Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination

What this video is

Released June 30, 1971 by Paramount Pictures, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory arrived at a transitional moment between classical Hollywood musicals and New Hollywood realism. Though not a box office success on release — earning approximately $4 million against a $3 million budget — it gained its cultural footprint almost entirely through television reruns across the 1980s. 'Pure Imagination' itself was not…

Why it matters

Represents the apex of practical-set children's musical fantasy in American cinema, predating CGI by decades and demonstrating the limits and grandeur of wholly handcrafted illusionary environments. 'Pure Imagination' as a performed musical moment is the paradigmatic example of the intimate…

The director

Mel Stuart (born Stuart Solomon; September 2, 1928 – August 9, 2012) was an American film director and producer. He worked for 17 years with producer David L. Wolper before going freelance. His career spanned over 180 films including the Oscar-nominated…