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Title: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Gene Wilder | ... | Willy Wonka | |
| Jack Albertson | ... | Grandpa Joe | |
| Peter Ostrum | ... | Charlie | |
| 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) | |
The world is astounded when Willy Wonka, for years a recluse in his factory, announces that five lucky people will be given a tour of the factory, shown all the secrets of his amazing candy, and one will win a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate. Nobody wants the prize more than young Charlie, but as his family is so poor that buying even one bar of chocolate is a treat, buying enough bars to find one of the five golden tickets is unlikely in the extreme. But in movieland, magic can happen. Charlie, along with four somewhat odious other children, get the chance of a lifetime and a tour of the factory. Along the way, mild disasters befall each of the odious children, but can Charlie beat the odds and grab the brass ring? Written by Rick Munoz <rick.munoz@his.com>
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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!