Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 American musical fantasy family film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The film tells the story of a poor child named Charlie Bucket who, after receiving a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, visits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory along with four other children from around the world.

Filming took place in Munich in 1970. Dahl was credited with writing the film's screenplay; however, David Seltzer, who went uncredited in the film, was brought in to re-work the screenplay against Dahl's wishes, making major changes to the ending and adding musical numbers. These changes and other decisions made by the director led Dahl to disown the film.

The film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 30, 1971. With a budget of just $3 million, the film received generally positive reviews and earned $4 million by the end of its original run. The film became highly popular in part through repeated television airings and home entertainment sales. In 1972, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, and Wilder was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, but both nominations lost to Fiddler on the Roof. The film also introduced the song "The Candy Man", which went on to become a popular hit when recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. and since covered by numerous artists. In 2014, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Storyline

Charlie Bucket, a poor paperboy, wins a golden ticket after opening a Wonka chocolate bar. He and four other children are among the golden ticket winners who win a tour of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. However, the other four wreak havoc and are eliminated from the factory. Charlie is the only one left, but Wonka angrily informs them that he and his Grandpa Joe stole the fizzy lifting drinks. But Charlie gives Mr. Wonka a gobstopper and manages to win the morality test, where he wins the factory and the chocolate for the whole family.