Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Mel Stuart

Writers:

Roald Dahl (screenplay)
Roald Dahl (book)

Release Date:

30 June 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

It's everybody's non-pollutionary, anti-institutionary, pro-confectionery factory of fun!

Plot:

A poor boy wins the oppurtunity to tour the most eccentric and wonderful candy factory of all.

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Chocolate | Candy | Children | Chocolate Factory

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Gene Wilder	...	Willy Wonka
Jack Albertson	...	Grandpa Joe
Peter Ostrum	...	Charlie Bucket
Roy Kinnear	...	Mr. Salt
Julie Dawn Cole	...	Veruca Salt
Leonard Stone	...	Mr. Beauregarde
Denise Nickerson	...	Violet Beauregarde
Nora Denney	...	Mrs. Teevee (as Dodo Denney)
Paris Themmen	...	Mike Teevee
Ursula Reit	...	Mrs. Gloop
Michael Bollner	...	Augustus Gloop
Diana Sowle	...	Mrs. Bucket
Aubrey Woods	...	Bill
David Battley	...	Mr. Turkentine
Günter Meisner	...	Mr. Slugworth (as Gunter Meisner)

Runtime:

100 min | West Germany:89 min (theatrical version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby Digital (DVD Release)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) (re-rating) (1996) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original rating) | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (Ontario - 2006) | West Germany:6 | Germany:o.Al. (re-rating) (2005) | Finland:K-7 (1971) (uncut) | Finland:S (1971) (cut) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | France:U | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

David L. Wolper Productions

Trivia:

Voted number 8 in channel 4's (UK) "Greatest Family Films".

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Wonkavator appears for the first time, it appears completely different from the one that goes through the glass ceiling (e.g., the spire is missing from its roof, and there is less exterior trim).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bill, candy store owner: All right, all right, all right, what's it going to be? A Triple Cream Cup for Christopher. A Sizzler for June Marie. And listen!
[the children fall silent]
Bill, candy store owner: Wonka's got a new one today.
Children: What is it?
Bill, candy store owner: This is called a Scrumpdiddlyumptious Bar.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "King of the Hill: Peggy's Pageant Fever (#3.6)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Oompa-Loompa-Doompa-De-Do

One of my all-time favourites.

Surprisingly, Roald Dahl (author of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, on which this film is based) reportedly hated this big screen version of his book. There's no denying that the book is sheer genius, but in all honesty this film adaptation is exceptionally well made too. In fact, it comes high up on my list of all-time movie favourites.

The Wonka Chocolate Factory is an amazing building from which some of the most scrumdiddlyumptious sweets are delivered to the world's candy stores. Wonka-mania hits the world when five golden tickets are hidden inside packs of Wonka bars - for the winners will be granted a tour of the top-secret factory. Young Charlie Bucket, a poor boy whose family cottage lies within sight of Wonka's factory, dreams of becoming a winner - but with barely a penny to his name, does he have a chance?

What makes Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory such a success is the way it skillfully blends entertainment and a serious underlying moral. Each winning child is exposed as being rotten-to-the-core, then dealt with harshly and dismissively by Wonka. Seeing these awful brats get their come-uppance is hilarious, enjoyable and - on a serious level - quite eye-opening (it's as if parents in the audience are being told how to prevent their children from turning bad). Gene Wilder was simply born to play Wonka (every eccentric phrase, every bemused expression, and every mischievous glance is judged to perfection). The film's set design is fabulous, with particular high-spots including the chocolate room, the egg room and the wacky corridor which gets smaller and narrower the closer you get to the end. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is simply magic - a film that everyone must see, especially parents whose kids are just becoming that bit too big for their boots!