He co-wrote and directed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) for Producer Broccoli. Although it was a success at the box-office, it received a negative response from critics who objected to its sentimentality. It was a project he did not enjoy working on. "The film made a lot of money, but that doesn't really make me feel any better about it. On the other hand, I've made pictures that got awards at Berlin and places, and didn't make any money, and that doesn't make me feel any better either". Irving Allen produced Cromwell (1970), a dream project of Hughes. It stars Richard Harris in the title role and Alec Guinness as Charles I, but was not a financial success.