# Why "Charlie" and the Chocolate Factory? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489 "2005-06-30T08:43:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/41 "2005-07-03T00:18:20Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > There are no stupid questions. “… just stupid people.” (Mr. Garrison on\*\* South Park\*\*) ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/42 "2005-07-03T00:58:14Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > It doesn’t surprise me that a Roald Dahl script for children might need a touch of rewrite. Of course, I’ve not read his juvenile fiction, but I know I wouldn’t let my kids near _Switch Bitch_, _Kiss Kiss_, _Someone Like You_ or _My Uncle Oswald_! Well, maybe when they are at least 12! 😉 He was one of my favourite authors when I was a kid. Great stories. _Matilda_, _The BFG_, _Fantastic Mr Fox_, _James and the Giant Peach_… ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/43 "2005-07-03T00:59:33Z")
Sorry, my point was his kids books _are_ suitable for kids. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/44 "2005-07-03T01:20:13Z")
Except for the damn scary undertone of _Chocolate Factory_… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/45 "2005-07-03T01:34:42Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > [I haven’t](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101917/) [seen all](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118768/) his features, [but some of the](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112883/) [linked titles don’t seem](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099329/) [to inspire much confidence.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142688/) Apparently, “his features” is so bad that you couldn’t even list the film. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/46 "2005-07-03T15:14:51Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > I can’t remember the original, but I freaking LOVE the new [donutz](http://www.candyfavorites.com/shop/p2377.htm). I saw a “Wonka Bar” at Walgreen’s the other day, and IIRC, it features graham crackers. I didn’t get a close look, but wondered if it’s supposed to be a S’Mores-style thing? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/47 "2005-07-03T15:23:59Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > I saw a “Wonka Bar” at Walgreen’s the other day, and IIRC, it features graham crackers. I didn’t get a close look, but wondered if it’s supposed to be a S’Mores-style thing? No, I tried it. It is ok, but not great. It is simply a chocolate bar, with small pieces of graham in it. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/48 "2005-07-03T16:37:09Z")
I prefer: “There are no stupid questions, just stupid people who ask questions.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/49 "2005-07-03T18:26:49Z")
> [@RobuSensei](#): > > I must note that several sources, including the IMDB, say that even _Roald Dahl_ despised the Gene Wilder movie version! (Supposedly because the studio brought someone in to do a massive re-write of Dahl’s original screenplay.) Well, authors aren’t always the best judges of movie versions of their work. That said, Dahl’s widow said in a recent NEwsweek that Dahl’s biggest objection was the casting of the lead role. Dahl really wanted British comedian Spike Milligan to play Willy Wonka. And while I thought Wilder did a fine job, I have to admit, Spike Milligan would have been an inspired choice. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/50 "2005-07-04T03:08:03Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > I saw a “Wonka Bar” at Walgreen’s the other day, and IIRC, it features graham crackers. I didn’t get a close look, but wondered if it’s supposed to be a S’Mores-style thing? I found the Wonka bar highly disappointing when I tried it (several years ago). It tastes like they took regular milk chocolate and added about, oh, five sacks of sugar into it for each bar. FAR, far too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489/51 "2005-07-04T03:37:58Z")
Just dropped in to say that today I saw the HBO “First Look” show about this movie, and it looks absolutely awesome in terms of following the descriptions in the book EXACTLY. Surprisingly, the producers went to great lengths actually to build real sets, as much as possible, rather than relying on animation or computer graphics. All the more surprising, since Tim Burton is the director. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/310489.md?page=2)