Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

by Mel Stuart, Josh Young (Director)

Wonka Bars...Oompa-Loompas...The Candy Man...The Gobstopper Machine...A Chocolate River...The Fizzy Lifting Room...Lickable Wallpaper... Revisit the magical world of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" in this behind-the-scenes look at one of the most popular films of all time!

Ever since Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was released over thirty years ago, millions of viewers have fallen in love with this unforgettable movie based on the classic novel by Roald Dahl. Now from the film's director Mel Stuart, comes Pure Imagination, the first book ever written on the blockbuster picture that won over kids and adults alike, making it the legacy that it is today.

From how Willy Wonka went from the page to the screen--Stuart's twelve-year-old daughter asked him to make a movie of her favorite book--to each step that was involved, beginning with the pre-production stage, the development of the set design to shooting and editing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, here is a full, insider account of all you've ever wanted to know about the film. Filled with over one hundred lavish photographs of the production, most of which have never been seen, Pure Imagination is the ultimate companion piece for lovers of the film.

Stuart's engaging, light-hearted manner comes alive on every page as he shares colorful anecdotes, interviews, and fascinating trivia, such as the untold story of why the Oompa-Loompas have orange faces and green hair, and little-known facts, including how Gene Wilder was chosen to play the part of Willy Wonka. He describes how the film became a huge hit, and why it still captures the imaginations of audiences today.

A dazzling, visual retrospective celebrating the magic of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Pure Imagination is sure to be a collector's item and will make the perfect gift for anyone-whether they are fans of this timeless film, or have just discovered it for the first time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, Art

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as a Christmas gift, and after reading a Roald Dahl book, this seemed like a good followup.

A coffee table book with lots of pictures, this book provides a decent overview of one of the more whimsical movies of the early 1970's. Mel Stuart, the director, discusses the origin of the project (his daughter recommended the book to him), Dahl's involvement (he wrote the first draft of the screenplay), and the casting of the characters, as well as a discussion of the sets and a little info on the special effects.

IMHO, this isn't "a full, insider account of all you've ever wanted to know about the film", but it's probably the closest we're going to get. I would have liked to hear more from the actors themselves, as well as Dahl's side of the story, for example. If you have the 30th anniversary edition of the movie on DVD, a lot of this material will sound familiar from the audio commentary... hmm... I wonder which came first?

Some of the behind the scenes info is interesting: Quaker Oats was the main finance source, seeing the movie as an advertising vehicle for a new candy offering, the Wonka bar. However, their R&D bogged down and they never actually made the candy! I did appreciate the "where are they now" information & photos of the child actors; Mike Teevee was probably the most recognizable of the children, something about the mischievous glint in his eyes, I think!

The writing was serviceable and the photo choices were quite good, with a mix of publicity shots and behind the scenes views... more concept sketches would have been welcome; I think the Art of [Pixar Animated Film] books have spoiled me!

Recommended as a library read or used book purchase for fans of the movie.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you loved the movie like I did and want to know the behind the scenes, which were pretty interesting.

[Jacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a poignant glimpse into the world of creating one of the best films of all time, a personal lifelong favorite of mine. It is consistently funny and entertaining, and provides countless tidbits about everything from the world of film in general to fun facts about the cast, practical effects, and adaptation from book to film. And I can promise I absolutely did not shed one tear reading the last page. *crosses finger behind my back as Veruca does when Wonka makes the kids promise they won't give the Everlasting Gobstopper to anyone else*

[Miss December · Rating 4 out of 5]

FANTASTIC book about Willy Wonka- lots of trivia and behind the scenes details I'd never read before, and I'm an avid fan :)

Lots of photos, too. This makes an awesome read for anyone who's a fan. The author isn't really a storyteller, which would've been awesome- but it in no way harms the book. A must read for any fan.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee table book, really – meaning the text is pretty light and the magnificent pictures are the main raison d'être. But I did enjoy the shallow background into the production that Mr Stuart (no author, but an adequate tale-teller) kindly provides. It veers away from any type of back-stabbing or conflict, and often reads a bit like a rose-tinted press release. But, in a way, that’s a nice change. And I liked many of the cute anecdotes like the velcroed signature panel on the contract, the wooden chocolate bars in the factory, and the off-screen “love” triangle between Violet and Veruca and Charlie. And of course the whole Quaker Oats thing is a hilarious irony. Best anecdote is how they came up with the closing lines. I appreciate the movie even more after reading this book, notably the fact that the wacky non-sequitur-packed tone (my favourite aspect of the movie as I’ve grown) was very intentionally brought to life. The eternal longevity of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a bit hard to quantify or qualify. It’s basically the story of a bi-polar, power-mad, child-murdering hermit. With cute songs. But the tone and pitch are perfection. I (and presumably lots of kids and faux-adults) love those songs, and the dark, utterly unique sense of humour, and the psychedelic sets, and both the thought of unlimited candy and the karmic justice doled out to the spoiled brats and the kind-hearted underdog. It’s one of a kind.

8/10

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure Imagination
There is no book I know that compares with “Pure Imagination”.I enjoyed this book. I had it sitting on my want to read list for a while now. It’s always interesting to read the little things that go on behind the scenes when we’re watching classics like this one. There were things such as I didn’t realize that when I read the books the Oompa Lumpas were depicted as black. This didn’t sit too well when making the movie because it was seen as them working on a plantation and them being slaves. So their colors were changed to bright orange with green hair in the movie.

It was interesting to find out that two of the movie’s minor characters in the school room scene (a girl who answers 100 when asking the students how many Wonka bars they’d opened and the boy that rushes into the room) were the author's kids. Also, that the author’s daughter (Madeline) was the reason we have this classic today.

Also to find out on the movie premiere (which surprisingly didn’t do well in box offices) Gene Wilder dressed up as Willy Wonka and handed out candy and ice cream to the kids. The movie even went through several name changes and ended up “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” rather than “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” because Quaker Oats (who financed the film) wanted to promote a line of chocolate called “Wonka Bars” (which never happened). Another name was “Candy Man” but this was dropped because the term was connected with a drug seller.

Interestingly, the chocolate river really was made from chocolate. Somehow tho, I vaguely remember the actors saying something different on a clip when they reunited to do a morning show. Yes, I went back (just now) and they said it was just water. According to the book though it was chocolate “powder” though. Hmm.. Did the cast not even know that there was some form of chocolate involved? There’s an article that gives an even more different story and says water, real chocolate, and cream. So, what was this river REALLY made out of?

Disappointingly the “chocolate bars” we saw weren’t chocolate. They were made out of wood and the wallpaper scene where they lick the paper was coated with sugar. I also think it said a lot of the things in the garden weren’t eatable (the teacup that Wonka bites into was really wax). Which reallyis a skydive into reality. I think I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that so when I watch this for the umpteenth time I can still *pretend* that it was ALL real and made out of sweet, delicious, things I could probably never have or it would kill me in seconds!

One of the things I think I found were the most interesting were the things created that were inspired by the movie. Such as the Simpson’s comic book Krusty and the Fun Factory which had an invention room and a cherry river. There was the Marilyn Manson inspired (boat scene) which I looked up. It was interesting to know that he wanted to play Wonka in the reboot and wanted to play him as Satan because he said that he saw Wonka as the devil (he offered choices of good and evil and they always chose evil). Then there was the 2000-inspired Wonka party (which I couldn’t find) that gave out chocolate bars as invitations, had Oompa Lompa servers (serving fizzy lifting drings) and blue-hued girl dancers.

Even the smallest things were fun such as a lot of the snarky lines Wonka uses were Shakespeare quotes and the song he played to open the doors to the Chocolate Room was a famous classical piece. So a lot of fun things to learn in this about the cast, the concept, and the sets.

Rating: 7
Now I think I’ll rewatch the movie!!!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quick read is filled with full-color pictures and delightful stories about the making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Mel Stuart engages with this creative work that was an important project in his film career. I do think that "the rest of the story" exists somewhere outside of this book, because Mel is such an insider that he may or may not be able to be objective about the project. The book is pretty light on content, but still fun to read as a fan of the film.

I am one of the many film lovers who Mel highlights in the book. I didn't see the original release (I wasn't yet alive) but because of re-runs and the DVD copy at a local public library I've fallen in love with this whole film. And of course Gene Wilder is one of the greats and I love everything he does in this film. At some point in the book Mel says that it is a movie made for adults that children enjoy, and that because of this adults keep watching over and over and noticing new aspects to the film. I agree with that wholeheartedly. Each time I watch it, and that will be even more true now that I've read this book, I notice or internalize new aspects.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I read a book about the making of a beloved movie, I regret it but not with this one. Instead of ruining my image of the movie,"Pure Imagination" enhanced it. Such a fascination read and I learned a lot about how it came to be. Other reviewers said that Mel Stewart is not a writer but he did a great job writing this one and I can tell that it came from the heart. There were parts that were very funny and parts that were really informative. I loved all of the pictures as well. The book itself is heavy (physically) and would be a good choice for a coffee table book but however you choose to use it, it's a must read for anyone who loves "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"

[Andy Montero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. Hearing and seeing about the making of one of my favorite movies, from the director of the film, yielded some great insights into the story and actors, especially the downplaying of the rift between author Roald Dahl and the makers of Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. With it currently being the 50th anniversary of this classic, I’m more excited to go back and watch it on my brand new 4K Blu-Ray disc, armed with new knowledge. Truly a world of pure imagination.

[Brenda Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick,fun read. If you are a fan of the movie, you will enjoy this book by director Mel Stuart. He includes some interesting anecdotes and a few Easter Eggs you may not have noticed (The funniest of these concerns some deer antlers). All in all a very enjoyable book about one of my all time favorite movies!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received for Christmas a few years ago and just finished rereading. A great retrospective of the making of the film, with many behind the scenes photographs. A bit more poignant now that both Gene Wilder and Denise Nickerson (Violet) have passed.

[Susan Rickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

We watched Willy Wonka on Sunday, and I thought there MUST be a book about this somewhere. The library had it for me on Monday. I really enjoyed the photos and the anecdotes about the movie's creation.

[David Cervantes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific!

[CRomero 43647 · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely memoir of this wonderful movie.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book to read for anyone who is a fan of the movie. I enjoyed this cruise through the filmmaking process.

[Awjtf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! Wonderful behind the scenes of the filming!

[Louise Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun behind the scenes look at one of my favorite movies. Not as detailed as I would have liked but quite charming.

[The_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The magic and the agony of creation.

[Tim Evanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a mere 129 pages, this reads more like an essay than a book that really talks about the making of a motion picture as influential as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But you'll get the bare facts here, kind of like a big Wikipedia article. Everything is discussed, from buying the rights to the books to the casting of little people for the Oompa-Loompas to how they came up with the final line of the picture. There's even a "Where are they now?" section at the back.

As there's nothing else written about this terrific movie, I have to give it a good grade. It's decently written, it's comprehensive (if not very detailed), and most of your questions are answered. Perhaps the greatest thing about the book is the exceptionally large number of full-page photographs -- most of them from behind-the scenes.

Probably the best thing about this short book is the way the film's director, Mel Stuart, talks about how the great dialogue was invented and worked. He points out all the great quotes and where they came from, and how they were integrated into the movie.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since my husband never read Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryby Roald Dahl, I borrowed it on audiobook from the library recently so he could enjoy it as he drove. That inspired us to watch the film on DVD at home. And we watched the special features too, of course. And that reminded me that I picked up a used copy of this book at Savers. With many photo illustrations, this book is a fast read but one that I really enjoyed. As a child I read many of Dahl's books and I have very fond memories of the original film starring Gene Wilder.

[D.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the photos and trivia in this book make it a worthwhile read for fans of the film, Mel Stuart (the director) tends to just ramble and jumps back and forth in his trains of thought. Sadly, this is the only book on this fan-favourite, so it's all we've got. I'd've enjoyed a little more structure, some input from anyone other than Stuart (although it IS his book, so what could I expect?) and some more reliable factchecking. Of course, I only paid four bucks for this thing, so I can't really complain.
I suspect this works best as a companion-piece to the Blu-Ray book set out now.

[J. Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though short, this is a nice little (text-wise -- it's your normal 9 x 12 inches or so) book on the making of one of the best true family films ever, the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Don't expect a tell-all with great detail about the shooting, but there are loads of wonderful pics and memories of the cast and crew.

If you're a fan of the film, you'll enjoy this.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A non-fiction account of how the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie was made. This book is about the movie where Gene Wilder NOT Johnny Depp was Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder played Willy Wonka as an eccentric. Johnny Depp played Willy Wonka as an out and out creepy weirdo. But I digress...

This book has really, really nice photographs.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willy Wonka is probably one of my favorite movies of all time, so I certainly enjoyed this book for the most part. But I still left it thinking I would have liked learning something more, or something more in depth. It just seemed like most of what was in the book were things I could have learned on any WW fan website or something of the like.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this coffee table type book in two hours, and loved it. GREAT photos and lots of insight (at a very high level) of the making of Willie Wonka from the director of the movie. I hope others, in addition to Mel and Julie Dawn Cole, from the cast and crew write books on the same topic. if you love this movie you will love this book.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I ever wanted to know about the making of my favorite movie! I was saying, "Did you know...." to everyone for a few days after this one. Some interesting stuff, certainly, but if you don't obsess about the movie like I do, it may be pretty humdrum.

[Erin Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite movies EVER so when I found out about this book, I had to read it. Written by the director, it is a true behind-the-scenes look at this wonderful and timeless movie. Very interesting and fun to read. Plus the pictures are awesome.

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not ass much as you might think. Still, totally worth it for the pictures of a grown up Charlie looking a lot like the motorcycle cop from the Village People.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at a gift shop at Disney/MGM Studios...nice account of the making of the famous movie. Imformative with some nice pictures.