Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is, arguably, Roald Dahl's most famous story. Of the two live-action adaptations, I chose the original classic, not because of any love lost for the 2005 version but because the 1971 version is most familiar. The film adaptation, from 1971, became a beloved musical, starring Gene Wilder, and a whole herd of rambunctious children.
The film, like the book, follows the intriguing events surrounding the reopening of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. In thousands of chocolate bars worldwide, Willy Wonka has hidden a total of five golden tickets, guaranteeing the finder one day in the famous and mysterious chocolate factory. Charlie Bucket, a young boy with a paper route and nonexistent pocket money, begins to lose heart when more wealthy individuals (who could afford hundreds of the chocolate bars) begin to find the golden tickets. Quite by chance, after finding change in the street, Charlie finds a glint of gold as he unwraps his candy bar - and the rest is a super scrumdiddlyumptious adventure into a world of candy, music, and nonsense!
Like Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl is fabulous with details to create the wonderful worlds of his books. Although the exterior setting of Charlie's town is relatively normal, the golden ticket and everything surrounding Wonka is practically magical. The golden ticket itself is a great idea, serving as a fun and gorgeous call to action for the characters. The chocolate factory is like... Disneyland. I can't think of a more magical place to use as a simile. Honestly, the factory is full of nonsensical and whimsical points - the tunnel with a door that changes output, the room that gets smaller, the door that looks small but is big, and a (nearly) fully edible room. Talk about a kid in a candy store (haha).
In addition to fabulous music and phenomenal design, the cast itself were ideal representations of Dahl's quirky characters. Gene Wilder brought Willy Wonka to life, complete with top hat, a penchant for whimsy, and a slightly dark edge. Peter Ostrum played a nicely average Charlie, relatable to almost everyone. Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole) and Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson) were terrible female role models but incredibly entertaining to watch onscreen. Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) and Mike Teavee (Paris Themmen) bring slightly terrifying depictions of what is now happening to American kids - junk food and TV. The parents - Mr. Salt (Roy Kinnear), Mr. Beauregarde (Leonard Stone), Mrs. Teavee (Nora Denney), Mrs. Gloop (Ursula Reit), and Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) - brought to life some of the parents we ourselves may be familiar with: over-doting, obsessed with business, know-it-all, and/or completely non-committal.
Check out the opening credits of the 1971 adaptation, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory above. Be warned: you will get hungry as you watch the fabulous chocolate-making process.
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