Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory
By: Roald Dahl
Performed by Eric Idle (Harper's Childrens Audio)
There is just something simply irresistible about the very thought of Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame) reading a moralistic children’s tale like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Anybody already familiar with the old Monty Python BBC TV show, and subsequent theatrical films, already knows well how adept these cheeky comedic actors were at adding hilarious irony to almost every imaginable (and unimaginable) social situation. (And really, what self-respecting high school nerd didn’t obsessively memorize large portions of “Monty Python And The Holy Grail,” in order to repeatedly annoy friends, family and random strangers on the street?) Seemingly against all odds, the Pythons actually gave the term ‘situation comedy’ a good name. And since Roald Dahl’s book was/is as much about greedy materialism, as it is the story of a magical mystery tour through Wonka’s mythical chocolate factory, Idle’s smug mug is perfectly suited for this new book-on-tape reading.
I’m not sure how Dahl felt about the 70s film version of his story, which starred Gene Wilder as chocolateer Willie Wonka, but he’d no doubt be pleased with Idle’s enthusiastic current reading of his famous fantasy. Idle skillfully gives each character various British accents – from the children, such as Charlie Bucket, to the adults, like Charlie’s grandpa, Grandpa Joe. He’s especially impressive with the female members of this cast, but maybe that’s just because I so fondly recall watching he and his Python mates dressing up (or is that down?) as working class women in England, back during the TV show days. Nevertheless, his bored-with-life portrayal of ticket winner Veruca Salt, for example, is priceless.
For those of you who haven’t already seen the movie a million times on cable, or have actually read the book (good for you!), here’s a brief rundown of this imaginative story’s basic plot. Willie Wonka, a successful – yet eccentric -- candy-maker, arranges a contest whereby golden tickets are hidden inside five of his tasty chocolate bars. These tickets entitle winners to a tour of his secretive candy factory. But among this lucky pre-teen quintet, however, only Charlie is good natured and down-to-earth enough to attract the hard-won affection of Wonka. The rest are exposed one-by-one for the spoiled and unlovable brats they truly are.
The advantage of
this book-on-tape edition of “Charlie” -- which is a factor
that also holds true for most books later made into films – is how
it provides much more detail about each character in the story. For instance,
one learns here that Charlie’s dad’s menial day job involves
screwing the caps on toothpaste tubes at a toothpaste factory. Talk about
your screwy jobs! Additionally, Willie Wonka, as he’s described
by Idle here, has a far different physicality than Gene Wilder’s
film portrayal of him. Wilder is not at all the wiry and thin wisp of
a man described in the book. But to his credit, Wilder’s comedic
qualities help flesh out Wonka’s character in ways Dhal may never
have imagined.
There might also be a few disadvantages in this aural-only account, but
there are few and relatively insignificant. For instance, one may well
miss all the bright psychedelic colors brought out by the film version’s
cinematography, as well as its memorable music, such as songs like “The
Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.” Also, in this audiotaped
take, the Oompa Loompas (those antagonistic miniature worker bees) recite
poetry, rather than bounce and sing their reprimands of the bad egg kiddies,
as they do on film. Lastly, Slugworth is presented in the movie as Wonka’s
archrival, and given a pivotal role in the plot, whereas in the book,
he gets just a brief mention.
If your love of this story is strictly based upon your exposure to the popular film, you owe it to yourself to also check out the original book. Better still, let an inspired Eric Idle read it to you, as only an ex-Python can.
-Dan MacIntosh
2002-2004 White Elephant
Productions