“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ― Albert Einstein
I want to say that his passing is a loss, but instead, I want to focus on the fact that his life was a gift. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He made us look at the world with pure imagination.
I had the honorable pleasure of attending the exclusive premiere of Willy Wonka in Hollywood back in 1971,I'll never forget it! Running late! Driving a Rolls Royce Convertable Gene Wilder Pulls up in front of the Mann Chinese parks the car and stands inside on the drivers seat takes Bow & jumps outta the car! Purely, a sheer scope of Beauty....
Fun fact the directors didn't let the children actors see the candy room until this very scene. The magic on their face when they walk in is 100% real.
I think I read somewhere that the girl who played Veruca snuck onto the set before everyone else, lol. She might have mentioned this in the DVD commentary.
Another fun fact: Veruca's knee is bloody because the rocks were real and super sharp but they decided to continue filming anyway. She still has a scar on her knee to his day.
Director Mel Stuart would not let the actors, especially the kids, see the set until they opened the door and the cameras rolled. The idea was to get their natural reaction to the set. Many of the actors said as great as the set looked on the screen, it looked even better in person.
Devastated. As a young child who, like Charlie, growing up in a family struggling to make ends meet, this film and Willy Wonka made me believe better days lay ahead. Gene didn't just portray Willy Wonka; he embodied Willy Wonka. It isn't an understatement when I say I got through some tough times with help from Gene Wilder. For that, I say thank you. Sleep well, Mr. Wilder.
That was really beautiful. When I was 12 years old in 2001 around the time of the 30th anniversary, I fell in love with this movie. Every day after school I would go home and pop in my DVD and watch it, and forget about all the trials and tribulations of Junior high. I even dressed up as Wonka for Halloween that year. lol. Even now, this song always makes me happy, no matter what mood I'm in. Gene will ALWAYS be Willy Wonka to me. And I agree, this song always give me hope that things will get better.
Very poignant...reminds me of what Russell Crowe said when he won the Academy Award for Gladiator......"If you grow up ... in the suburbs of anywhere, a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable, this moment is directly connected to those childhood imaginings. And for anybody who's on the downside of advantage, and relying purely on courage, it's possible." -Russell Crowe
Yeah and the reality is that whilst you was struggling these capitalists were making a fortune off poor people like you and laughing at you.. Gene is a pos like all the rest.. PERIOD!
The love of my life doesn't quite grasp the concept of "hope for the hopeless,' as he understands goals rather than hope. I think your comment grasps the idea of hope for the hopeless very well. I think it's one of the most precious and valuable things humanity can have.
+Nick Varga yeah I know the latest version is closer to the book just like other versions of Grimms fairy tails are closer to the original story lines, but I still perfer the innocence of the 70's version. It reminds me of growing up in the 70's, it was a pretty cool time to be a kid.
1971: "Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination." 2005: "Everything in this room is eatable. Even I'm eatable. But that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies."
Both are genius in their own ways. 2005 shows a more fractured and eccentric wanka who has honestly lost his mind which is why everything is over the top while 1971 shows an eccentric wanka who is unpredictable and at times can be seen as delusional but is still very much grounded in “reality” which is why his stuff is more “realistic” compared to 2005 These characteristics are the most present in the songs the oompla looms sing and their actions during them. 1971 is more orchestral and rhythmic while 2005 is bombastic and has more synth, pop, and techno style influences in it
RIP Gene Wilder. I'll miss you restoredly, sadly, *and* dearly. Maybe, the alive youngsters now over 55 will show me my schnifflemeter (including "WONKA, Jr.") at my GROW/work programs. *schniffs* RIP Gene Wilder.
Hah, if you like this song and movie probably you will like this cover ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6ufiQZ-BKn8.html i didn t thought i will find some recent comments on this i thought people forgot about this movie.. and tonight i foind this cover than searched for more wanka vibes
I'm quite shocked to see nobody has commented on the words of this song; they're so beautiful! This song makes me feel very nostalgic. I'll be seventeen in November, and it's just sad that some people my age don't know about this movie; I plan on showing this to my children if I ever become a mother.
This was one of the greatest classic films ever made, They should have never even been allowed to try a remake or sequel. It got no better then this as a kid growing up. Gene Wilder took Willie Wonka and made him come to life, not one soul I can think of could have done it better, no one.
@@redzrobinz3135 ok but *I* didn’t ask for your opinion so kindly get the fuck off my notifications and quit being such a whiny dumb bitch who can’t handle another persons opinion
+Mark Allan Mr. Rogers is beautiful. Watching him makes me cry because of how simple life seems to be, but it is full of arrogant, selfish, violent people.
I've always loved how Willy Wonka just passively helped the kids with the candy, like it was something natural for him. And also how the adults were indulging themselves for possibly the first time in who knows how many years. Really such a great movie. Too bad we may never see the sequel. Fingers crossed though.
I don't understand why any adult WOULDN'T indulge themselves. I'm 25 and I LOVE candy! I mean in moderation but every now and then I have to stock up on those Sunkist gumdrops and Skittles and fruity Tootsie rolls and the caramels with cream in the middle and Starburst and Reeses cups and ... My grandma used to manage a deli/mini mart with all sorts of candy, and she would let us take home a paper bag with whatever we wanted. :D
Stephen R I love fruit Tootsie rolls, Circus Peanuts, M&Ms, heck even Chick-O-Sticks and Neccoi wafers, and Wonka bars (too bad that you don't see these, at least not in America or the USA at least)..f
Steve Carras They did have them, starting in 2001 I believe. Made by Nestle. I haven't seen those in years. They were soooooo good. I was at Toys R Us in NYC in November 2013 and they had an entire Wonka candy section but I forgot to look. And so what if most of that stuff is artificially flavored--candy's dandy.
It's funny to me that Dahl hated this movie because it focused too much on Willy Wonka that he never allowed a sequel in his lifetime... Good thing he never saw Tim Burton's
Nolan Snape yeah but Tim Burtons was garbage, no heart. This one had that feeling of hope, viewed by the eyes of a child throughout. Timeless whimsical wonder, thrown up there on the big screen to be loved by the masses.
Rest in Peace, Gene. Remember that this man was the definition of some people's childhood. This man was the influence of many successful people and actors, Remember this the next time you watch a film with this amazing man featured. Rest in Peace.
I love this song, but to this day it’s composed in such a way that makes it deeply unsettled despite the lyrics, context and overall atmosphere of the scene itself. This song is being sung by a deeply broken, lonely man and that really comes through in the scoring. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
I’m always so sad that Gene Wilder died because he was such a great actor and he was so funny. I’m learning this song on piano and it’s sounding amazing. R.I.P. Gene Wilder
And so we have lost another truly talented person. Gene Wilder, thank you so much for making us laugh in your Mel Brooks movies and taking us to a world of pure imagination in this timeless classic that really meant a lot to me as a child. To me, nobody played Mr. Wonka as well as Gene did. Johnny Depp did a great job at portraying Willy in the 2005 version, but Gene just had that extra spark. RIP Gene Wilder (1933-2016) :-(
Fun fact: That buttercup that Willy Wonka ate was actually wax also, they had to tell the children specifically what they could eat and what they couldn’t eat
There once was a girl who fell in love with Gene Wilder and Willy Wonka at age 4, who inspired her in all his music, movies, books and later would find him to be the most beautiful man in the world. She even dated a dude in high school who looked a lot like him, even the other kids told him he did...and that girl grew to study acting/directing and classic cinema, and tried her luck at acting and writing...that girl had a boyfriend who was the first man to truly truly love her, and they went out for 4 years...and he loved Willy Wonka and knew I thought he had a sense of humor like Gene Wilders as he was a fan too...and he resembled him. In June of this summer, that girl's boyfriend died...her best friend...her soul mate...he was only 33...and she was 29. Their last date was at a carnival on a perfect June night, where she thought of ferris wheels, crazy rides, and which reminded her of pure imagination, color, excitement, and joy.......she wrote Gene Wilder a final fan letter that said another tremendous thank you after saying her boyfriend had passed, but watching his films were helping her smile through this tough time. She watched The Little Prince before her boyfriends funeral, she watched three Gene Wilder films after that...then she found out that Gene Wilder...the only actor who truly ever gripped so hard on her heartstrings and gave me the gift of valuing "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination..." which was my moto...had passed away. She wasn't a star struck kind of girl, she wasn't someone who would be a fantatic....but she loved Gene Wilder because to her she was magical. She cried herself to sleep after her boyfriend died, but then thought, "At least Gene Wilder is still alive." as silly as that sounds..and she felt a sense of comfort. She told her boyfriend that when Gene Wilder's time came, that he was going to comfort me and watch his movies with me all day...well her summer died when her boyfriend whom she planned to marry and have kids with died in the beginning of the season....then at the end...her idol dies........yes, this nutcase girl is me.
A great philosopher once said that most of us will die twice before we fade away. We will all die once when our body stops functioning. The second time will be when your name is uttered for the very last time. Gene Wilder is in the realm of the immortals. :)
I'm a grumpy old man, yet I will watch this movie every time it's on. This song gets me every time. I still have my original paperback of this circa 1974/5 and unlike soo many Hollywood movie versions of books it didn't dissapoint!. Lovely.
I really love the fact that they left the little cup crunch at the end. As a kid, I always imagined what that would taste like. God damn, the nostalgia. What a great movie!
I know ALL of the songs in this movie backwards, forwards, upside down and round about and I can sing them all! BUT THIS ONE IS THE BEST ONE! NO ONE! And I mean NO ONE can top Mr. Wilder in this part! In my HEART, MIND and SOUL, Mr. Wilder will ALWAYS be Mr. Willy Wonka!
He lived a long good life full of fortune, fame and most importantly family, and passed away surrounded by loved ones and good music. Best way to go. RIP Gene.
I never got to see too many films growing up... or in fact do anything, really. It was just how things turned out. This film was one of the few things I experienced in those years. Such a magical, enchanting, wondrous viewing experience. Thank you, Mr. Wilder. R.I.P.
Love you Gene, you eccentric, crazy loveable man. You're the reason I started watching films, and for that you made a huge part of my life. Rest easy, pal.
Everyone else splits up to stuff themselves but Charlie and his grandpa stick together, even holding hands when they first run in. I never noticed that. It's so freakin wholesome.
Suddenly this song is everywhere I look. That's ok....because I love it. If you want to view paradise Simply look around and view it Anything you want to, do it Want to change the world, there's nothing to it
This is a somewhat interesting read: www.amazon.com/Memoir-Willy-Wonka-Chocolate-Factory-ebook/dp/B005M667P4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386917831&sr=8-1&keywords=i+want+it+now Apparently, the actors had not seen the set until they actually started filming.
I know I would be the little boy afraid to break anything and yet totally in love with everything. Ready to help everyone around me and then.... find a way to make it all even better. I so love this song and the sweet sentiment and slight sorrow he shares with us. Thank you, Gene Wilder.....
He brings them into an environment filled with temptations and no boundaries, and then gets all upset right after this song when Augustus drinks from the chocolate river (when he never stated that they weren't supposed to!). Willy Wonka is a sick man. This movie used to give me nightmares.
RIP, over 40 years since the film was released and still holds to be one of my favorite films of all time. Hearing this brings a tear to my eye. Thanks for the happiness, hope you are swimming in a chocolate river up in heaven
Listening to this song kind of makes me sad, it's a rather bittersweet feeling. Makes me want to go back in a particular time where everything was well and peaceful.
The many subtleties of this movie, of which one is at 0:58, look how Violet tries to push Veruca out of the way to go down the steps first. This happens again at 1:08. There is a numerous list that could be created of all of the very little details about what the actors do in this film, unsure of if it was authentic reaction or just choreographed parts of the scene down to the smallest details, such as when to move your hand, or when to touch your hair, or what kind of facial expressions to make, or touching another character briefly. This can be said for every film ever made, but these small details are just genius in this film, whether they knew it or not. If there was some kind of award at The Oscars for ''Best Minute Details" or something like that, then this movie would have won it that year, 1971. 4:47AM, April 21st, 2022. ;)
***** Jacquelyn Fontaine I know it's movie, I'm just saying the movie is the most effective candy commercial ever made Infact this movie was funded by a candy company and they originally made this movie to launch Willy Wonka themed candy from the popular children's book and seen here in the movie. For some reason it didn't work out and Wonka themed candy didn't come out until decades later (it's been awhile since I saw the making of documentary, so I can't recall specifics, its on Wikipedia) So technically this actually is a candy commercial
