Guide Note

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 American musical-comedy children's film directed by Mel Stuart.

Fast Facts

1. Director: Mel Stuart
2. Writers: Roald Dahl, David Seltzer
3. Producers: David L. Wolper, Stan Marguiles
4. Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Alberston, Peter Ostrum
5. Based on book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
6. Release Date: June 30, 1971
7. Run Time: 100 min.
8. Budget: 2.9 million USD
9. Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
10. Mainly shot in Munich
11. Remade in 2005 as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp

Based on Roald Dahl's 1964 book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the film is about Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a poor but good-hearted boy who lives with his mother and bedridden grandparents. One night, while on his newspaper run, he comes across eccentric candy-maker Willy Wonka's factory, and is informed that "nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever goes out."

But following years of being a recluse, the world is suddenly notified that Wonka (Gene Wilder) hid five golden tickets in his candies, the finders of which will be given a tour of his factory.

Charlie--along with the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner), the spoiled Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), the obsessive gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), and TV-loving Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen)--finds a ticket and is granted entry.

After a memorable scene where the kids experience the "chocolate room," where everything from the trees to the flowers are edible, they start falling victim to their flaws one-by-one, eliminating themselves from the tour. Following each child's eviction from the factory, Oompa Loompas sing about the lessons learned, making for an entertaining if not educational viewing experience.

Despite Dahl disliking the film after its completion, critics and audiences generally enjoyed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and it has since become a cult classic, grossing more money through TV showings and DVD/VHS sales.

The film currently has an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics like Roger Ebert hailing it as a "first-rate production" of "genuine imagination."

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory maintains a "G" rating by the MPAA, even though some scenes, like the psychedelic ferry boat ride, may be too extreme for children.