10 Weird Things Cut From Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (That Were In The Book)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of the all-time greatest children’s movies. Released back in June of 1971, the movie was initially met with a lukewarm reception before finding a wider audience throughout repeated television airings. It became a classic over time and remains highly regarded. In fact, most people even prefer it to the more recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (ourselves included).

Like all movie adaptations, Willy Wonka changed and omitted a few things from the source novel, written by Roald Dahl and released in 1964. And let us tell you, Mr. Dahl was not happy. These are ten weird things cut or altered from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory that were present in the book.

10 The Children’s Fates

Perhaps the biggest, and most terrifying, omission from the film is the fate of the children. At the end of the novel, Charlie, Grandpa Joe, and Wonka witness the eliminated children leaving the factory. They’re not exactly safe or healthy, but at least they’re alive!

The same thing cannot be said for the movie. It’s implied that the children will be fine, but we never see them again. And who knows, Wonka’s reassurances could just be more nonsense.

9 Charlie’s Father

For some bizarre reason, the movie decided to forgo Charlie’s father entirely. Maybe it made for a more tragic story? In the novel, Mr. Bucket works at a toothpaste factory screwing the caps onto the tubes. The pay is terrible, and he is eventually let go from the factory once his job is automated.

In the movie, Mr. Bucket is missing entirely, and Mrs. Bucket is said to be a widow. Again, we’re not really sure what the reasoning behind this change is, but then again, his character isn’t really necessary to the proceedings.

8 Both Parents

The movie clearly had something against parents. Another aspect of the novel not found in the movie is that the children were allowed to bring BOTH of their parents. For some reason, the movie Wonka only allowed one parent from each family.

Therefore, we missed out on Mr. Gloop, Angina Salt, Scarlett Beauregarde, and Mr. Teavee. Granted, they don’t really do a whole lot for the story, so we can understand their exclusion. We suppose it was for budget, and not story, reasons.

7 Testing On The Oompa Loompas

Willy Wonka is a weird dude, but he’s also a little…mean. Perhaps they wanted to make Wonka a more palatable and welcoming figure, so they completely cut out the fact that Wonka tests his products on the Oompa Loompas.

In the novel, Wonka uses the Oompa Loompas as unfortunate test subjects for his candy. Not only is this eliminated from the movie, but Wonka can also be seen testing various products on himself. Remember, “Too cold! Far too cold!” Yeah, that line should have been given to an Oompa Loompa.

6 Loompaland

Speaking of the Oompa Loompas, their native land of Loompaland is given a significant reduction for the movie adaptation. Yes, Wonka does reference it at one point and tells his guests about the Hornsnozzlers, Snozzwangers, and Whangdoodles.

But in the novel, Wonka goes into far more detail, and we are given a more robust explanation and vision of Loompaland and their customs. For example, did you know that the Oompa Loompas used to live in tree houses and ate green caterpillars? Loompaland was given more precedence in the remake, but…yeah, it didn’t go over so well.

5 The Oompa Loompas’ Appearance

And just to make the Oompa Loompas even MORE different, the makers of the movie decided to vastly alter their physical appearance. In the novel, the Oompa Loompas are described as having white skin and golden hair. Fun fact – they were originally depicted as African pygmies, but that proved highly controversial and Roald Dahl was forced to change it! For some absolutely bizarre reason, their movie counterparts had orange skin and green hair. It’s horrifying.

Maybe they wanted to make Wonka’s factory more eclectic and mystifying, and blonde-haired people didn’t provide the needed sense of wonder.

4 The Nut Sorting Room

Veruca Salt meets a very different end in the novel than she does in the movie. In the novel, the company comes across Wonka’s Nut Sorting Room, where Wonka employes squirrels to separate the nuts. She demands that her parents buy her a squirrel, and she is subsequently attacked by the squirrels and taken out of the factory.

The Nut Sorting Room was changed to the Golden Eggs Room for the movie, and Veruca demands a golden goose instead of a squirrel. And then she falls down a garbage chute. We don’t know if that’s better or worse than being attacked by squirrels.

3 Mike’s Love Of Movies

The kids of the movie are rather one dimensional, even if that is an intentional creative decision. Augustus loves food, Violet is a brat, Veruca is spoiled, and Mike loves television. That’s about all we learn of their characters. But in the novel, Mike also has a devout love for cowboy and gangster movies.

This is briefly referenced in the movie, as Mike shows up dressed like a cowboy and pretends to shoot Wonka in the stomach. That said, his love for genre film is given far less precedence than it is in the original novel.

2 Slugworth

One major thing cut from the movie is the role of Arthur Slugworth and his background. In the book, Slugworth is mentioned as being an ex-employee of the Wonka Factory who has since opened a rival candy company and vies for Wonka’s recipes.

Of course, the character of Slugworth is in the movie, only in a vastly different context. In the movie, “Slugworth” is actually an employee of Wonka’s who tests the children by asking them to betray Wonka. Roald Dahl did NOT like that particular change.

1 The Great Glass Elevator

Like Slugworth, The Great Glass Elevator is used in a different context in the movie. In the novel, Mike, Charlie, and Wonka take the Great Glass Elevator to the TV Room, where Mike is subsequently eliminated from the tour.

In the movie, they use some sort of foam-spewing vehicle. However, the elevator later shows up in the end when Wonka takes Charlie and Joe for a ride over their home town and offers the factory to Charlie.

About The Author

Nathan Sharp
(852 Articles Published)

Nathan Sharp is a writer from outside Toronto, Ontario. He has a love of movies and television, having enjoyed them for more than twenty years. His preferences include drama, action, and horror, with the former being a particular point of interest and fascination.

He also has a love of video games, particularly those of Rockstar.

Whether it be about film, television, or video games, Nathan loves a good discussion and has written hundreds of articles for Screen Rant.

More From Nathan Sharp