Movies - Willy Wonka

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	Movies - Willy Wonka

This page is about the character. For the on-screen adaptation, see Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
(1971)/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
(2005).

Willy Wonka is the owner of a massive chocolate factory in Roald Dahl's children's books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. A musical film adaptation of Dahl's classic, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
, directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, was released in 1971; it was originally a box office flop, but today is sometimes referred to as a cult classic. Another "darker" version of the tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, was released in 2005, and was an immediate box office success, winning praise from both fans of the original book and film, though others criticized it for not keeping in the spirit of the original book.

Image:Blakewonka.jpg|Willy Wonka as drawn by Quentin Blake.
From the 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Image:Willywonka.jpg|Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
From the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Image:WonkaDepp.JPG|Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.
From the 2005 movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Image:WONKA Mascot.jpg|The animated Willy Wonka character.
As seen on Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company products.

Willy Wonka as a character

Neither the original novel nor Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory had a backstory for Willy Wonka (other than Grandpa Joe's explanation to Charlie).

Tim Burton's 2005 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
added a history of the character: Willy Wonka is the son of dentist Dr. Wilbur Wonka, D.D.S. (played by Christopher Lee). Wonka has a traumatic childhood; his father forbids him to eat candy. Eventually, he tastes chocolate and starts getting ideas for improving it. When he becomes an adult, Wonka opens a candy shop (Grandpa Joe was an employee for Wonka). A number of movie critics, including one from the New York Times, criticized this Freudian backstory for being both unnecessary and out of the spirit of Dahl's original novel.

He proved an unparalleled genius in confectionery development, inventing seemingly impossible products that captured the world's imagination, like ice cream that never melted. From his factory, his products were shipped and sold worldwide. However, other chocolate makers become jealous and start sending spies to find out the recipes for Wonka's special products. Nearly ruined, Wonka closes the factory and fires all his workers. A few years later, the factory once again starts running, secretly staffed exclusively by Oompa Loompas, dwarves from Loompaland who desire only cacao beans above all else. His business resumes its dominance. In Tim Burton's film, Wonka went to Loompaland to find new exotic flavors for his candy.

Eventually Wonka, not having any heirs, feels the need to arrange for a successor for his business, if only to provide a home and work for the Oompa Loompas. However, he believes he needs one groomed from childhood to guarantee he or she would keep with his company's methods and spirit. To that end, he announces a lottery with five Golden Tickets randomly placed in his products promising a tour and a lifetime supply of his products to the winners for starters. Five children find the tickets, including Charlie Bucket, and they go on the tour of the bizarre factory. As Wonka had hoped, all the children but Charlie misbehave and find themselves in terrible predicaments that prompt their removal from the tour. With only Charlie remaining, the delighted Wonka reveals his true intentions and his offer, one that Charlie eagerly accepts along with his family who are all moved to live in the factory. In the original, as in the 1971 film, his family is invited immediately, whereas in Burton's film Wonka initially refuses to allow Charlie to bring his family. An eventual reconciliation between Wonka and his father cause Wonka to change his mind and allow Charlie's family to move in with him as well.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Willy Wonka ]

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Movies - Willy Wonka

Willy Wonka as a character

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