Truly Scrumptious

Truly Scrumptious is introduced as she swerves her car into a pond to avoid children Jeremy and Jemima as they dash across the road. Truly takes them home to inform their father, an absent-minded inventor named Caractacus Potts, and end up having an argument over his child-rearing methods. She leaves, but not before inspecting Caractacus' inventions, including a sweet-making machine that is currently producing defective sweets with holes in them, and her suggested fix is dismissed.

When Truly visits her father, Lord Scrumptious, at his sweet-making factory the next day, she finds Caractacus there, waiting to show her father his sweets, which can be played like penny whistles. Truly unexpectedly supports Caractacus in making a successful pitch to her father ("Toot Sweets"), but a pack of neighborhood dogs, attracted by the high-pitched musical notes, descend on the factory and enrage Lord Scrumptious.

The next day, Truly almost runs into Caractacus and the children in Chitty, their newly restored car, and, swerving to avoid them, ends up stuck in the village pond once again. Caractacus carries her ashore and the children invite Truly to join them on their picnic. Truly joins in the film's title song ("Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), and during the picnic at the beach,Truly and the children declare their growing affection for each other ("Truly Scrumptious"). Truly has a conversation with Caractacus, and the children spy on the couple from afar, hoping they are falling in love. Later, at the children's prompting, Caractacus begins to tell a story about the nasty "Baron Bomburst" from "Vulgaria" who desires Chitty for himself, and inserting the four of them into the story.

In the story, after being cut off by the rising tide, Chitty and the family escape from Baron Bomburst's approaching gunship through Chitty's magical transformation into an amphibious motorcraft. Truly acknowledges Caractacus' devotion to the children and how well he's fulfilling the difficult role of a widowed parent, and Caractacus implies in return that the children still need a mother. Afterwards, safely back at her family mansion, Truly reflects on her developing love for Caractacus ("Lovely Lonely Man").

Caractacus' story continues to detail comical attempts by Vulgarian spies to steal their car. Frustrated, the Baron kidnaps Caractacus' father, believing him to be the inventor of the car. The family give chase in Chitty, all the way to the Baron's castle in Vulgaria. Along the way, Chitty saves them again by magically transforming to a flying machine as they plunge over the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head. On arrival in Vulgaria, there are no children to be seen and the locals seem terrified by their presence. A local Toymaker rescues them and hides them from the searching guards, and they learn that children have been forbidden by the Baron's wife, Baroness Bomburst, and that soldiers have found Chitty and taken the car to the Baron.

Caractacus' story then describes Caractacus and the Toymaker going to investigate the castle. Truly leaves to get food for the children, returning just in time to witness their capture by the sinister Child Catcher. Caractacus, Truly, and the Toymaker meet with the villagers' hidden children and plan their rescue mission ("Hushabye Mountain"). Truly and Caractacus disguise themselves as life-sized dolls and distract the Baron during his birthday party ("Doll on a Music Box"/"Truly Scrumptious") as the village children infiltrate the castle. Grandpa is freed, the Potts children are rescued, and the Baron is defeated. The family are hailed as heroes by the people of Vulgaria and fly home in Chitty.

Here the extended storytelling fantasy sequence ends and an awkward moment ensues as the children announce that 'Daddy and Truly were married and lived happily ever after'. Truly asks Caractacus if that is how the story ends, and, embarrassed, he drives Truly home without answering. Caractacus apologises, saying the children didn't understand how ridiculous it would be for a man in his situation to marry into a family of such wealth. Truly is affronted, saying before taking her leave that were she to say such a thing, Caractacus would call her a snob. The Potts drive home glumly, but upon arriving, find that Lord Scrumptious has changed his mind about 'Toot Sweets' and intends to buy the idea from Caractacus. This newfound wealth removes the last remaining barrier to Caractacus admitting his love for Truly, and he hurriedly drives off in Chitty to find her. A near-collision forces Truly off the road into the duck pond for the third time, but this time in carrying her from the car Caractacus admits to her that the children were right and there's nothing ridiculous about the idea of them getting married. They kiss, and Truly declares, "Well, Mr Potts. Now you'll have to marry me!"

Truly Scrumptious is an intelligent, educated, practical woman, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. She is pragmatic and proactive in her approach to life, and is not afraid to actively oppose wrongdoing, even at personal risk. She is portrayed as feisty and modern (for the Edwardian era in which the film is set)- more than ready to spar verbally with Caractacus, make the running in their developing romantic relationship, stand up to her pompous father, and indignantly reject social attitudes she disagrees with. She is also very warm and maternal towards the children.

The author of the original story, Ian Fleming, was known for using puns in the naming of his female characters. Although the names of the female characters in the James Bond series, by the same author, are usually racy double entendres, Truly Scrumptious is rather more innocent, as appropriate to a children's story. The pun on Truly is used in several ways in the recurring song of the same name "Truly Scrumptious".

In the film, a running gag is Truly running her car off the road into the same duck pond. The registration plate of Truly's motor car was CUB 1, an homage to the film's producer, Cubby Broccoli.

Various actresses have now played Truly Scrumptious in stage productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. These include the following in the order they have played the character.

Approximate Dates given where available

• Emma Williams[1] - Originated the role in London (2002-2003)
• Caroline Sheen[2] (2003-2004)
• Scarlett Strallen[3] (2004-2005)
• Jo Gibb[4] - Closed out the London Production (2005)
• Erin Dilly[5] - Originated the role on Broadway and closed out the Production (2005)
• Marissa Dunlop[6] - Originated the role in the National UK Tour (2005-2007)
• Rachel Stanley[7] - Closed out the National UK Tour (2008)
• Kelly McCormick in the US National Tour in 2008-2009.
• Rachael Beck - Australian Tour 2012-2013.
• Carrie Hope Fletcher[8] - UK Tour (4 May 2016 - 2 October 2016)