Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 children’s film that I loved catching on television during the 1970s. Given that it is a children’s fantasy musical starring Dick Van Dyke with songs by the Sherman Brothers, you might think it was by Disney. But the gimmicky car is the giveaway that the movie was produced by Albert Broccoli, one of the creators of the James Bond movie franchise.

The original story was actually by Ian Fleming, the author of the Bond novels. Fleming had a heart attack in 1961 and decided to write a children’s novel based on stories about a flying car he once told his infant son. He wrote the book in longhand since his wife, in a vain attempt to get him to rest, had confiscated his typewriter.

The novel was released in installments from October 1964 to January 1965, a few months after Fleming’s death. 1964’s Mary Poppins was a huge hit for Walt Disney, featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, with songs by the talented Robert and Richard Sherman. They would go on to write more movie musical song scores than any other team in history, including later works like Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Jungle Book, and Charlotte’s Web.

The success of Poppins convinced Broccoli to produce a film version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He tried to cast both Andrews and Van Dyke, but Andrews declined and instead Sally Ann Howes played the female lead. Broccoli convinced Disney to release the Sherman Brothers from their contract so they could compose the songs for his film, which included a beautiful but melancholy ballad, Hushabye Mountain.

Dick Van Dyke sang it in the movie, in an orchestral arrangement by Irwin Kostal.

National treasure Tony Bennett released a version before the film was even released, but the real treat is to watch him sing it live.

The song has been covered by many artists over the decades, but here is a clip in which the creators of the song, the Sherman Brothers, perform a bit of it.

We lost Robert Sherman in 2012 and Richard in May 2024. A famous story about them was how Walt Disney’s favorite song was their Feed the Birds from Poppins. Walt would often invite the brothers to his office after work on Fridays and, after discussing work at the studio, wander to a window, look into the distance, and just say, “Play it.” Richard would go to the piano and play the song. One time, as the song was ending, they heard Disney say under his breath, “Yep. That’s what it’s all about.”

The Sherman brothers wrote many great songs, with half of the songs from Mary Poppins becoming standards. I will forgive them for the lengthy earworm It’s a Small World, which they wrote as a slow ballad but Walt had them play uptempo in counterpoint for the eponymous ride in Disney’s amusement parks.

Richard shared in a 2014 interview that Hushabye Mountain is one of his favorite songs. I concur, although it often makes me tear up.

For me, one of the most interesting covers of the song is on the last album by torch singer Julie London. I grew up seeing her on the paramedic television drama Emergency! in the 1970s, where she played Nurse Dixie. Julie and her husband in real life, jazz composer and singer Bobby Troup, were cast in the show by Julie’s ex-husband, Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. As for Troup, he famously composed (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.

Here’s Julie’s take on the Sherman Brothers classic.

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain
Softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting
Waiting to sail your worries away

It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain
And your boat waits down by the quay
The winds of night so softly are sighing
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea

So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain
Wave goodbye to cares of the day
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain
Sail far away from Lullaby Bay

Robert and Richard, rest in peace on Hushabye Mountain.