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List of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters

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164-538: This is a list of characters in the 1964 Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , his 1972 sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator , and the former's film adaptations, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (2017), and Wonka (2023). Listings include actors who have played

328-540: A 10-foot blueberry before being rolled off to the Juicing Room by the Oompa-Loompas to squeeze the juice out of her body. Violet is shown leaving the factory gymnastically cartwheeling as a consequence of her increased flexibility, which she is actually happy about, although her mother is less than pleased with her daughter's possibly permanently indigo colour. In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Violet Beauregarde

492-533: A 600-mile (970 km) car journey from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi , he was accepted for flight training with sixteen other men, of whom only three survived the war. With seven hours and 40 minutes experience in a De Havilland Tiger Moth , he flew solo; Dahl enjoyed watching the wildlife of Kenya during his flights. He continued to advanced flying training in Iraq, at RAF Habbaniya , 50 miles (80 km) west of Baghdad . Following six months' training on Hawker Harts , Dahl

656-585: A Texas publisher and oilman, at his house at 2136 R Street, NW, and the Marsh country estate in Virginia. As part of his duties as assistant air attaché, Dahl was to help neutralise the isolationist views still held by many Americans by giving pro-British speeches and discussing his war service; the United States had entered the war only the previous December, following the attack on Pearl Harbor . At this time Dahl met

820-410: A child, as somebody who knows about the world. He was a grown-up—and he was bigger than most—who is on your side. That must have something to do with it." Dahl's children's works are usually told from the point of view of a child. They typically involve adult villains who hate and mistreat children, and feature at least one "good" adult to counteract the villain(s). These stock characters are possibly

984-489: A copy of an ingredient. Slugworth appears in the 2023 film portrayed by Paterson Joseph . He alongside Fickelgruber and Prodnose are depicted as members of the Chocolate Cartel. In addition, Slugworth is the uncle of an orphan named Noodle who he abandoned with the laundress/hotel manager Mrs. Scrubitt so that she wouldn't inherit her claim to the family fortune following the death of his brother Zebedee. "Slugworth" has

1148-461: A cover of Veruca's song "I Want it Now!" and also sings it as a duet with Veruca during her downfall. He teams up with Spike to steal a Gobstopper from the factory, but the two are thwarted by Charlie, Tom, and Jerry. Despite being more emphasised as a villain, he is still revealed to be Wonka's employee Mr. Wilkinson, much to Tom and Jerry's dismay. Nevertheless, the cat and mouse get the last word on Slugworth/Wilkinson and Spike by shrinking them with

1312-519: A golden ticket. Showing her wealthy parents no mercy, and no regard for other people's property, Veruca frequently pesters her parents to purchase anything that catches her fancy. For example, when the tour reaches the Nut Sorting Room — a place where trained squirrels test each nut to see if it is good or bad by tapping it with their knuckles — Veruca demands that her parents buy a trained squirrel for her from Mr. Wonka. He refuses, so she goes into

1476-414: A hamster, totaling up to 21 pets. The pony is not mentioned in the book. When Veruca tries to take one of the trained squirrels used by Wonka to select the best nuts to bake into chocolate bars, she is knocked down by all the squirrels, judged as a "bad nut" and discarded into the garbage chute, with her dad following after when a squirrel pushed him in as he approached the chute. Both are later seen leaving

1640-438: A high and "flutey" voice, a face "alight of fun and laughter", and quick little jerky movements "like a squirrel". He is enthusiastic, talkative, friendly and charming, but is sometimes insensitive and has been given to glossing self-criticism. In the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory , he is portrayed by Gene Wilder . While his personality remains generally the same as in the original but sometimes sinister and

1804-485: A house that you once lived in and it's been redecorated." Ultimately, the media attention was so pervasive that Ostrum stopped answering his phone, and declined further interviews. Of the Johnny Depp -led film, he later said that it served to return "the original film back to the forefront again." When interviewed about the production of 2023's Wonka , Ostrum welcomed its expansion of the fictional universe , saying he

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1968-580: A lasting impression on him: "This person really enjoyed what he did for a living. My father was a lawyer, and I really didn't have a clue what he did all day. But I knew exactly what the veterinarian did. Someone making a living from something he enjoyed so much really sparked my interest." Taking a hiatus from school between high school and college, Ostrum groomed horses and worked at the Delaware Equine Center in Pennsylvania. Ostrum contemplated

2132-401: A mad man, he is more melancholy here, and frequently quotes books and poems, including William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet ("Is it my soul that calls upon my name?") or John Masefield 's " Sea-Fever " ("All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by"), and the famous "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker" from "Reflections on Ice-Breaking" by Ogden Nash , among many others. Toward

2296-469: A meeting with a Church official, Dahl came to view Christianity as a sham. In mourning he had sought spiritual guidance from Geoffrey Fisher , the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and was dismayed being told that, although Olivia was in Paradise, her beloved dog Rowley would never join her there. Dahl recalled years later: I wanted to ask him how he could be so absolutely sure that other creatures did not get

2460-488: A period of four weeks, shooting down a Vichy French Air Force Potez 63 on 8 June and another Ju 88 on 15 June. In a memoir, Dahl recounts in detail an attack by him and his fellow Hurricane pilots on the Vichy-held Rayak airfield . He says that as he and his fellow Hurricane pilots swept in: ... low over the field at midday we saw to our astonishment a bunch of girls in brightly coloured cotton dresses standing out by

2624-404: A quirky yet gentle gentleman who "treated people with respect and dignity". The bond that developed between the two actors was such that, even though they never saw each other again after filming Willy Wonka , Ostrum described Wilder's 2016 death as "like losing a parent"; in the 2023 documentary Remembering Gene Wilder , Ostrum remembered Wilder being fun to work with, and not speaking down to

2788-401: A racist stereotype of imported African slaves. In the 1971 film, Charlie was portrayed by Peter Ostrum , in his only film appearance. In the 2005 film, Charlie was portrayed by Freddie Highmore . Grandpa Joe is one of Charlie's four bed-ridden grandparents. He tells Charlie (and the reader) the story of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and the mystery of the secret workers. When Charlie finds

2952-556: A reference to the abuse that Dahl stated that he experienced in the boarding schools he attended. In a biography of Dahl, Matthew Dennison wrote that "his writing frequently included protests against unfairness". Dahl's books see the triumph of the child; children's book critic Amanda Craig said, "He was unequivocal that it is the good, young and kind who triumph over the old, greedy and the wicked." Anna Leskiewicz in The Telegraph wrote, "It's often suggested that Dahl's lasting appeal

3116-679: A return to Hollywood , and even visited California for a week to "test the waters" there. He ultimately decided to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine instead, feeling that he would forever berate himself if he did not. In 1984, Peter Ostrum received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine . By September 2023, Ostrum retired from the Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville, New York , where he had worked mainly with horses and cows. He had also worked with Veterinarians on Call ,

3280-409: A reunion commemorating the 40th anniversary of the film's release in 2011. That year, they were also joined by Julie Dawn Cole ( Veruca Salt ) as guests on Top Chef: Just Desserts to taste contestants' creations. Soon after Ostrum returned home from filming Willy Wonka , his family acquired a horse; while the teenaged Ostrum was interested in the horse, it was the animal's veterinarian that left

3444-444: A role as an enigmatic villain in the 1971 film. Inside Bill's Candy Shop, Wonka's products and signs are the most visible; but Slugworth's Sizzlers are also prominent, and one is even sold to a child. Also seen are signs for Fickelgruber's candy. Grandpa Joe describes Slugworth as the worst of Wonka's rivals. As each Golden Ticket is found, a sinister man approaches the finder and whispers something into his or her ear. After Charlie finds

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3608-403: A round blueberry , causing Wonka to have the Oompa-Loompas roll her to the Juicing Room to have the juice squeezed out of her. She is last seen leaving the factory with the other children, restored to her normal size but still with indigo skin, which Wonka says nothing can be done about. In the 1971 film, 12-year-old Violet is impatient, arrogant, self-centred, vain, and impulsive; however, she

3772-815: A sleeper train to Montreal . Coming from war-starved Britain (in what was a wartime period of rationing in the United Kingdom ), Dahl was amazed by the wealth of food and amenities to be had in North America. Arriving in Washington a week later, Dahl found he liked the atmosphere of the US capital. He shared a house with another attaché at 1610 34th Street, NW, in Georgetown . But after ten days in his new posting, Dahl strongly disliked it, feeling he had taken on "a most ungodly unimportant job". He later explained, "I'd just come from

3936-459: A split-second appearance in the 2005 film portrayed by Chris Cresswell. Prodnose appears in the 2023 film portrayed by Matt Lucas where his first name is Gerald and wore a wig. He alongside Fickelgruber and Slugworth are depicted as members of the Chocolate Cartel. In the book, Arthur Slugworth is one of Willy Wonka 's rival chocolatiers. Slugworth, alongside Wonka's other main rivals Mr. Fickelgruber and Mr. Prodnose, sent in spies to steal

4100-432: A split-second appearance in the 2005 film portrayed by Tony Kirkwood. Fickelgruber appears in the 2023 film portrayed by Mathew Baynton where his first name is Felix . He alongside Prodnose and Slugworth are members of the Chocolate Cartel. In the book, Mr. Prodnose is one of Willy Wonka 's rival chocolatiers. Prodnose, alongside Wonka's other main rivals Mr. Fickelgruber and Arthur Slugworth, sent in spies to steal

4264-428: A story. After Forester read what Dahl had given him, he decided to publish the story exactly as Dahl had written it. In reality a number of changes were made to the original manuscript before publication. He originally titled the article as "A Piece of Cake" but the magazine changed it to "Shot Down Over Libya" to make it sound more dramatic, although Dahl had not been shot down; it was published on 1 August 1942 issue of

4428-430: A time, he suffered from hydrocephalus . As a result, Dahl became involved in the development of what became known as the " Wade-Dahl-Till " (or WDT) valve, a device to improve the shunt used to alleviate the condition. The valve was a collaboration between Dahl, hydraulic engineer Stanley Wade, and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital neurosurgeon Kenneth Till, and was used successfully on almost 3,000 children around

4592-514: A woman he has loved from afar. In 1994, the English language audiobook recording of the book was provided by Monty Python member Michael Palin . Screenwriter Richard Curtis adapted it into a 2015 BBC television comedy film, Roald Dahl's Esio Trot , featuring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench as the couple. Written in 1990 and published posthumously in 1991, Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety

4756-475: A year—on the last day of school, as a special treat—about his experience in Willy Wonka as well as his work in veterinary medicine. The students chiefly ask about the film's special effects, and Ostrum describes to them "what happened to Veruca, how did Violet blow up like a blueberry, how did Charlie fly with Grandpa Joe, all those types of questions". Ostrum also accepted an invitation to appear at

4920-500: Is a result of his exceptional talent for wriggling his way into children's fantasies and fears, and laying them out on the page with anarchic delight. Adult villains are drawn in terrifying detail, before they are exposed as liars and hypocrites, and brought tumbling down with retributive justice, either by a sudden magic or the superior acuity of the children they mistreat." Peter Ostrum Peter Gardner Ostrum ( / ˈ oʊ s t r ə m / OH -strəm ; born November 1, 1957)

5084-437: Is a skillful, self-centered, rude, and chewing gum-obsessed girl, the third person to find a Golden Ticket, one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , and the second to be eliminated from the tour. Violet chews gum obsessively and boasts that she has been chewing the same piece "for three months solid", a world record which Violet proclaims was previously held by her best friend Cornelia Prinzmetel. She

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5248-467: Is also aggressively competitive and prideful and has won trophies for gum chewing and other activities. She has brown hair in the 1971 film, while in the 2005 film, she has blonde hair. In the 1971 film, she is shown to be from Miles City , Montana , while in the 2005 film, she is from Atlanta , Georgia . When Wonka shows the group around the Inventing Room, he stops to display a new type of gum he

5412-469: Is also marked by his hatred of cruelty and corporal punishment . According to Dahl's autobiography, Boy: Tales of Childhood , a friend named Michael was viciously caned by headmaster Geoffrey Fisher . Writing in that same book, Dahl reflected: "All through my school life I was appalled by the fact that masters and senior boys were allowed literally to wound other boys, and sometimes quite severely... I couldn't get over it. I never have got over it." Fisher

5576-449: Is also polite to everyone, with the exception of Veruca Salt, with whom she persistently argues. She is accompanied by her father, Sam Beauregarde, a fast-talking car salesman who tries to advertise his business whenever he can. She demeans Cornelia Prinzmetel more than she did in the book. Her blueberry form is relatively small, and her hair color remains unchanged. Violet is informed that she must be juiced immediately before she explodes and

5740-552: Is an American retired veterinarian and former child actor, whose only film role was as Charlie Bucket in the 1971 motion picture Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory . Ostrum was 12 years old when selected by talent agents for Willy Wonka . Though he enjoyed the experience of shooting the film, he opted not to sign a three-film contract when it was over. After eschewing a career in film and theater, Ostrum became reluctant to speak about his one starring role. In 1990, he began an annual tradition of speaking to schoolchildren about

5904-506: Is cut out (the only child-exit song to be cut from the London version), and Violet instead becomes a blueberry and explodes in the background when an Oompa-Loompa blows an air-dart at her while Wonka explains how he met the Oompa-Loompas to the group. Mike Teavee is a 9-year-old boy who does nothing but watch television, both the fourth Golden Ticket finder and the fourth to be eliminated from

6068-546: Is from Denver , Colorado , is accompanied by his father, and is portrayed as more disrespectful and violent. In the Chocolate Room, when Wonka told everyone to enjoy his candy, he did not eat anything, instead he was stomping on a candy pumpkin, completely destroying it in the process, and when Mr. Teavee told him to stop, he ignores him with a brief sentence: "Dad, he said 'enjoy'!" Also, whenever he says something critical of Wonka's company, or his ideas, Wonka reacts as if Mike

6232-408: Is judged the same and follows suit. In the 2005 film adaptation, Veruca's elimination remains nearly the same as in the book, with only a few changes. Her demeanor is less vehement, but more obnoxious and manipulative, as compared to the 1971 film version. Also in the 2005 film, it is revealed that she owns a pony, two dogs, four cats, six rabbits, two parakeets, three canaries, a parrot, a turtle, and

6396-619: Is last seen en route to the Juicing Room, and her father follows after, crying, "I've got a blueberry for a daughter!" In the 2005 film, 10-year old Violet is described as being "brash, rude and insanely competitive". Aside from gum-chewing, she also has many other interests that reflect her obsession with always winning, such as in karate . She is accompanied by her single mother, Scarlett Beauregarde (a former baton champion herself), whose own competitive personality appears to have had an influence on her daughter, as Scarlett expresses pride over Violet's 263 trophies and medals. Cornelia Prinzmetel

6560-472: Is most probably that he scored more than those victories during 20 April 1941, when 22 German aircraft were shot down. Dahl married American actress Patricia Neal on 2 July 1953 at Trinity Church in New York City. Their marriage lasted for 30 years and they had five children: On 5 December 1960, four-month-old Theo was severely injured when his baby carriage was struck by a taxicab in New York City. For

6724-470: Is mumbling, even though he is not. He is able to find the Golden Ticket by using math and logic, though he admits that he does not even like chocolate. When Mike demands to know why candy is pointless, Charlie tries to reason with him, saying candy does not have to have a point, then he exclaims that candy is a waste of time (like Wonka's father), but then Wonka's flashback reappears again. When they arrive in

List of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters - Misplaced Pages Continue

6888-433: Is not squirrels but geese that lay special golden chocolate-filled eggs for Easter, one of which she demands. In this version, Veruca and Violet bicker on two occasions. There are also indications that she and her father have accepted Slugworth's proposition: in the Inventing Room, she and her father exchange a quick but meaningful look when Mr. Wonka first mentions and shows his Everlasting Gobstoppers, and when Mr. Wonka makes

7052-434: Is portrayed as a spineless dolt for giving his daughter her wishes. In the Nut Sorting Room, Veruca runs afoul of the nut-testing squirrels who deem her a 'bad nut' when she tries to steal one of them. This summons oversized squirrels with Oompa-Loompas riding on their backs. They sing a nightmarish ballad, "Veruca's Nutcracker Sweet", that concludes with Veruca and her father sent down the garbage chute; it has similar lyrics to

7216-404: Is portrayed as an African-American, Californian fame-hungry wannabe, with her agent/father Eugene Beauregarde parlaying her mundane talent of gum chewing into celebrity status, with multitude of endorsements including her own TV show, line of perfume, and a clothing boutique franchise. Her theme is called "The Double-Bubble Duchess". It is revealed that Violet's chewing "skill" was picked up when she

7380-463: Is portrayed by Johnny Depp . In this version, a backstory was added which reveals his troubled upbringing: Willy Wonka's father (being a dentist) would not let him eat sweets because of the potential risk to his teeth, and the young Wonka ran away from home to travel to Switzerland and Bavaria and become a chocolatier. At the end of the film, Wonka reconciles with his father, who is revealed to have collected newspaper clippings of his son's success. In

7544-423: Is portrayed sympathetically in all versions, the release of the 2005 film saw the character become the subject of heavy internet parody characterizing him as a "lazy freeloader who spends years in bed...then springs to life the moment there’s something fun for him to do." Augustus Gloop is an obese, greedy, 9-year-old boy, the first person to find a Golden Ticket and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and

7708-548: Is taken to the Taffy Pulling Room to be stretched back to normal, which causes his mother to faint. Unlike the book, he (on the advice of his mother) is receptive to Slugworth's bribe. In the 2005 film, 13-year-old Mike is portrayed by Jordan Fry, and his interests are updated to being very destructive, with the Internet and video games (especially gory first-person shooters) in addition to television viewing. In this version, he

7872-430: Is to "put child characters in powerful positions" and so, the idea of "talking down" to children was always an anathema to him, therefore Dahl, in the introduction of the booklet, states; "I must now regretfully become one of those unpopular giants who tells you WHAT TO DO and WHAT NOT TO DO. This is something I have never done in any of my books." "He [Dahl] was mischievous. A grown-up being mischievous. He addresses you,

8036-490: Is too absorbed in his television viewing to talk to the press about it. In the 2005 film, he does have an explanation of how he found the Golden Ticket: he used an algorithm to find it as an intellectual exercise. In the book, both of Mike's parents tour the factory with him. During a display of miniaturisation technology, used to transport chocolate, Mike shrinks himself to a tiny size, and Willy Wonka has an Oompa-Loompa take

8200-571: Is wearing a black shirt with an orange jacket on the outside. Their opening number, "It's Teavee Time!" has Mrs. Teavee presenting her family as a normal, functioning household, downplaying Mike's violent tendencies like setting a cat on fire, chloroforming a nurse, and stealing a German tank. In the Department of the Future, where Wonka transmits chocolate by television, Mike jumps into the machine and transmits himself, much to his mother's horror. Wonka summons

8364-461: Is working on. The gum doubles as a three-course meal which is composed of tomato soup , roast beef and a baked potato , and blueberry pie and ice cream . Violet is intrigued and eager to try it out, so despite Wonka's protests, she snatches and chews the gum. She is delighted by its effects but, when she reaches the dessert, blueberry pie, her skin starts turning an indigo color and her body begins to swell up. When her swelling stops, she resembles

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8528-528: The British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945". In 2021, Forbes ranked him the top-earning dead celebrity . Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre , often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of

8692-761: The Greek campaign and based at Eleusina , near Athens . The squadron was now equipped with Hawker Hurricanes . Dahl flew a replacement Hurricane across the Mediterranean Sea in April 1941, after seven hours' experience flying Hurricanes. By this stage in the Greek campaign, the RAF had only 18 combat aircraft in Greece: 14 Hurricanes and four Bristol Blenheim light bombers. Dahl flew in his first aerial combat on 15 April 1941, while flying alone over

8856-495: The Post . Dahl was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) in August 1942. Later he worked with such other well-known British officers as Ian Fleming (who later published the popular James Bond series) and David Ogilvy , promoting Britain's interests and message in the US and combating the " America First " movement. This work introduced Dahl to espionage and the activities of

9020-574: The Queen Mother , while Felicity was working as a set designer on an advert for Maxim coffee with the author's then wife, Patricia Neal. Soon after the pair were introduced, they began an 11-year affair. In 1983 Neal and Dahl divorced and Dahl married Felicity, at Brixton Town Hall , South London . Felicity (known as Liccy) gave up her job and moved into Gipsy House , Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire, which had been Dahl's home since 1954. In

9184-540: The Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War . He became a fighter pilot and, subsequently, an intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander . He rose to prominence as a writer in the 1940s with works for children and for adults, and he became one of the world's best-selling authors. His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and

9348-660: The Under-Secretary of State for Air , Major Harold Balfour , at his club. Impressed by Dahl's war record and conversational abilities, Balfour appointed the young man as assistant air attaché at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Initially resistant, Dahl was finally persuaded by Balfour to accept, and took passage on the MS ; Batory from Glasgow a few days later. He arrived in Halifax, Canada, on 14 April, after which he took

9512-599: The gremlins for all the problems with the aircraft. The protagonist Gus—an RAF pilot, like Dahl—joins forces with the gremlins against a common enemy, Hitler and the Nazis. While at the British Embassy in Washington, Dahl sent a copy to the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who read it to her grandchildren, and the book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made. Dahl went on to write some of

9676-444: The 1880s with his first wife, Frenchwoman Marie Beaurin-Gresser. They had two children together (Ellen Marguerite and Louis) before her death in 1907. Roald's mother belonged to a well-established Norwegian family of lawyers, priests in the state church and wealthy merchants and estate owners, and emigrated to Britain when she married his father in 1911. Dahl was named after Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen . His first language

9840-432: The 1971 movie, Willy Wonka states that Slugworth would give his false teeth to get in for just five minutes. The real Slugworth makes a split-second appearance in the 2005 film where he, alongside Mr. Ficklegruber and Mr. Prodnose, are sending spies to steal ingredients from Wonka's factory just like in the book. He is here played by Philip Philmar in a scene where one of his spies meets up with him after work and gives him

10004-554: The 1986 New Years Honours List , Dahl was offered an appointment to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), but turned it down. He reportedly wanted a knighthood so that his wife would be Lady Dahl. Dahl's last significant involvement in medical charities during his lifetime was with dyslexia . In 1990, the year which saw the UN launch International Literacy Year, Dahl assisted with

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10168-459: The 2005 film, Augustus is always shown consuming chocolate. He has a binge eating disorder and often has food smeared on his face, additionally, his obesity is far more severe than the 1971 portrayal, causing him to have a slower, lumbering walk relative to the other children. He also displays a superiority complex , such as when he offers Charlie a bite of his Wonka Bar and then retracts it, saying that Charlie should have brought some himself. As in

10332-628: The 2018 Snowtown Film Festival in Watertown, New York , answering audience questions after a screening of the film; "it’s in my backyard—it's become a popular event in January and I like to support local events." Ostrum said of the 2018 event that he enjoyed re-watching the film, and that people ask him "great questions." Ostrum has been called "the most famous man in Lowville", where the local video rental shop twice wore out its VHS copy of Willy Wonka &

10496-423: The 2023 film Wonka , he is portrayed by Timothée Chalamet . The film tells a standalone origin story of the character about his early days as a chocolatier . In this version, a new backstory was added which reveals his even more troubled upbringing: Willy Wonka's mother (who made chocolate bars) had died and the young Wonka traveled to Europe to open his own chocolate shop. At the end of the film, after exposing

10660-761: The Atlantic on the RMS ; Nova Scotia and hiked through Newfoundland with the British Public Schools Exploring Society . In July 1934, Dahl joined the Shell Petroleum Company. Following four years of training in the United Kingdom, he was assigned first to Mombasa , Kenya, then to Dar es Salaam in the British colony of Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). Dahl explains in his autobiography Going Solo that only three young Englishmen ran

10824-556: The British Dyslexia Association's Awareness Campaign. That year saw Dahl write one of his last children's books, The Vicar of Nibbleswicke , which features a vicar who has a fictitious form of dyslexia that causes him to pronounce words backwards. Called "a comic tale in the best Dahl tradition of craziness" by Waterstones , Dahl donated the rights of the book to the Dyslexia Institute in London. In 2012, Dahl

10988-472: The Canadian spymaster William Stephenson , known by the codename "Intrepid." During the war, Dahl supplied intelligence from Washington to Prime Minister Winston Churchill . As Dahl later said: "My job was to try to help Winston to get on with FDR , and tell Winston what was in the old boy's mind." Dahl also supplied intelligence to Stephenson and his organisation, known as British Security Coordination , which

11152-411: The Chocolate Factory . The agents took Polaroid photos of Ostrum and recorded him reading from the original novel , then returned to New York. Two months later, Ostrum was called to New York for a screen test where he sang " My Country, 'Tis of Thee ", and a month after that, he was contacted and given ten days to prepare to leave for filming. Ostrum left for Munich on August 10, 1970. Peter

11316-503: The Chocolate Factory . In the run-up to the release of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, Ostrum garnered a spate of attention that included seeing the film in New York City with NPR as well as being included in VH1 's list of "100 Greatest Kid Stars" (at 78th). On the new film, Ostrum quoted fellow Willy Wonka actor Julie Dawn Cole , saying, "It's sort of like going back to

11480-449: The Chocolate Factory . He hails from the fictional town of Dusselheim, West Germany in the 1971 film, and Düsseldorf , Germany in the 2005 film. His mother takes great pride in his gluttonous eating and seems to enjoy the attention of the media. In the novel and both films, he is portrayed as "enormously fat". Augustus is the first to be removed from the tour: while drinking from the Chocolate Room's Chocolate River, he accidentally falls into

11644-406: The Chocolate Factory . She demands everything she wants, and she wants everything she sees. Veruca is the second person to find a Golden Ticket and the third eliminated from the factory tour. Unlike the other winners, Veruca did not find a golden ticket herself; rather her father instructed the workers of his peanut shelling factory to unwrap thousands of Wonka bars he had purchased until they found

11808-589: The Golden Ticket, Grandpa Joe leaps out of bed in joy and is chosen as the one to accompany Charlie on the tour of the factory. In the sequel book, he and all members of Charlie's family ride with Charlie and Wonka in the Great Glass Elevator and assist the rescue of the Commuter Capsule from the Vermicious Knids . Grandpa Joe's age is given as "ninety-six and a half" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , making him

11972-421: The Great Glass Elevator , and the film adaptations of these books. Dahl's widow said that Charlie was originally intended to be black . He is depicted as a kind-hearted and selfless boy who lives in poverty with his mother, father and his four grandparents. In the original film, he has a newspaper route after school; his father is not mentioned and his mother cares for him as a solo parent. He and his family follow

12136-446: The MBTA's CharlieCards he was handing out with his portrayal of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka . The promotion also gave out one "golden ticket", worth unlimited rides on MBTA and unlimited Dunkin' Donuts coffee for 2009. In commemoration of the film's 40th anniversary in 2011, he joined Willy Wonka co-stars Denise Nickerson ( Violet Beauregarde ) and Paris Themmen ( Mike Teevee ) for

12300-462: The Oompa-Loompas break into a disco number, "Juicy", and roller skate along the stage as Violet lifts into the air, resembling a giant purple disco ball. Mr. Beauregarde phones his lawyer excitedly, with intent to profit from Violet's new size, until Violet explodes. Wonka's only reassurance of her survival is the prospect of rescuing the pieces and de-juicing them. In the Broadway version, the song "Juicy"

12464-561: The Second World War loomed, the British made plans to round up the hundreds of Germans living in Dar-es-Salaam . Dahl was commissioned as a lieutenant into the King's African Rifles , commanding a platoon of Askari men, indigenous troops who were serving in the colonial army. In November 1939, Dahl joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an aircraftman with service number 774022. After

12628-508: The Shell company in the territory, of which he was the youngest and junior. Along with the only two other Shell employees in the entire territory, he lived in luxury in the Shell House outside Dar es Salaam, with a cook and personal servants. While out on assignments supplying oil to customers across Tanganyika, he encountered black mamba snakes and lions, among other wildlife. In August 1939, as

12792-539: The South". When the stock of Dahl's own original stories was exhausted, the series continued by adapting stories written in Dahl's style by other authors, including John Collier and Stanley Ellin . Another collection of short stories, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More , was published in 1977, and the eponymous short story was adapted into a short film in 2023 by director Wes Anderson with Benedict Cumberbatch as

12956-464: The Taffy-Puller Room to have Mike stretched back to normal. When Mike and his father are later seen leaving the factory, Mike is 10 ft (3 m) tall, as well as incredibly thin and flat. In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Mike Teavee (now age 10) lives in a suburban neighbourhood with his disinterested father Norman Teavee and neurotic, alcoholic mother, Doris Teavee; in this version, he

13120-544: The Teavee family to the Gum-Stretcher Room to get Mike stretched back to normal. Mike is last seen exiting the factory, now "ten feet tall and thin as a wire" because the Oompa-Loompas had overstretched him. His last name resembles the word TV in connection to his love of electronics. In the 1971 film, Mike is played by Paris Themmen and his surname is spelled "Teevee" in the credits. Mike is nine years old and accompanied to

13284-501: The Television Chocolate Room, Mike points that Wonka could use his teleportation device to revolutionise mankind, as opposed to distributing his products, ignoring the fact that anything sent by television gets shrunk. When Mr. Teavee tries to reason with his son, the boy insults Wonka and sends himself by television. After the incident in the Television Chocolate Room, Willy Wonka has an Oompa-Loompa take Mr. Teavee and Mike to

13448-656: The Wonkavision. Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime fighter ace . His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". Dahl was born in Wales to affluent Norwegian immigrant parents, and lived for most of his life in England. He served in

13612-656: The best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Matilda , James and the Giant Peach , The Witches , Fantastic Mr Fox , The BFG , The Twits and George's Marvellous Medicine . Dahl also had a successful parallel career as the writer of macabre adult short stories, which often blended humour and innocence with surprising plot twists. The Mystery Writers of America presented Dahl with three Edgar Awards for his work, and many were originally written for American magazines such as Collier's ("The Collector's Item"

13776-426: The book, he is shown leaving the factory underweight toward the end of the story; but in this version, he is his normal size, licking his fingers to remove the adherent chocolate that he is still coated in, to which his mother begs him to stop, but Augustus refuses, saying that he tastes "so good". The actor, Philip Wiegratz , wore a fatsuit for the production. In the book, both of Augustus's parents accompany him to

13940-527: The book. Gobstoppers were a favourite sweet among British schoolboys between the two World Wars, and Dahl referred to them in his fictional Everlasting Gobstopper which was featured in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Dahl transferred to St Peter's boarding school in Weston-super-Mare . His parents had wanted him to be educated at an English public school , and this proved to be the nearest because of

14104-541: The brutality of the caning as being the result of the headmaster's enmity towards children, an attitude Dahl would later attribute to the Grand High Witch in his dark fantasy The Witches , with the novel's main antagonist exclaiming that "children are rrreee-volting!". Dahl was never seen as a particularly talented writer in his school years, with one of his English teachers writing in his school report, "I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning

14268-411: The characters in various media. In the novels and films, Willy Wonka is the eccentric owner of the world's largest candy factory, making candy and chocolate. Wonka holds a contest, hiding 5 Golden Tickets within the wrappers of his chocolate bars, promising their finders a tour of his factory and a lifelong supply of his creations. In the novels, Wonka has a black goatee and "marvelously" bright eyes,

14432-412: The child actors. Ostrum was tutored on-set for three hours a day, though sometimes only for 30–60 minutes at a time. Though in his audition he had been assured that his singing would probably be cut and dubbed , it was Ostrum's own singing voice that made it to the screen—albeit significantly cut. In a 2011 interview, Ostrum told the story of how director Mel Stuart gave him a clapperboard from

14596-506: The child characters. His children's books champion the kindhearted and feature an underlying warm sentiment. His works for children include James and the Giant Peach , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Matilda , The Witches , Fantastic Mr Fox , The BFG , The Twits , George's Marvellous Medicine and Danny, the Champion of the World . His works for older audiences include

14760-507: The children promise never to reveal or even talk to anyone about the Gobstoppers he gives them Veruca verbally agrees but crosses her fingers behind her back. Veruca is eliminated at the end of her musical number ("I Want it Now") after climbing a machine designed to tell whether or not the golden eggs are "good" or "bad" eggs. The machine judges her as a "bad egg", and she disappears down the garbage chute. Her father, who tried to rescue Veruca,

14924-507: The city of Chalcis . He attacked six Junkers Ju 88s that were bombing ships and shot one down. On 16 April in another air battle, he shot down another Ju 88. On 20 April 1941, Dahl took part in the Battle of Athens , alongside the highest-scoring British Commonwealth ace of World War II, Pat Pattle , and Dahl's friend David Coke . Of 12 Hurricanes involved, five were shot down and four of their pilots killed, including Pattle. Greek observers on

15088-536: The collection Someone Like You ; in 1959, the story " The Landlady "; and in 1980, the episode of Tales of the Unexpected based on " Skin ". One of his more famous adult stories, "The Smoker", also known as " Man from the South ", was filmed twice as both 1960 and 1985 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents , filmed as a 1979 episode of Tales of the Unexpected , and also adapted into Quentin Tarantino 's segment of

15252-432: The crimes of the local Chocolate Cartel, Wonka opens the last chocolate bar his mother left him, which is revealed to contain a golden paper with a message telling him that chocolate is best shared with others. He and Lofty, an Oompa Loompa, would then acquire an abandoned castle to commence building a new factory. Charlie Bucket is the second main character of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , its sequel Charlie and

15416-444: The eldest of Charlie's grandparents, but in the musical, it is stated he is almost ninety and a half. The character was played by Jack Albertson in the 1971 film adaptation Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory . In this film, he is often excitable, paranoid, and stubborn, and convinces Charlie to sneak away from the tour to try Fizzy Lifting Drinks. He becomes angry when Charlie is dismissed without reward and threatens to give

15580-423: The end of the film, he tests Charlie's conscience by reprimanding him and pretending to deny him any reward, but assumes an almost paternal role when Charlie proves to be honest after all. In the 2017 film Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory , adapting the 1971 film but with the addition of Tom and Jerry , he is voiced by J. P. Karliak . In the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , he

15744-432: The everlasting gobstopper to Slugworth before Charlie returns it of his own volition. The character was played by David Kelly in the 2005 film adaptation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Veteran actor Gregory Peck was originally selected to play the role, but he died in 2003 before filming began. This version of the character is written as more calm than the 1971 version. An original backstory to Grandpa Joe's past

15908-518: The exact opposite of what is intended." He was exceptionally tall, reaching 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) in adult life. Dahl played sports including cricket , football and golf , and was made captain of the squash team. As well as having a passion for literature, he developed an interest in photography and often carried a camera with him. During his years at Repton, the Cadbury chocolate company occasionally sent boxes of new chocolates to

16072-436: The factory by his high-strung mother. He is from the fictional town of Marble Falls, Arizona , enjoys Western films and wears cowboy attire. He makes constant references to television shows throughout the factory tour and comes across as somewhat of a know-it-all. Although easily annoyed, he does not have any major anger issues and gets along relatively well with the other kids. After being shrunk to 3 inches (7.6 cm), Mike

16236-651: The factory covered in garbage, with Veruca's father trying with extraordinary effort to contain his visible anger against her. When leaving the factory, Veruca sees the Great Glass Elevator and demands one from her father. Instead of cheerfully catering to Veruca's demands as before, her father tells her sternly that the only thing she will be getting that day "is a bath, and that’s final". Not only has his opinion of Veruca changed, but he also changes his ways of disciplining her, having realized how much he and his wife have spoiled her. When Veruca protests, he fiercely glares at her, prompting her to be quiet. Veruca's nationality

16400-516: The factory. Both film versions contradict this, however, and only his mother goes with him. In the 2013 London musical, Augustus Gloop is known as "the Bavarian Beefcake" in his Alpine community. His mother and father indulge his eating habits with sweets and pieces of sausage of which they (and sometimes Augustus) butcher themselves. In his number, "More of Him to Love", Frau Gloop reveals that she had vital organs removed to retrieve Augustus from

16564-566: The film Four Rooms (1995). This oft-anthologised classic concerns a man in Jamaica who wagers with visitors in an attempt to claim the fingers from their hands. The original 1960 version in the Hitchcock series stars Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre . Five additional Dahl stories were used in the Hitchcock series. Dahl was credited with teleplay for two episodes, and four of his episodes were directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself, an example of which

16728-473: The film adaptation) live in a vardo. Many other scenes and characters from Great Missenden are reflected in his work. For example, the village library was the inspiration for Mrs Phelps' library in Matilda , where the title character devours classic literature by the age of four. His short story collection Tales of the Unexpected was adapted to a successful TV series of the same name , beginning with "Man from

16892-642: The film, and he became a subject of interest again when the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released to theaters. Ostrum became interested in his family's horses when he returned from shooting Willy Wonka , and was particularly influenced by the veterinarian who tended to them. He received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984, and retired by late 2023. As of 2021 , he lived in Glenfield, New York with his wife Loretta ( née  Lepkowski ), having raised two children. Peter Gardner Ostrum

17056-698: The film, but later asked how he got it because he had forgotten that he had done so; it is Ostrum's only souvenir from the set. After he finished shooting Willy Wonka , the then 13-year-old Ostrum declined David L. Wolper 's offer of a three-film contract. The teenager confided in Frawley Becker, his Willy Wonka dialogue coach , that he turned down the contract to retain "the freedom to choose what he played, and in what picture." (Ostrum and Becker remained friends through at least 1996.) In January 2018, Ostrum said he sometimes misses acting—though not its hurry-up-and-wait nature—but feels he dodged having to make

17220-432: The final leg, they could not find the airstrip and, running low on fuel and with night approaching, Dahl was forced to attempt a landing in the desert. The undercarriage hit a boulder and the aircraft crashed. Dahl's skull was fractured and his nose was smashed; he was temporarily blinded. He managed to drag himself away from the blazing wreckage and lost consciousness. His colleague, Douglas McDonald, had landed safely and

17384-529: The first time it had ever been awarded posthumously. Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C. S. Forester , was "A Piece of Cake", on 1 August 1942. The story, about his wartime adventures, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post for US$ 1,000 (equivalent to $ 19,000 in 2023) and published under the title "Shot Down Over Libya". His first children's book was The Gremlins , published in 1943, about mischievous little creatures that were part of Royal Air Force folklore. The RAF pilots blamed

17548-429: The flying field and it was wonderfully comical to see the girls all dropping their wine glasses and galloping in their high heels for the door of the nearest building. We went round again, but this time we were no longer a surprise and they were ready for us with their ground defences, and I am afraid that our chivalry resulted in damage to several of our Hurricanes, including my own. But we destroyed five of their planes on

17712-433: The furnace right before it ignites while trapping Tom inside. Veruca demands her father to take her home and buy her a chocolate factory of her own. Having had enough of Veruca's spoiled and selfish behaviour, Mr. Salt finally decides to discipline her as the near-death experience that they have both gone through seems to have finally gotten to him, stating that she is lucky that they weren't incinerated. Violet Beauregarde

17876-612: The ground counted 22 German aircraft downed, but because of the confusion of the aerial engagement, none of the pilots knew which aircraft they had shot down. Dahl described it as "an endless blur of enemy fighters whizzing towards me from every side". In May, as the Germans were pressing on Athens, Dahl was evacuated to Egypt. His squadron was reassembled in Haifa to take part in Operation Exporter . From there, Dahl flew sorties every day for

18040-530: The ground. Despite this somewhat light-hearted account, Dahl also noted that, ultimately, Vichy forces killed four of the nine Hurricane pilots in his squadron. Describing the Vichy forces as "disgusting", he stated that "... thousands of lives were lost, and I for one have never forgiven the Vichy French for the unnecessary slaughter they caused." When he began to get severe headaches that caused him to black out, he

18204-467: The headmaster after putting a dead mouse in a jar of gobstoppers at the local sweet shop , which was owned by a "mean and loathsome" old woman named Mrs Pratchett. The five boys named their prank the " Great Mouse Plot of 1924 ". Mrs Pratchett inspired Dahl's creation of the cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull in Matilda , and a prank, this time in a water jug belonging to Trunchbull, would also appear in

18368-525: The last ticket, the same man approaches Charlie as well, introduces himself as Arthur Slugworth, and offers the child a bribe to bring him one piece of the newly invented 'Everlasting Gobstopper', allowing him to copy the formula and prevent the future invention from ruining his business. Two of the children (Veruca and Mike) respond to Slugworth's bribe; but Charlie, when tempted, returns the Everlasting Gobstopper to Wonka. Wonka eventually reveals that

18532-537: The latter following his father onto the stage as the leading actor in several South Lewis Central School musicals. Ostrum and his wife lived in Glenfield, New York , as recently as 2021. Ostrum was in the sixth grade and performing at the Cleveland Play House children's theater , when he was noticed by talent agents who were searching nationwide for an actor to portray Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka &

18696-431: The main industrial pipe, occasionally getting stuck in it. The 2017 Broadway rendition of the musical does not largely alter the character, though he and all the other finalists (sans Charlie) are portrayed by adults. Further, Augustus's father is confirmed to be deceased; it is implied that Augustus actually devoured him. Veruca Salt is a greedy, demanding, spoiled brat and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and

18860-401: The monitors to see on which channel Mike has ended, as the Oompa-Loompas rave around the room, singing, "Vidiots". Near the end, Mrs. Teavee joins the rave, as they conclude that Mike still has a future on "mike.com". When Mike is shrunk as a result of the transporter, Mrs. Teavee happily takes him home, as he can no longer cause trouble and she can take care of him like when he was a baby. Unlike

19024-414: The next months; Neal had to re-learn to talk and walk, but she managed to return to her acting career. This period of their lives was dramatised in the film The Patricia Neal Story (1981), in which the couple were played by Glenda Jackson and Dirk Bogarde . In 1972, Roald Dahl met Felicity d'Abreu Crosland , niece of Lt.-Col. Francis D'Abreu who was married to Margaret Bowes Lyon, the first cousin of

19188-533: The noted British novelist C. S. Forester , who was also working to aid the British war effort. Forester worked for the British Ministry of Information and was writing propaganda for the Allied cause, mainly for American consumption. The Saturday Evening Post had asked Forester to write a story based on Dahl's flying experiences; Forester asked Dahl to write down some RAF anecdotes so that he could shape them into

19352-511: The original book – although in the book version, both of Veruca parents follow her down the garbage chute. In the Broadway version, Veruca's nationality is changed to Russian, and the squirrels tear her apart limb by limb, but Wonka assures the group that the Oompa-Loompas will be able to put her back together again. In the Tom and Jerry version of the 1971 film , Veruca's role is the same. Veruca and her father along with Jerry and Tuffy manage to escape

19516-403: The other three finalists due to his only aspiration being that of eating, he is seen as being polite to them. When Augustus falls into the chocolate river, Charlie tries to rescue him using a giant lollipop. He is portrayed by Michael Böllner in this film. Since Böllner could not speak fluent English at the time of the film's production, the 1971 Augustus has fewer lines and less screen time. In

19680-545: The other versions, he wasn't stretched back to normal. In the Broadway version of the musical, Mike hails from Iowa , and the lyrics in Mike's song and some of Mike's mannerisms reference Donald Trump . In the musical, he is the only one out of the four spoiled children to be confirmed leaving the factory. In the book, Mr. Fickelgruber is one of Willy Wonka 's rival chocolatiers. Fickelgruber, alongside Wonka's other main rivals Mr. Prodnose and Arthur Slugworth, sent in spies to steal

19844-552: The planes with glasses in their hands having drinks with the French pilots, and I remember seeing bottles of wine standing on the wing of one of the planes as we went swooshing over. It was a Sunday morning and the Frenchmen were evidently entertaining their girlfriends and showing off their aircraft to them, which was a very French thing to do in the middle of a war at a front-line aerodrome. Every one of us held our fire on that first pass over

20008-657: The progress of the hunt for the Golden Tickets in newspapers and television. In the 2005 film, Charlie's father is revealed to have lost his job at a toothpaste factory, having been made redundant after the factory purchased a robot to do the job that he had, only to be rehired as a technician. Unlike the first four finalists, Charlie is honest and generous; he is actually worried if the other nasty children such as Augustus and Veruca will actually be alive after their ordeals. This positive depiction of an honest caring young boy contradicted how Dahl negatively portrayed Oompa-Loompas as

20172-740: The regular ferry link across the Bristol Channel . Dahl's time at St Peter's was unpleasant; he was very homesick and wrote to his mother every week but never revealed his unhappiness to her. After her death in 1967, he learned that she had saved every one of his letters; they were broadcast in abridged form as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in 2016 to mark the centenary of his birth. Dahl wrote about his time at St Peter's in his autobiography Boy: Tales of Childhood . Excelling at conkers —a traditional autumnal children's game in Britain and Ireland played using

20336-450: The river and is drawn through a pipe to the factory's Fudge Room. His parents are summoned to retrieve him from the mixing-machine. In the book, he is depicted leaving the factory extremely underweight from being squeezed in the pipe. In the 1971 film, despite eating constantly, he is not as obese as he is in the book and has decent table manners. Although he appears uninterested in Charlie and

20500-399: The same special treatment as us. I sat there wondering if this great and famous churchman really knew what he was talking about and whether he knew anything at all about God or heaven, and if he didn't, then who in the world did? In 1965, Dahl's wife Patricia Neal suffered three burst cerebral aneurysms while pregnant with their fifth child, Lucy. Dahl took control of her rehabilitation over

20664-615: The school to be tested by the pupils. Dahl dreamt of inventing a new chocolate bar that would win the praise of Mr Cadbury himself; this inspired him in writing his third children's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , and to refer to chocolate in other children's books. Throughout his childhood and adolescent years, Dahl spent most of his summer holidays with his mother's family in Norway. He wrote about many happy memories from those visits in Boy: Tales of Childhood , such as when he replaced

20828-444: The secret recipes to Wonka's treats where they manufactured it nearly ruining Wonka's factory. In Fickelgruber's case, he made an ice cream that never melted even in the hottest sun. After Wonka re-opens his factory (operated exclusively by the Oompa-Loompas ), Fickelgruber is never heard from again, but it is stated that he and the rest "would give his front teeth" to enter Wonka's inventing room for three minutes. Fickelgruber makes

20992-418: The secret recipes to Wonka's treats where they manufactured it nearly ruining Wonka's factory. In Prodnose's case, he made a chewing gum that never lost its flavor. After Wonka re-opens his factory (operated exclusively by the Oompa-Loompas ), Prodnose is never heard from again, but it is stated that he and the rest "would give his front teeth" to enter Wonka's inventing room for three minutes. Prodnose makes

21156-433: The secret recipes to Wonka's treats where they manufactured their versions of it nearly ruining Wonka's factory. In Slugworth's case, he made candy balloons that could be blown to large sizes. After Wonka re-opens his factory (operated exclusively by the Oompa-Loompas ), Slugworth is never heard from again, but it is stated that he and the rest "would give his front teeth" to enter Wonka's inventing room for three minutes. In

21320-659: The seeds of horse chestnut trees—Dahl recollected, "at the ages of eight, nine and ten, conkers brought sunshine to our lives during the dreary autumn term". From 1929, when he was 13, Dahl attended Repton School in Derbyshire . Dahl disliked the hazing and described an environment of ritual cruelty and status domination, with younger boys having to act as personal servants for older boys, frequently subject to terrible beatings. His biographer Donald Sturrock described these violent experiences in Dahl's early life. Dahl expresses some of these darker experiences in his writings, which

21484-513: The short story collections Tales of the Unexpected and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More . Roald Dahl was born in 1916 at Villa Marie, Fairwater Road, in Llandaff , Cardiff, Wales, to Norwegians Harald Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Dahl ( née Hesselberg). Dahl's father, a wealthy shipbroker and self-made man , had emigrated to Britain from Sarpsborg , Norway and settled in Cardiff in

21648-430: The squirrels' area to get one for herself. Instead, the squirrels grab her and declare her a "bad nut". After that, both she and her parents are thrown down the garbage chute. Later, all three Salts are seen exiting the factory "covered in garbage". In the 1971 film adaptation, Veruca has a fiery temper, rudely demands various desires nonstop, brags about her wealth, and chastises anyone who questions her. In this film, it

21812-478: The subject; "I wanted people to judge me on who I was, not what I’d done". For some time, Ostrum even lied and told people that his brother, and not he, had starred in the film. It took Ostrum years after moving to Lowville, New York, before he told anybody there about his one-time stardom; even his wife Loretta did not know about his role until he warned her about it just before she met his mother. Since 1990, Ostrum has spoken to students at Lowville Academy once

21976-449: The tempter is not the real Slugworth, but his own employee Mr. Wilkinson , and that his offer was a moral test of character. Slugworth/Wilkinson was played by Günter Meisner , a West German actor, while his speaking voice was provided by an uncredited Walker Edmiston . In the Tom and Jerry 2017 animated remake of the 1971 film, "Slugworth" is the main antagonist instead of an enigmatic villain. When he first meets Charlie, he sings

22140-590: The titular character Henry Sugar and Ralph Fiennes as Dahl. Some of Dahl's short stories are supposed to be extracts from the diary of his (fictional) Uncle Oswald, a rich gentleman whose sexual exploits form the subject of these stories. In his novel My Uncle Oswald , the uncle engages a temptress to seduce 20th century geniuses and royalty with a love potion secretly added to chocolate truffles made by Dahl's favourite chocolate shop, Prestat of Piccadilly, London. Memories with Food at Gipsy House , written with his wife Felicity and published posthumously in 1991,

22304-574: The tobacco in his half-sister's fiancé's pipe with goat droppings. He noted only one unhappy memory of his holidays in Norway: at around the age of eight, he had to have his adenoids removed by a doctor. His childhood and first job selling kerosene in Midsomer Norton and surrounding villages in Somerset are subjects in Boy: Tales of Childhood . After finishing his schooling, in August 1934 Dahl crossed

22468-399: The tour, and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . He was described as adorned with 18 toy pistols that he "fires" while watching gangsters on TV. He is bad-tempered and slothful, but also intelligent, and asks Wonka several questions (which go unanswered) throughout the tour. How he found his Golden Ticket is never explained in the book or the 1971 film, as he

22632-642: The transition from child- to adult-actor. As of January 2018 , Ostrum still received US$ 8–9 (equivalent to $ 10–11 in 2023) of royalty payments about every three months. In his senior year , Ostrum was involved in film class and, at the interest of one of his instructors, looked back into theater and acting. After auditioning for, but not landing, several roles (including for Alan Strang in Equus on Broadway ), Ostrum decided not to pursue it further. After putting his short film career behind him, Ostrum declined reporters and interviews, preferring not to speak on

22796-526: The war's conclusion, Dahl held the rank of a temporary wing commander (substantive flight lieutenant). Owing to the severity of his injuries from the 1940 accident, he was pronounced unfit for further service and was invalided out of the RAF in August 1946. He left the service with the substantive rank of squadron leader . His record of five aerial victories, qualifying him as a flying ace , has been confirmed by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records. It

22960-573: The war. People were getting killed. I had been flying around, seeing horrible things. Now, almost instantly, I found myself in the middle of a pre-war cocktail party in America." Dahl was unimpressed by his office in the British Air Mission, attached to the embassy. He was also unimpressed by the ambassador, Lord Halifax , with whom he sometimes played tennis and whom he described as "a courtly English gentleman". Dahl socialised with Charles E. Marsh,

23124-461: The womb. They arrive at the factory wearing traditional Eastern European clothing, with Augustus in a red, argyle sweater and green shorts. When Augustus falls into the Chocolate River, Wonka summons the diversionary pumping system to divert the flow, while Oompa-Loompas dressed in red boiler suits sing, "Auf Wiedersehen, Augustus Gloop", as they prepare the chocolate, while Augustus travels through

23288-633: The world's best. When he was six years old, Dahl met his idol Beatrix Potter , author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit featuring the mischievous Peter Rabbit , the first licensed fictional character. The meeting, which took place at Potter's home, Hill Top in the Lake District , north west England, was dramatised in the 2020 television film, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse . Dahl first attended The Cathedral School, Llandaff . At age eight, he and four of his friends were caned by

23452-485: The world. In November 1962, Dahl's daughter Olivia died of measles encephalitis , age seven. Her death left Dahl "limp with despair", and feeling guilty about not having been able to do anything for her. Dahl subsequently became a proponent of immunisation —writing " Measles: A Dangerous Illness " in 1988 in response to measles cases in the UK—and dedicated his 1982 book The BFG to his daughter. After Olivia's death and

23616-446: Was Collier's Star Story of the week for 4 September 1948), Ladies' Home Journal , Harper's , Playboy and The New Yorker . Works such as Kiss Kiss subsequently collected Dahl's stories into anthologies, and gained significant popularity. Dahl wrote more than 60 short stories ; they have appeared in numerous collections, some only being published in book form after his death. His three Edgar Awards were given for: in 1954,

23780-601: Was Norwegian , which he spoke at home with his parents and his sisters Astri, Alfhild, and Else. The children were raised in Norway's Lutheran state church, the Church of Norway , and were baptised at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff . His maternal grandmother Ellen Wallace was a granddaughter of the member of parliament Georg Wallace and a descendant of an early 18th-century Scottish immigrant to Norway. Dahl's sister Astri died from appendicitis at age seven in 1920 when Dahl

23944-650: Was commissioned as a pilot officer on 24 August 1940, and was judged ready to join a squadron and face the enemy. He was assigned to No. 80 Squadron RAF , flying obsolete Gloster Gladiators , the last biplane fighter aircraft used by the RAF. Dahl was surprised to find that he would not receive any specialised training in aerial combat or in flying Gladiators. On 19 September 1940, Dahl and another pilot were ordered to fly their Gladiators by stages from Abu Sueir (near Ismailia , in Egypt) to 80 Squadron's forward airstrip 30 miles (48 km) south of Mersa Matruh . On

24108-576: Was " Lamb to the Slaughter " (1958). Dahl acquired a traditional Romanichal vardo in the 1960s, and the family used it as a playhouse for his children at home in Great Missenden , Buckinghamshire. He later used the vardo as a writing room, where he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World in 1975. Dahl incorporated a similar caravan into the main plot of the book, where the young English boy, Danny, and his father, William (played by Jeremy Irons in

24272-461: Was "sort of like being an exchange student for five months". Fond memories of his five months in West Germany included watching the construction of Olympiapark , for the 1972 Summer Olympics , and working with Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson . As Ostrum had not worked in film before, Wilder took it upon himself to instruct the young actor in the business. Ostrum would later describe Wilder as

24436-437: Was a baby and her mother tried to get her to stop talking all the time. Violet and her father are escorted by an entourage to the factory entrance. Violet comes dressed in a sparkly purple and pink disco jumper and a pink backpack. Upon swelling in the influence of the experimental gum (which consisted of tomato soup, roast chicken, potatoes and gravy, Fizzy Orange, cheese and crackers and blueberry pie), she panics and runs away as

24600-465: Was a child who acted—he wasn't a child actor. He had none of the obvious technique, tricks, or affectations of the kind that TV kid actors had, and continue to have. He was genuine, and his sincerity as a person shines through in his performance. He was an extremely intelligent kid, who was both self-aware and skilled at what he was doing. In 2000, Ostrum recalled that shooting Willy Wonka in Munich

24764-416: Was a mixture of recipes, family reminiscences and Dahl's musings on favourite subjects such as chocolate, onions and claret. The last book published in his lifetime, Esio Trot , released in January 1990, marked a change in style for the author. Unlike other Dahl works (which often feature tyrannical adults and heroic/magical children), it is the story of an old, lonely man trying to make a connection with

24928-458: Was able to comfort Dahl until they were rescued. He wrote about the crash in his first published work. Dahl came to believe that the head injury he sustained in the crash resulted in his creative genius. Dahl was rescued and taken to a first-aid post in Mersa Matruh , where he regained consciousness, but not his sight. He remained blind for six weeks due to massive swelling of the brain. He

25092-446: Was added to Tim Burton 's film, wherein it is said that Joe worked for Wonka until the latter fired all his workers from his factory due to constant corporate espionage by rival confectionery manufacturers. When he returns to the factory with Charlie for the tour and stated that he used to work for him, Wonka asks if he was one of the spies working for one of his rivals. Joe assures he wasn't and Wonka welcomes him back. While Grandpa Joe

25256-659: Was born in Dallas on November 1, 1957, to Dean Gardner Ostrum (1922–2014) and Sarepta Mabel ( née  Pierpont ; 1922–2021). He is the youngest of four children. Ostrum was living in Cleveland at age twelve—a city of which he was described as a native by MSNBC , and later attended North Hunterdon Regional High School in Hunterdon County, New Jersey . Ostrum married Loretta M. Lepkowski in 1987 or 1988. The couple have two children, Helenka and Leif, with

25420-495: Was featured in the list of The New Elizabethans to mark the diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II . A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named Dahl among the group of people in Britain "whose actions during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact on lives in these islands and given the age its character". In September 2016, Dahl's daughter Lucy received the BBC's Blue Peter Gold badge in his honour,

25584-628: Was invalided home to Britain where he stayed with his mother in Buckinghamshire . Although at this time Dahl was only a pilot officer on probation, in September 1941 he was simultaneously confirmed as a pilot officer and promoted to war substantive flying officer . After being invalided home, Dahl was posted to an RAF training camp in Uxbridge . He attempted to recover his health enough to become an instructor. In late March 1942, while in London, he met

25748-448: Was later appointed Archbishop of Canterbury , and he crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. However, according to Dahl's biographer Jeremy Treglown , the caning took place in May 1933, a year after Fisher had left Repton; the headmaster was in fact J. T. Christie , Fisher's successor as headmaster. Dahl said the incident caused him to "have doubts about religion and even about God". He viewed

25912-595: Was looking forward to the Timothée Chalamet -led prequel . In October 2000, Ostrum and some of his co-stars from the film were scheduled to record an audio commentary for a special edition DVD. In January 2009, Ostrum teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts to hand out free rides on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) at South Station in Boston ; Ostrum's participation connected

26076-554: Was never specified in Dahl's novel, but she hails from an upper-class family in the United Kingdom in both films, and in the 2005 film she lives in Buckinghamshire . In the book, both of Veruca's parents accompany her to the factory; in both film versions, only her father accompanies her. In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Veruca Salt is a British billionaire's daughter, dressed in a pink ballerina tutu and baby seal fur coat – "clubbed and tickled pink". Her father, Sir Robert Salt,

26240-492: Was not mentioned in this film. In this version, when she and Veruca interact with each other, they suggest being best friends, though they do not really like each other. Violet is also shown to be anti-social and malicious, such as when she briefly insults Charlie, snatching a piece of confectionery from his hand, and then, when he tries to interact with her, calling him a loser. She turns blue, although her lips remain red, her eyes and hair (and clothing) turn blue, and swells up into

26404-628: Was one of the last things he ever wrote. In a response to rising levels of train-related fatalities involving children, the British Railways Board had asked Dahl to write the text of the booklet, and Quentin Blake to illustrate it, to help young people enjoy using the railways safely. The booklet is structured as a conversation with children, and it was distributed to primary school pupils in Britain. According to children's literature critic Deborah Cogan Thacker, Dahl's tendency in his children's books

26568-403: Was part of MI6 . Dahl was once sent back to Britain by British Embassy officials, supposedly for misconduct—"I got booted out by the big boys", he said. Stephenson promptly sent him back to Washington—with a promotion to wing commander rank. Toward the end of the war, Dahl wrote some of the history of the secret organisation; he and Stephenson remained friends for decades after the war. Upon

26732-463: Was three years old, and his father died of pneumonia at age 57 several weeks later. Later in the same year, his youngest sister, Asta, was born. Upon his death, Harald Dahl left a fortune assessed for probate of £158,917 10s. 0d. (equivalent to £8,062,873 in 2023). Dahl's mother decided to remain in Wales instead of returning to Norway to live with relatives, as her husband had wanted their children to be educated in English schools, which he considered

26896-649: Was transported by train to the Royal Navy hospital in Alexandria . There he fell in and out of love with a nurse, Mary Welland. An RAF inquiry into the crash revealed that the location to which he had been told to fly was completely wrong, and he had mistakenly been sent instead into the no man's land between the Allied and Italian forces. In February 1941, Dahl was discharged from the hospital and deemed fully fit for flying duties. By this time, 80 Squadron had been transferred to

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