From Book To Film 2024: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Director: Mel Stuart Run Time: 100 min. Rating: G Release Year: 1971
Starring: Denise Nickerson, Gene Wilder, Günter Meisner, Jack Albertson, Julie Dawn Cole, Leonard Stone, Nora Denney, Paris Themmen, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Language: English, French, German, Italian
From Book to Film at Gateway Film Center
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About the film:
Join Charlie and his Grandpa Joe on a tour of Willy Wonka’s magical, mysterious chocolate factory! Prompted by his daughter, director Mel Stuart took on the challenge of adapting Roald Dahl’s classic story into the beloved children’s film, a returning From Book to Film favorite.
“It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren’t: Delightful, funny, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination.”
About the filmmaker:
Born in 1928, Mel Stuart had a long and varied career as a director and producer, crafting everything from fantastical musical pieces to hard-cutting political documentaries. His many projects include the beloved children’s classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), the Academy Award-nominated JFK documentary Four Days in November (1964), and the groundbreaking concert film Wattstax (1973). His work in television includes the series Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the Emmy Award-winning documentary program The Making of the President 1960.
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