This 30-minute retrospective documentary offers an enjoyable and illuminating glimpse at the making of the cult classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Director Mel Stuart reveals that his daughter was the one who introduced him to Roald Dahl's book and the reason he shot the film in Munich, Germany was to ground it in a certain timeless world that was impossible to exactly place. Producer David L. Wolper discusses how he raised the money for the budget by tying the film in with the promotion of a new candy bar. Screenwriter David Seltzer talks about creating the character of Slugworth for the movie and the circumstances behind coming up with the last line in the picture. Gene Wilder admits that his one stipulation for playing Wonka was having Wonka be first seen limping with a cane before doing a somersault in order to convey that Wonka was a sneaky and deceitful person. Best of all, all five child thespians who played the Golden Ticket winners are interviewed: Peter Ostrum was told to read the book after he was cast as Charlie because the script wasn't written yet, Michael Bollner couldn't speak any English, and Veruca Salt's demise was shot on Julie Dawn Cole's thirteenth birthday. Moreover, we also find out what the Wonka kids are now up to as well as learn that Sammy Davis Jr. wasn't cast in the small role of the candy man because director Stuart wanted to keep the film as realistic as possible. Essential viewing for fans of the movie.
User Reviews
Review this title5 Reviews
An excellent and informative retrospective documentary
Woodyanders29 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This revisionist documentary exposes WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY . . .
pixrox111 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
. . . for being the cautionary, anti-social child predator vehicle that it is. From the creepy songs composed mostly in minor keys to the "Gacy"-type House of Horrors production design incorporated as this sick flick's title setting, PURE IMAGINATION barely misses a beat as it uncovers the more deviant aspects of what was originally conceived as a slick marketing ploy for what turned out to be a failed candy bar. Had "Der Fuhrer's" personal movie maker, Ms. "Leni Riefenstahl," only exercised greater ingenuity--along the lines of the WONKA crew--just imagine what kind of saccharin hijinks she might have evoked at Auschwitz or Bergen Belsen! If MIRACLE ON 34th STREET was a "happy shoot," as its star "M. O'Hara" recounts during an AMC Backstory episode released the same year as PURE IMAGINATION, then WILLY WONKA was more of a circular firing squad, to listen to the now-grown child actors' recollections as presented here. By way of comparison, it would appear that film director "R. Polanski" was convicted for doing far less than the crew of WILLY WONKA got away with in making their alleged "children's classic." The well-known red alert warning to America's young ones to "Beware of strangers with candy!" no doubt originates with the on-screen juvenile depredations of "The Candyman," aka WILLY WONKA!
One of the best supplemental documentaries I've ever seen.
Anonymous_Maxine23 May 2005
Maybe it's because Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is such a massive milestone in my childhood, but to be able to see all of the actors from the film as adults looking back and talking about their experiences in making the movie and telling some more about what their characters were like was absolutely fascinating to me. I watched the movie with a friend of mine from Germany because I had just about fallen over when she told me that she had never even heard of it. First of all because I can't imagine having never heard of a movie like this, and second of all because it was filmed in Germany.
This documentary inspired me to watch the entire movie again with the commentary on, which I've never done before, I guess I just don't usually have the patience to watch a movie that I've already seen and with people talking over it the whole time. It was interesting to hear the things that the actors had to say (again, it was all the child actors from the movie), although it got a little irritating that anytime Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop) started to talk someone would interrupt him and talk over him. He hardly spoke in the commentary at all and it was pretty irritating to hear him interrupted every time he had something to say.
So in the documentary, each person comes on and talks about how he or she got their respective parts in the movie, how they met their demise in the film, making comments about what it was like shooting those scenes and other experiences on the set, and then at the end they each made brief comments about what they are doing now, 30 years after the movie was made. I also loved Gene Wilder talking about his experiences with meeting people on the street, kids who wanted to know if he was really Willy Wonka and if all that stuff in the Chocolate Room was really candy that you could eat. Depending on their age, he would tell them it was all real. I love that.
This movie was really a huge part of my childhood, so I found it fascinating to be able to see all of the actors as adults and hear their candid comments about being in the movie. Kind of like The Goonies, which could have done with a documentary more like this one. If you loved the movie, you must see this.
This documentary inspired me to watch the entire movie again with the commentary on, which I've never done before, I guess I just don't usually have the patience to watch a movie that I've already seen and with people talking over it the whole time. It was interesting to hear the things that the actors had to say (again, it was all the child actors from the movie), although it got a little irritating that anytime Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop) started to talk someone would interrupt him and talk over him. He hardly spoke in the commentary at all and it was pretty irritating to hear him interrupted every time he had something to say.
So in the documentary, each person comes on and talks about how he or she got their respective parts in the movie, how they met their demise in the film, making comments about what it was like shooting those scenes and other experiences on the set, and then at the end they each made brief comments about what they are doing now, 30 years after the movie was made. I also loved Gene Wilder talking about his experiences with meeting people on the street, kids who wanted to know if he was really Willy Wonka and if all that stuff in the Chocolate Room was really candy that you could eat. Depending on their age, he would tell them it was all real. I love that.
This movie was really a huge part of my childhood, so I found it fascinating to be able to see all of the actors as adults and hear their candid comments about being in the movie. Kind of like The Goonies, which could have done with a documentary more like this one. If you loved the movie, you must see this.
An Outstanding Bonus Feature; Fun To Watch & Very Informative
ccthemovieman-127 July 2007
I learned a lot of interesting trivia from this 32-minute bonus feature that was on the Special Edition DVD of "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory."
The movie was filmed in Munich. The producer didn't want the scenery to look like anyplace the audiences might recognize, like New York or even St Louis. They wanted a place "you couldn't peg for any time nor any place - a fantasy place." They chose this castle-like complex in Munich.
Producer David Wolper said they got $3 million by a company to release the film the same time a new candy bar was being introduced on the market: Wonka Bar, so they also changed the title from author Roald Dahl's "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" to "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" because of the candy bar's name. (You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours).
Gene Wilder said he wouldn't do the role if he couldn't make an entrance with a cane and limping, looking like he was crippled. Then he would do a somersault. From that point, people wouldn't know if he was telling the truth or not which is the way he thought people should view the character "Willy Wonka." Gene also put a lovable look to a guy who, at the same time, is really a nightmarish, evil character who would systemically eliminate kids. Wilder was perfect for the role.
It also was fun to see in this "documentary"little Peter Ostrum ("Charlie") now as a grown-up, an almost middle-aged guy with a big mustache. In addition, we get to see what the other kids now look like, too. This was great fun to see a grown-up "Augustus Gloop" (who still looks very similar!), "Veruca Salt" (who is a beautiful woman), "Violet Buregard" and "Mike Teevee" (who is now bald!). Later in the DVD feature, the actors tell us what they are doing today. It's all very good stuff.
There were lots of comments by director Mel Stuart, who you can see really enjoys talking about this film. In discussing the Oom-Pah characters, Stuart noted, "For some reason, it was very hard to find midgets and dwarfs in Germany who could speak English. We wound up getting nine of them, and they were all over: England, Turkey, Malta - the communication was difficult."
One of the keys to the success of the film, according to Stuart, was Harper Goff, the art designer "who had an incredible imagination."
Wolper said the set costs about two million, which would probably be at least $80 million today. He is the only person in this 30-minute documentary who turned me off. All he seems to care about his money. There is no sentimental value to his film for him, unlike everyone else who was interviewed.
After watching this "DVD feature," I have new respect for Wilder. He comes across an extremely nice guy, a low key compassion man who must have been very good with the kids on this movie. "You have no idea how many people have come up to me over the years and commented on this movie," said. "You might think 'a lot,'but it's more than that and, yes, it's a wonderful legacy."
Of the bonus features I've seen on DVDs, so far this is about as good as it gets.
The movie was filmed in Munich. The producer didn't want the scenery to look like anyplace the audiences might recognize, like New York or even St Louis. They wanted a place "you couldn't peg for any time nor any place - a fantasy place." They chose this castle-like complex in Munich.
Producer David Wolper said they got $3 million by a company to release the film the same time a new candy bar was being introduced on the market: Wonka Bar, so they also changed the title from author Roald Dahl's "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" to "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" because of the candy bar's name. (You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours).
Gene Wilder said he wouldn't do the role if he couldn't make an entrance with a cane and limping, looking like he was crippled. Then he would do a somersault. From that point, people wouldn't know if he was telling the truth or not which is the way he thought people should view the character "Willy Wonka." Gene also put a lovable look to a guy who, at the same time, is really a nightmarish, evil character who would systemically eliminate kids. Wilder was perfect for the role.
It also was fun to see in this "documentary"little Peter Ostrum ("Charlie") now as a grown-up, an almost middle-aged guy with a big mustache. In addition, we get to see what the other kids now look like, too. This was great fun to see a grown-up "Augustus Gloop" (who still looks very similar!), "Veruca Salt" (who is a beautiful woman), "Violet Buregard" and "Mike Teevee" (who is now bald!). Later in the DVD feature, the actors tell us what they are doing today. It's all very good stuff.
There were lots of comments by director Mel Stuart, who you can see really enjoys talking about this film. In discussing the Oom-Pah characters, Stuart noted, "For some reason, it was very hard to find midgets and dwarfs in Germany who could speak English. We wound up getting nine of them, and they were all over: England, Turkey, Malta - the communication was difficult."
One of the keys to the success of the film, according to Stuart, was Harper Goff, the art designer "who had an incredible imagination."
Wolper said the set costs about two million, which would probably be at least $80 million today. He is the only person in this 30-minute documentary who turned me off. All he seems to care about his money. There is no sentimental value to his film for him, unlike everyone else who was interviewed.
After watching this "DVD feature," I have new respect for Wilder. He comes across an extremely nice guy, a low key compassion man who must have been very good with the kids on this movie. "You have no idea how many people have come up to me over the years and commented on this movie," said. "You might think 'a lot,'but it's more than that and, yes, it's a wonderful legacy."
Of the bonus features I've seen on DVDs, so far this is about as good as it gets.
Great To See Everyone Return
Michael_Elliott3 April 2012
Pure Imagination: The Story of 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' (2001)
*** (out of 4)
Director Mel Stuart, producer David Wolper, David Seltzer are joined by Gene Wilder and the five children (Peter Ostrum, Michael Bollner, Julie Dawn Cole, Denise Nickerson, Paris Themmen) from the film to discuss this now classic movie. At just under 30-minutes the documentary doesn't get into a great detail of information but I think fans should enjoy seeing all the main people gathered up. We get stories about the pre-production of how the director found out about the story and what made him want to turn it into a film. We then learn about how the producer was able to get funding and this leads to the casting of Wilder and the children. We learn about the sets that were designed and which items were real candy and what was fake. Fans of the film should enjoy this documentary as the stories are all pretty funny and there's no question that you'll get a good bit of information about the production. I was really surprised that they were able to get not only Wonka but also the five main children. Usually in these type of documentaries you're missing a person or two so it's nice to have everyone here. I'm sure die-hard fans will probably already know many of the stories but it's still fun seeing them in one place.
*** (out of 4)
Director Mel Stuart, producer David Wolper, David Seltzer are joined by Gene Wilder and the five children (Peter Ostrum, Michael Bollner, Julie Dawn Cole, Denise Nickerson, Paris Themmen) from the film to discuss this now classic movie. At just under 30-minutes the documentary doesn't get into a great detail of information but I think fans should enjoy seeing all the main people gathered up. We get stories about the pre-production of how the director found out about the story and what made him want to turn it into a film. We then learn about how the producer was able to get funding and this leads to the casting of Wilder and the children. We learn about the sets that were designed and which items were real candy and what was fake. Fans of the film should enjoy this documentary as the stories are all pretty funny and there's no question that you'll get a good bit of information about the production. I was really surprised that they were able to get not only Wonka but also the five main children. Usually in these type of documentaries you're missing a person or two so it's nice to have everyone here. I'm sure die-hard fans will probably already know many of the stories but it's still fun seeing them in one place.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
