A Wonkerer's Tribute

Hello to you. Happy New year. I'm wishing you a palatably palatial 2021. Upon this blog, I'll ring-in the New Year with a joyful topic.

The Topic of January's 1st blog post is a favored film. It's a pertinent film to discuss on the blog. Its musical number stage assisted B'way choreographers. The composers penned melodies for onstage musicals. A hearty plethora of cast members obtained a theatre credit. It pavedway for a stage show, too.

I'm referring to 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. 'Tis a stupendous film! One of the grandest I've spectated. It's immensely esteemed by yours-truly. In honor of the film's forthcoming 1/2 centennial, I'll describe my monumental liking for the exemplary motion-picture.

The movie possessed sumptuous production values. The Toblerone Factory opening credits moodset. The movie's enchanting Munich location crafted locations of timelessness. Harper Goff's art-direction is esthetically pleasing! The sets efficiently encompassed the Bavaria Film Studio lots.

The seminal Leslie Bricusse-Anthony Newley songs are concise and varied. I applaud Walter Scharf's enriching, laudable musical direction & Howard Jeffrey's lucidly canny choreography. Helen Colvig's costuming assist the players in resembling storybook characters. The cinematography involved intent focusing and camera movement. Though you'll encounter outdated effects, there are affective illusions.

The adroit cast is prodigious. Kudos to the casting people and the cast members who gamely endured inconveniences. I send shoutouts to the uncredited Franziska Liebing, Stephen Dunne, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Ed Peck and Gloria Manon. Rusty Goffe and the 9 corresponding Oompa Loompas are a syncretic, elf-esque Greek chorus. Regarding the billed character roles, I deem Aubrey Wood's film-opening Candyman, David Battley's Dahlinese teacher and Gunter Meisner/Walker Edmiston's minacious Slugworth standouts.

There is a loverly characterization of a single working mother. Diana Sowle inhabits the role magnificently! Her Mrs. Bucket is a favourite movie mom. The repugnant factory guests fabulously lampoon brattish children and enabling parents (particularly Julie Dawn Cole and Roy Kinnear as the Salts). They're sraightpeople of skillfulness, too. Jack Albertson's Grandpa Joe is crustily winsome, heartfelt and exuberant. His considerable experience is evident (I shan't decry Jack's memory). Gene Wilder's instinctively mystifying, laudable Wonka is utterly multifaceted and capricious. Gene efficiently captivated. As Charlie, Peter Ostrum endears. He's purehearted, poignantly pathosed and delivers a performance of sincerity.

Though short-fused, Mel Stuart directed the film keenly. It maintains a balance of realism, whimsicality and eeriness. Mel paced the film steadily (David Saxon's editing assisted). I admire Mel's commendable target-audience intentions. Reactions of spontaneity occurred under Stuart's direction. He was a flairful magicmaker.

The film's screenplay is sublime. It's allegorical, socially-satirical, informative and perpetuates morality. The Bricusse-Newley songs are seamlessly integrated. The script reinterprets book scenes and has verbatimed/paraphrased book dialogue. Consequently, there's veritably viable scenes, lines and story aspects of originality.

There is bountiful evidence of the Golden Ticket conspiracy. David L. Wolper and Stan Margulies produced the film proficiently. The movie's demographic is massive 'cause it has multiple layers. It vastly outlasted its tie-in product. It's significant how miniscully-budgeted movie eventually obtained excellence, post-release profit & admiration. It achieved endurability and pure imagination.