WILLY WONKA Biography - Fictional, Iconical & Mythological characters

 
 

Biography » fictional iconical mythological characters » willy wonka

WILLY WONKA

Name: Willy Wonka                                                                     
                                                                                     
Willy Wonka is a character in the classic Roald Dahl children's book Charlie and     
the Chocolate Factory and its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. He is     
the founder of the Wonka Candy Company and the inventor of candies such as Wonka     
Bars and Everlasting Gobstoppers.                                                     
                                                                                     
He proves an unparalleled genius in confectionery development, inventing             
seemingly impossible products that capture the world's imagination, like ice         
cream that never melts, and small candy eggs that hatch chocolate chip birds         
that move and chirp. From his factory, his products are shipped and sold             
worldwide.                                                                           
                                                                                     
However, other chocolate makers become jealous and start sending spies to find       
out Wonka's recipes. In fear of being ruined, Wonka closes the factory and fires     
all of his workers. Several years later, the factory once again starts running,       
secretly staffed exclusively by Oompa-Loompas, a race of dwarves from Loompaland     
who relish the taste of cacao beans. His business resumes its dominance. Wonka's     
journey to Loompaland was for the purpose of finding new exotic flavours for his     
candy. The gates of the factory remain locked, to prevent any more spies from         
stealing his recipes.                                                                 
                                                                                     
Eventually Wonka, now old and not having any children to inherit the business         
when he died, felt the need to arrange for a successor for his business, if only     
to provide a home and work for the Oompa-Loompas. However, he wanted to groom         
one from childhood to guarantee they would keep with his methods and spirit. To       
that end, he announces a contest with five Golden Tickets randomly placed in his     
products promising a tour and a lifetime supply of his products to the winners       
for starters. Five children find the tickets, including Charlie Bucket, and they     
go on the tour of the bizarre factory. During the course of the tour all the         
children except Charlie misbehave, and find themselves in terrible predicaments       
that result in their being removed from the group. When only Charles remains,         
the delighted Wonka reveals his plan and his offer, which Charlie eagerly             
accepts. He and his family move in to live and work in the factory.                   
                                                                                     
A musical film adaptation of Dahl's book Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,         
directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, was released in       
1971. It was originally a box office flop, but has since become a cult classic,       
hailed a children's classic by critics and has attracted a worldwide audience.       
                                                                                     
Another film version of the tale was released in 2005. Titled Charlie and the         
Chocolate Factory, it was a comedy directed by Tim Burton and starred Johnny         
Depp as Willy Wonka.                                                                 
                                                                                     
Tim Burton's 2005 version added a history of the character: Willy Wonka is the       
son of dentist Dr. Wilbur Wonka, D.D.S. (played by Christopher Lee). Wonka had a     
traumatic childhood: his father forbade him to eat candy and forced his son to       
wear large and unsightly orthodontic headgear. Eventually, he tastes chocolate       
and starts getting ideas for other candies. When he becomes an adult, Wonka           
opens his own candy store, with Grandpa Joe being one of Wonka's first employees;     
Mr. Teavee was hinted to be one as well. A number of movie critics, including         
one from the New York Times, criticized this Freudian backstory for being both       
unnecessary and out of the spirit of Dahl's original novel.                           
                                                                                     
Additionally, in Burton's film, Wonka initially refuses to allow Charlie to           
bring his family to his factory. An eventual reconciliation between Wonka and         
his father causes Wonka to change his mind and allow Charlie's family to move in     
with him as well.