Now that my local Blockbuster has gone out of business, I’ve made the jump and joined Netflix (although I will miss taking trips to Blockbuster with my daughter).

The first disc in my queue to arrive was the venerable, enjoyable Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

I was very excited to share this musical celebration of innovation with my daughter last night.

The story of course puts innovation (and learning from failure) front and center, and is a lot of fun at the same time.

The star object is of course the car, but the best supporting object as it were, is a sweet with holes in it.

At first nobody thinks much of the sweets with holes in them made by one of the Dick Van Dyke character’s inventions (“your sugar is getting too hot” comments Truly Scrumptious), but then he discovers that these sweets with holes in them can work like little miniature flutes and he thinks he is on to something. But, after demonstrating them at the candy factory a mob of dogs swarms the place, and he has to flee the scene (no sale). It’s only at the very end that the sweet failure is again transformed into a treat for dogs and everyone is going to become very wealthy as a result.

It’s a great lesson in changing perspectives, learning from failure when it does occur and also illustrates that sometimes you have to adapt an invention from your intended target market to another one in order to transform the invention into a successful innovation.

But, learning from failure is highlighted in an even more fun (and musical) way in the ‘The Roses of Success’ number.

If you’d like to see the video of the song, here it is:

And if you’d like to give the words a closer look, here are the lyrics (courtesy stlyrics.com):

Every bursted bubble has a glory!
Each abysmal failure makes a point!
Every glowing path that goes astray,
Shows you how to find a better way.
So every time you stumble never grumble.
Next time you’ll bumble even less!
For up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Oh yes!
Grow the roses!
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success!
(spoken)Yes I know but he wants it to float. It will!
For every big mistake you make be grateful!
Here, here!
That mistake you’ll never make again!
No sir!
Every shiny dream that fades and dies,
Generates the steam for two more tries!
(Oh) There’s magic in the wake of a fiasco!
Correct!
It gives you that chance to second guess!
Oh yes!
Then up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success!
Disaster didn’t stymie Louis Pasteur!
No sir!
Edison took years to see the light!
Right!
Alexander Graham knew failure well; he took a lot of knocks to ring that bell!
So when it gets distressing it’s a blessing!
Onward and upward you must press!
Yes, Yes!
Till up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success.
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Those rosy ro
Those rosy ro
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster, grow the roses of success!
Start the engines!
Success!
Batten the hatches!
Success!
Man the shrouds!
Lift the anchor!
Success!

P.S. If you enjoyed this post you should check out my post – Another Innovation Movie for Kids

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