Gene Wilder, the Real Willy Wonka

When "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" was released in 1971, few of its stars were familiar to audiences. And even with the movie's moderate success at the box office and growing classic status in the years that followed, few of its stars became household names. Only the most devoted of viewers can quickly name the actors who played the children, the grandparents, or the Oompa-Loompas. But there's one exception. Gene Wilder was Willy Wonka, and his impeccable performance helped make him a star.