Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Mel Stuart

Writers:

Roald Dahl (screenplay)
Roald Dahl (book)
(more)

Release Date:

30 June 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Musical | Fantasy | Comedy

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 | Chocolate Factory | Children

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)
Peter Capell	...	The Tinker
Werner Heyking	...	Mr. Jopeck
Peter Stuart	...	Winkelmann
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dora Altmann	...	Grandma Georgina (uncredited)
Rudy Borgstaller	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Tim Brooke-Taylor	...	Computer Operator (uncredited)
George Claydon	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Pat Coombs	...	Henrietta Salt (uncredited)
Frank Delfino	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)
Malcolm Dixon	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Stephen Dunne	...	Stanley Kael - Second Newscaster (uncredited)
Michael Gahr	...	Reporter in Germany (uncredited)
Rusty Goffe	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Kurt Großkurth	...	Mr. Gloop (uncredited)
Shin Hamano	...	Japanese Candy Store Owner (uncredited)
Ismed Hassan	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Jack Latham	...	First Newscaster (uncredited)
Franziska Liebing	...	Grandma Josephine (uncredited)
Gloria Manon	...	Mrs. Curtis (uncredited)
Norman McGlen	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Angelo Muscat	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Ed Peck	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)
Pepe Poupee	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Marcus Powell	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Bob Roe	...	Peter Goff (uncredited)
Madeline Stuart	...	Girl in Classroom (uncredited)
Albert Wilkinson	...	Oompa Loompa (uncredited)
Ernst Ziegler	...	Grandpa George (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Stuart

Writing credits
Roald Dahl		(screenplay)
Roald Dahl		(book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory")
David Seltzer		(screenplay) uncredited

Produced by
Stan Margulies	....	producer
David L. Wolper	....	producer

Cinematography by
Arthur Ibbetson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Saxon

Art Direction by
Harper Goff

Costume Design by
Helen Colvig

Makeup Department
Susi Krause	....	hairdresser
Raimund Stangl	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pia Arnold	....	production manager
Renate Neuchl	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wolfgang Glattes	....	assistant director
Jack Roe	....	assistant director

Art Department
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction manager (as Hendrik G. Wynands)

Sound Department
Charles L. Campbell	....	sound editor
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist (as Dick Portman)
Karsten Ullrich	....	sound
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects (as Logan R. Frazee)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Wilson	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Jim Danforth	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ille Sievers	....	wardrobe head

Editorial Department
Melvin Shapiro	....	associate editor (as Mel Shapiro)

Music Department
Howard Jeffrey	....	musical numbers staged by
Walter Scharf	....	conductor
Walter Scharf	....	music arranger
Jack K. Tillar	....	music editor (as Jack Tillar)
Diana Lee	....	singing voice: Diana Sowle (uncredited)

Other crew
Frawley Becker	....	dialogue coach
Trudy von Trotha	....	script supervisor (as Trudi Von Trotha)
Betty Walberg	....	dance arrangements
David L. Wolper	....	presenter
Walker Edmiston	....	voice dubbing: Gunter Meisner (uncredited)
Marci Sperling	....	craft service (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David L. Wolper Productions (as Wolper Pictures Ltd.)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1971) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting: New York
• Selway Baker  casting: London
• The Quaker Oats Company  funding (uncredited)

Runtime:

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

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (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:

The exterior of the chocolate factory was Munich's gas works.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The first time you see the world map on the news (indicating where the gold tickets are found), there is a hole/tear in the map around Montana -- this is the place where the marker "3" will be placed in later takes.

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:

Spoofed in "South Park: Butt Out (#7.13)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Oompa-Loompa-Doompa-De-Do

A Good Message In Which Goodness Prevails

When I first saw this movie on VHS in the late '80s, I was shocked. A '70s movie with a GOOD message?? I couldn't believe it. The message: kids - be honest and be trustworthy and don't be obnoxious; parents - don't spoil your kids or they'll quickly turn out to be brats.

Wow, no wonder liberal critics like Leonard Maltin trashed this film. It was not the normal message being delivered in movies, which usually trashes the good and glorifies the bad. That's what makes this story refreshing, and the same goes for the re-make that was released in 2005.

Peter Ostrum plays the likable Charlie and is very good. He's one of the nicest kids ever put on screen and was a fine actor. It's kind of surprising this was the only film he ever did! Jack Albertson does a nice job of Charlie's loving grandpa and so do the bratty kids, especially the English girl who is so bad you have to laugh at her.

The first part of the story was a good satire on how people sometimes make trivial things so important and how the news media gets carried way with stupid issues. (Wow, look at it now!) The second half of the story is intriguing because of the co-star of the film: Willy Wonka - a no-nonsense candy maker who doesn't put up with the brats - was fascinating to watch. (The critics thought he was too nasty.) Gene Wilder is excellent as Willy. Yes, he has a bit of a mean streak to him but his comments are fun to hear and on the money despite his lack of verbal tact. Most people prefer Wilder's version of "Wonka," by the way, over the bizarre-but- talented Johnny Depp's.

This was an entertaining film that should keep your interest. It's also an interesting comparison to the 2005 movie. Frankly, I enjoyed both.