‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ Director Mel Stuart Has Died

Though Bob Hoskins retiring due to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease was certainly some sad news, this hits just as close to my childhood heart. The Washington Post reports director Mel Stuart, responsible for the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has passed away at 83-years old after battling with cancer. In addition to directing that childhood favorite of mine, Stuart also leaves behind the legacy of documentary films such as The Making of the President 1960 (which won an Emmy) and the Academy Award nominated Four Days in November. More below. Stuart also followed presidential campaigns with a documentarian’s eye on the campaigns from 1964 and 1968, in addition to lensing Wattstax, following the music festival of the same name and the aftermath of riots in the community in 1965. Other documentary features included work for PBS as part of their “American Masters” …