effectively embodying the fears and anxieties children often have towards malevolent adults. The character taps deeply into the childhood fear of abduction and punishment, making him an unforgettable villain in the landscape of children's cinema and literature.

Portrayals

In the film, the Child Catcher was played by ballet dancer Sir Robert Helpmann. Whilst filming one of the scenes where the Child Catcher drives his horse and carriage out of the village, the carriage tipped over as it turned a corner with Helpmann on board. Dick Van Dyke recalls Helpmann, with great presence of mind, swinging out of the carriage and skipping across the crashing vehicle to safety. Van Dyke later commented that he had never seen anything as graceful in his life. Helpmann was 59 years old at the time of the film's release. Helpmann's child co-stars recalled that behind the scenes, the actor loved children and was extremely kind to them, often making them laugh between takes, which made it difficult for them to pretend to be afraid of him. Also, Helpmann often shielded the children from the temper of director Ken Hughes, even telling him at one point to stop swearing in front of them.

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. On Broadway, he was played by Kevin Cahoon. In the Australian theatrical version, he was played by Tyler Coppin, who also wrote and performsed a solo show about Robert Helpmann called LyreBird (Tales of Helpmann).

The Child Catcher also appeared in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London during a segment dedicated to classic villains of children's literature. He appeared alongside inflatable representations of Cruella de Vil, Lord Voldemort, The Queen of Hearts and Captain Hook. He is noticeably the only villain not to be an inflatable replica, instead being performed by a dancer.

Reception and controversy

In 2005, the Child Catcher was voted "the scariest villain in children's books". In 2008, Entertainment Weekly called Helpmann's depiction of the Child Catcher one of the "50 Most Vile Movie Villains."

However, the character's black hat, long black coat, pointed nose and role as, effectively, a Nazi substitute have been seen by some as antisemitic. Jessika Rieck found it "difficult to imagine that the director and producer were unaware of the Holocaust implications of the Child Catcher and his scenes, which makes me wonder what they hoped to convey with these choices". Aimee Ferrier said that the character "bears many anti-Semitic stereotypes, most notably, his large prosthetic nose, which appears like a caricature. Antisemitic depictions of Jewish people have often included men wearing tophats, something that is also sported by The Child Catcher.