Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory facts for kids

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mel Stuart
Produced by	Stan Margulies David L. Wolper
Screenplay by	Roald Dahl David Seltzer
Starring	Gene Wilder Jack Albertson Peter Ostrum Roy Kinnear Julie Dawn Cole Leonard Stone Denise Nickerson Dodo Denney Paris Themmen
Music by	Leslie Bricusse Anthony Newley Walter Scharf
Cinematography	Arthur Ibbetson
Editing by	David Saxon
Studio	Wolper Pictures The Quaker Oats Company
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 30, 1971 (1971-06-30) (United States)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3 million
Money made	$4 million

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a classic 1971 American musical fantasy family movie. It was directed by Mel Stuart and stars Gene Wilder as the amazing Willy Wonka. This film is based on the popular 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

The movie tells the exciting story of a poor boy named Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum). He finds a special Golden Ticket that lets him visit Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory. Four other children from different parts of the world also get to join this incredible tour.

The film was made in Munich in 1970 and came out on June 30, 1971. Even though it had a small budget of $3 million, it earned $4 million and got good reviews. Over the years, it became super popular because it was shown many times on TV and sold well on home video.

In 1972, the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for its music. Gene Wilder was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Wonka. The film also introduced the famous song "The Candy Man", which became a big hit for Sammy Davis Jr..

Because it's so important to culture and history, the film was chosen in 2014 to be kept safe in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The Story of the Golden Ticket

Charlie's Simple Life

The movie starts in a small town in 1970. We meet Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a kind paperboy who doesn't have much money. He lives with his widowed mother and his four grandparents, who are all very old. Charlie often walks past the famous Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. A mysterious old man tells him that "Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out." This makes Charlie wonder about the factory's secrets.

Charlie's Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) tells him that Wonka once closed his factory. This happened because other candy makers tried to steal his secret recipes. After three years, Wonka started selling candy again, but no one knew who was working inside his factory.

The Golden Ticket Contest

One day, Wonka announces a huge contest! He has hidden five "Golden Tickets" inside his famous Wonka Bars. The lucky children who find these tickets will get a special tour of his factory. They will also win a lifetime supply of delicious chocolate!

The first four tickets are quickly found by some very different children:

• Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner), who loves to eat too much.
• Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), a very spoiled girl.
• Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), who is always chewing gum.
• Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen), who is obsessed with television.

As each winner is announced, a strange man whispers to them. Charlie tries his best to find a ticket, but he has no luck. He starts to lose hope when the newspapers say the fifth ticket was found by a rich person in Paraguay.

Charlie's Big Surprise

The next day, Charlie finds some money in the street. He uses it to buy a Scrumdiddlyumptious bar. With his change, he buys another Wonka Bar for Grandpa Joe. As he walks home, he hears people saying that the ticket found in Paraguay was a fake! Charlie opens his new Wonka Bar and, to his surprise, finds the real fifth Golden Ticket!

On his way home, Charlie meets the same man who whispered to the other winners. The man introduces himself as "Slugworth" and offers Charlie a lot of money. He wants Charlie to bring him a sample of Wonka's newest candy, the Everlasting Gobstopper.

The Factory Tour Begins

Charlie chooses Grandpa Joe to go with him on the factory tour. The next day, Wonka greets the winners and leads them inside. The factory is an amazing place, like a candy wonderland! It has a river of chocolate, edible mushrooms, and all sorts of sweet treats.

Inside, they meet Wonka's workers, small men called Oompa-Loompas.

The Children's Misfortunes

One by one, the other children get into trouble because of their bad habits:

• Augustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river and gets sucked up a pipe.
• In the Inventing Room, everyone gets an Everlasting Gobstopper. But Violet Beauregarde ignores Wonka's warnings and chews an experimental gum. She turns into a giant blueberry!
• Charlie and Grandpa Joe try some "Fizzy Lifting Drinks" even though Wonka told them not to. They float up to the ceiling and almost get hit by a fan!
• In the Golden Eggs Room, Veruca Salt demands a golden goose. She falls into a garbage chute that leads to a furnace, and her father falls in trying to save her.
• The group tests Wonka's Wonkavision, which can teleport chocolate bars. Mike Teevee tries to teleport himself and becomes tiny!

Charlie Wins the Prize

Now, only Charlie and Grandpa Joe are left. They think they have won the lifetime supply of chocolate. But Wonka gets angry and says they won't get anything. He says they broke the rules by drinking the Fizzy Lifting Drinks. Grandpa Joe suggests that Charlie should give the Everlasting Gobstopper to "Slugworth" to get revenge.

But Charlie, being honest and kind, gives the Gobstopper back to Wonka. This selfless act makes Wonka very happy. He then reveals that "Slugworth" is actually his employee, Mr. Wilkinson! The offer to buy the Gobstopper was a test to see who was honest. Only Charlie passed the test.

Wonka then tells Charlie that the real prize is the entire factory! Wonka created the contest to find a worthy person to take over his amazing chocolate factory. Charlie and his family can move in right away. The movie ends with Wonka, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe flying away in the "Wonkavator," a glass elevator that can go in any direction. Wonka reminds Charlie that he will live happily ever after.

Who's Who in the Movie

The main cast of the movie.
Back row (left to right): Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop), Ursula Reit (Mrs. Gloop), Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka)
Front row (left to right): Leonard Stone (Sam Beauregard), Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde), Roy Kinnear (Henry Salt), Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Dodo Denny (Mrs. Teevee), Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket), Jack Albertson (Grandpa Joe)

Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played:

The Oompa Loompas

The Oompa Loompas are the small, orange-skinned workers in Wonka's factory. Here are some of the actors who played them:

See also

In Spanish: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory para niños