Released in 1971, Mel Stuart's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory remains a timeless children's fantasy film that captured the hearts of viewers young and old. Adapted from Roald Dahl's beloved 1964 novelCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, the story follows Charlie Bucket, an impoverished young boy whose life changes for the better after winning a Golden Ticket to visit Willy Wonka's magnificent candy factory.
Beyond Dahl's rich source material, the movie has withstood the test of time largely due to Gene Wilder's excellent performance as the eccentric and ever-quotable chocolate maker. Wilder famously refused the part unless he could add in the famous limping scene where he falls into a roll, as he said in an interview with Larry King: "Because no one will know, from that point on, whether I'm lying or telling the truth."
With the musical adaptation of Wonka slated for release on December 15, 2023, now is a perfect time to relive the best and most memorable quips and quotes from the mischievous candy maker himself, who expresses his twisted worldview through a series of rhymes, riddles, and ridiculous zingers.
10 "Candy is Dandy, but Liquor is Quicker." — Willy Wonka
While Wonka gives the Golden Ticket winners a tour of his lavish candy empire, Veruca Salt's father notices a label on the side of a large industrial vat. Mr. Salt asks Wonka, "Butterscotch? Buttergin? Gotta little something on the side?" The question infers that Wonka has a side hustle as a bootlegger or legal alcohol merchant, but it also functions as a silly pun regarding butterscotch candy.
In typical whimsical form, Wonka fires a rhyming retort that gets to the heart of his eccentric characteristics and childlike demeanor. By stating "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker," Wonka is quoting a famous quip of drunkards, which originated from the poem "Reflections on Ice-Breaking" by Ogden Nash.
This is far from the last time Wonka quotes a famous line, revealing he is also part-genius among his many other traits. Wonka was clearly a Nash fan too, as evidenced by his safe code, “99, 44, 100 percent pure,” also referencing a Nash poem. It's the kind of subversive brand of adult humor that often goes unnoticed by younger viewers, but defines Wonka's bizarre personality in the great Gene Wilder movie.
9 "We Are the Music Makers... And We Are the Dreamers of Dreams." — Willy Wonka
When Wonka encourages the children to try the delicious edible wallpaper in his factory, he can hardly contain his enthusiasm. He tells the kids to eat more, declaring, "The strawberries taste like strawberries. The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!" If that wasn't funny enough, Veruca pushes back and says, "Who ever heard of a snozzberry?"
Unwilling to entertain Veruca's skepticism, Wonka playfully pinches the girl's mouth and beams, "We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of dreams." The quote, from the opening lines of the poem "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy (which would be one of his favorites), perfectly encapsulates Wonka's fantastical quirks and his childlike sense of wonder. While the quote itself hints at the magical nature of Wonka, the deadpan expression on his face as he stares at Veruca makes the line even more perfect.
8 "A Little Nonsense Now and Then is Relished by the Wisest Men." — Willy Wonka
At one point during Wonka's tour of the factory, Mr. Salt is so unimpressed and confused that he decries, "It's a lot of nonsense." Rather than get upset, Wonka looks over and serenades Mr. Salt with a waggish sing-songy rhyming riddle and wisely notes that "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." Mr. Salt proceeds to roll his eyes, which makes the line land even harder in the beloved Roald Dahl movie adaptation.
Beyond the musical pitch that Gene Wilder reaches to utter the unforgettable line, the contents of the quote (a well-known centuries-old couplet) also stand out. Everything about Wonka, his factory, and his candy brand defies logic. Therefore, when he suggests nonsense is valued by intelligent people, he's underscoring his own risk-taking and willingness to think outside the box to innovate brand-new products for the world to enjoy.
7 "So Shines a Good Deed in a Weary World." — Willy Wonka
At his best, Wonka expresses the limitless possibilities of making the world a better place. In one obvious instance, Charlie places a gobstopper on Wonka's desk at the end of the movie, when Wonka is kicking them out of the factory. Charlie could have sold this candy to Slugworth for a lot of money, but he chooses not to. The erudite Wonka touches the piece of candy, and mumbles to himself a Shakespeare quote from the play A Merchant in Venice: "So shines a good deed in a weary world."
Immediately after the quote, Wonka stops Charlie in his tracks and declares that the boy has won the competition and will take over the factory. While the line itself hints at Wonka's ability for his candy to provide pleasure in people's darkest moments, Charlie manages to reinvigorate Wonka's sense of optimism, completely altering his mood from grumpy to happy in one instance. It's one of the most emotional moments in the entire film.
6 "So Much Time and So Little To Do. Wait a Minute. Strike That. Reverse it." — Willy Wonka
Time is a recurring theme Wonka mentions in the film. At one point, Wonka says, "Time is a precious thing. Never waste it," an honorable quote full of wisdom. At the end of the film, Wonka gets ahead of himself while preparing to hand the factory to Charlie and fumbles over one of his trademark riddles. It's pure Wonka at his wonkiest.
Part of what makes the twisted quote so memorable is the way Wilder performs the scene in the Dahl adaptation. Brimming with vim and vigor, Wonka can hardly contain his glee as he rushes around the room and states, "So much time and so little to do!" Afterward, he becomes overly serious about correcting himself, which amuses Charlie and bewilders Grandpa Joe in a hilarious fashion.
5 "Oh, You Should Never, Never Doubt What Nobody is Sure About." — Willy Wonka
While giving his guests a tour of the miniaturized room, Wonka teases them with one of his silliest on-brand riddles. Terrified of the claustrophobic room they feel stuck in, Mr. Salt laments, "I doubt if any of us will get out of here alive!" Before Mr. Salt can finish his words, Wonka interrupts and gives none of them reassurances by stating the above quote with a sinister glint in his eye.
"You should never, never doubt what nobody is sure about" is a riddle riddled with absurd double-negatives that perfectly capture Wonka's whimsy. And, as shouldn't be a surprise by now, Wonka also pulled this quote from a little-known poem, by Hilarie Belloc titled "The Microbe," which comes from the highly appropriately titled book, More Beasts for Worse Children.
Yet, despite the quirkiness, there is a kernel of truth to be mined from Wonka's use of the line here. By encouraging his guests to doubt the uncertain, Wonka is reinforcing the refrain heard in the beautiful song "Pure Imagination," where the possibilities of the mind are limitless.
4 "Help. Police. Murder." — Willy Wonka
When he isn't dishing nuggets of truth through rhymes and riddles, Wonka often uses irony and sarcasm to prove his point. One of the funniest examples in the film comes when Augustus Gloop is sucked into the chocolate tube and goes sailing down the chocolate river, much to the horror of his mother. In a panic, Mrs. Gloop screams, "Don't just stand there, do something!"
With no urgency whatsoever, Wonka lazily and laconically says, "Help. Police. Murder." The juxtaposition of Mrs. Gloop's distressed response and Wonka's apathy is pure comedic gold. Wilder plays the scene with such a lack of enthusiasm that it's impossible not to bust up laughing even when viewers know it's wrong to do so. For all of Wonka's florid eloquence, the simplicity of a callous three-syllable response is dripping with irony and sarcasm.
3 "Invention, My Dear Friends, is 93% Perspiration, 6% Electricity, 4% Evaporation, and 2% Butterscotch Ripple." — Willy Wonka
One of Wonka's best quotes comes while giving the guests a tour of the invention room. As he zealously mixes chemicals in a flask, Wonka enthusiastically quips, "Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% Butterscotch Ripple." If the arbitrary formula wasn't droll enough, Mr. Teevee incredulously pushes back with, "That's 105%!"
Few quotes in the film fully embody Wonka's silly sense of playfulness like the one above. Rather than doubling down on "Pure Imagination" as the essence of creativity, the notion that the mother of invention relies on random proportions of sweat and candy-flavored wine underscores the sheer absurdity and eccentricity of Wonka's persona, with Wilder's all-time great performance selling the line like no other.
2 "Where is Fancy Bred, in the Heart or in the Head?" — Willy Wonka
Another unforgettable Wonka riddle comes during a brief respite on the factory tour. When one of the guests questions his methods, Wonka retorts by saying, "Where is fancy bred, in the heart or in the head?" The quote also the same Shakespeare play Merchant of Venice, but takes on its own meaningful double entendre in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
While it's easy to mistake "bred" for "bread" given the culinary delights in the factory, the quote has more to do with the deeper meaning of the word "fancy." A fancy can be a "desire," and directly relates to Violet's sudden transformation into a blueberry. After she is rolled away, Wonka says the line, pondering which source her desire to eat the untested gum came from.
However, the quote can also relate to Charlie and Wonka himself in the film. As if speaking directly to Charlie, Wonka wonders whether the boy's desire to run the elegant factory comes naturally from his heart or strategically from his mind, based on his poor upbringing. It's a little hint that what Wonka is looking for is heart.
1 "The Suspense is Terrible... I Hope It'll Last." — Willy Wonka
When Agustus Gloop becomes stuck inside the chocolate pipe after becoming the first child to break the rules, a large rush of pressure threatens to harm the boy. As the rest of the group watches in distress, Wonka sneaks a snack near his mouth as if watching a movie and sardonically quips, "The suspense is terrible." After a pregnant pause, Wonka amusingly adds, "I hope it'll last."
Like many of the others, this quote is a reference from the pretentious character of Gwendolen in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest. Not only does this tell us that Wonka is well-read, it gives us insight into the kinds of characters he seems to relate most to.
No quote better captures Wonka's sadistic and sarcastic personality than one expressing sheer delight over the prospect of Gloop disappearing into the network of pipes in the factory. The uncontained glee and entertainment Wonka derives from the tension and suspense of witnessing Gloop's sinister fate is played perfectly by Wilder in the scene. The quote also indicates what an insatiable thrill-seeker Wonka is and how he constantly breaks the mold of expectations by marching to the beat of his own drum. Part madness, part heart, and part butterscotch ripple, Willy Wonka is an iconic and incomparable character.
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