Sally Ann Howes, who is best known for co-starring with Dick Van Dyke in the 1968 musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” has died. She was 91.
The death of the actress who played Truly Scrumptious in the beloved film was confirmed by her son Andrew Hart Adler to the U.K.’s Press Association news wire Wednesday, according to the BBC.
Adler, an artist, also posted a picture of himself and Howes on Instagram Tuesday, captioning it with a reference to Howes’ fourth and final husband, Douglas Rae: “Sally Ann and I in 1967 off of Catalina. You are finally with Douglas. All my memories of you live on.”
Howes’ nephew, Toby Howes, tweeted Tuesday: “I can also confirm the passing of my beloved Aunty #SallyAnnhowes who died peacefully in her sleep yesterday. My brother & I thought Sally Ann might hold on until the #Christmas screening of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as this would have greatly appealed to her mischievous side.”
Best known for playing Truly Scrumptious in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” Howes was born into a British show business family that included her famous father Bobby Howes, mother Patricia Malone and grandfather Capt. J.A.E. Malone.
On the stage, Howes starred in several West End and Broadway productions, including “My Fair Lady” and “Brigadoon,” as well as a TV-movie version of “Brigadoon.”
Among her other credits are the films “Paradise Lagoon,” “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” and “Dead of Night,” as well as the TV series “Secrets,” “The Virginian” and “Mission: Impossible,” and the small-screen movies “The Gift of the Magi,” “Cinderella,” “Jane Eyre” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
Howes was married four times: to H. Maxwell Coker from 1950-1951, to Richard Adler from 1958-1966 (adopting his sons Andrew and Christopher after their mother died in 1964), to Andrew Morgan Maree from 1969-1970 and to Rae from 1973 until his death in September.
Representatives for Howes were not immediately reachable by TheWrap.