RIP Willy Wonka.

The great Gene Wilder died yesterday. One of the world’s finest comic actors, he will always be remembered as the eponymous Willy in the great children’s classic. Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory was not a huge hit when it came out, but later releases on video and DVD have ensured that it continues to be loved by generations of children. This proves that the tales of Roald Dahl, weirdly wonderful set design and of course, good confectionery are completely timeless. But if you’ve ever wondered why the book was called Charlie and The Chocolate Factory but the film was called Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, wonder no more. Gene Wilder (or more likely, his agent) insisted that it be re-named so that Gene was playing the title role. Actors (and their agents) never change.