20 Things You Might Not Know About 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'

By Gary Susman

Confession time: I saw 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' in the theater when I was 4 ... and it scared the daylights out of me. All those horrible things happening to the kids -- especially Augustus Gloop nearly drowning in the chocolate river, then getting trapped in that tube -- haunted my dreams.

As an adult, however, I was able to watch the film again and pick up on its sly humor, particularly Gene Wilder's subtle, mischievous performance, as well as in the film's satire of the adult world as being just as greedy, grasping, and gluttonous as the world of candy-grabbing children. Nowadays, I thoroughly enjoy watching the movie, which wasn't the movie I thought it was at all.

As it turns out, the beloved cult favorite that we've enjoyed for four decades now (it was released 40 years ago this week, on June 30, 1971) isn't the movie any of us thought it was. There are a lot of things people don't know about the familiar film, from its origins as a candy infomercial to its links to 'The Omen,' the 1972 Summer Olympics and the Boston subway system.

Are you ready for a list of 20 things you might now know about 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?' As Wilder's candymaker said during Augustus Gloop's ordeal, "The suspense is terrible. I hope it'll last."

1. Watch the opening credits closely, and you'll see that the film's copyright was initially held, not by a Hollywood studio, but by the Quaker Oats company. The cereal maker behind such sweet morning treats as Life and Cap'n Crunch was launching a line of candy bars and had been talking to film and TV producer David L. Wolper about vehicles to promote it.

2. At the same time, director Mel Stuart took up his 10-year-old daughter's suggestion that he approach family friend Wolper in order to make a film of Roald Dahl's children's novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' Quaker Oats had never made a movie before, but the company bought the film rights from Dahl and spent nearly $3 million making the movie (a fairly hefty film budget back in 1970).

3. Dahl himself was hired to write the screenplay. Although the finished product bears his sole credit, Stuart actually had the screenplay rewritten by a then-unknown, David Seltzer, who would go on to write 'The Omen' (about the ultimate bratty kid) and 'Lucas' (about a Charlie Bucket-ish underdog, played by the young Corey Haim).

4. Dahl was said to be so unhappy with Seltzer's rewrite (he felt it focused too much on the Wonka character and not enough on Charlie, and that it had sweetened his story's dark tone) that he refused to allow the movie to be remade again in his lifetime or to sell the film rights to the sequel, 'Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.' (Dahl died in 1990, 15 years before his estate allowed Tim Burton to remake the 1971 film.)

5. Why was the title changed from the book's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'? There are two competing stories. One says that the change was to play up Wonka's name because Quaker's new candy line was called Wonka Bars.


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Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory Cast Reunite After 40 Years

http://love-raw-chocolate.blogspot.com/2011/04/global-facebook-approach-may-cost.htmlya

Author: Joseph Giannone

Remember that psychedelic boat ride in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Yeah, it freaked us out when we were kids too. The spoiled children, minus the humbled Charlie bucket, who won the golden tickets have reunited after 40 years to discuss their mental breakdowns from Gene Wilder’s trippy boat ride. Just kidding, it was a reunion for the 40th anniversary celebration of the classic kids film which was made in 1971.

The cast members meet up Tuesday for a special appearance on the Today Show to discuss their favorite scenes from the movie. Peter Ostrum, who played the titular Charlie Bucket, said: “I have very fond memories of making the film, working with (Grandpa Joe) Jack Albertson and Gene Wilder, they were both super people to work with.”

Julie Dawn Cole, who played Veruca Salt, was also in attendance and revealed that during her breaks she would sneak into the candy filled sets, where she would eat and marvel over the amazing set pieces. Denis Nickers, who played Violet Beauregarde, explained how she was still blue 72 hours after her famous blueberry transformation scene. Paris Themmen and Michael Bollner were also on the show.

It’s wonderful, and rare, to see that old cast members would get together after 40 years; it makes me think: would Johnny Depp and his rag-tag group of re-makers would get together in 40 years? See how happy they are in the reunion video below:

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Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Inspires Flavor Changing Gum

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a 1971 film adaptation of the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, has inspired a lot of things -- a 2005 remake with Johnny Depp, a Family Guy episode, Halloween costumes, and now: flavor changing gum.  Two “food architects” from London have mastered the Willy Wonka technology and created a gum that changes flavor, from strawberry to chocolate.

Harry Parr and Sam Bompas explain that they were influenced by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in creating their unique edible invention.  The two note that it took three years of research to bring the gum to fruition, though getting it to mimic the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory flavor change -- from soup to beef or baked potato to ice cream -- would take more time.

“That’s the ultimate challenge,” said Bompas. “It involves two changes of flavour as well as switching from savoury to sweet.”

The inventors explained that the key to flavor-changing gum lies in the colloidosomes, which are edible capsules of microscopic proportions that release flavors at different times. According to Bompas and Parr, the prototype for the flavor-changing gum will be ready for public consumption Monday.
They are also planning to launch what they call an “artisanal chewing gum factory” that will provide 40,000 flavor combinations for the public to enjoy.  However, be careful which ones you pick.

“We tried bacon and rosemary but it was disgusting, like putting bacon rind in your mouth that never goes away,” said Bompas.

For something else to chew on, pick up Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory films here or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory here.  Deals on Willy Wonka candy are here.  Enjoy “Pure Imagination,” the iconic theme from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, below.


Source: http://www.bloginity.com/blog/2010/10/23/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-inspires-flavor-changing-gum/#ixzz13EbXCMf2

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