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• 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

• Plot

  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.

• Critical Reception

  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.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  The Wizard of Oz | Gene Wilder | Johnny Depp | Grease (Film) | Flashdance (Film) | Fiddler on the Roof

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