Willy Wonka Director Mel Stuart Has Died

Emmy Award winner Mel Stuart, who directed the 1971 musical film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, has died in Los Angeles at age 83.

Stuart was primarily known as a director and producer of documentaries and television shows, including The Making of the President 1960, Four Days in November, Wattsax, and The Hobart Shakespearans.

He also directed the feature films, If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, starring Suzanne Pleshette, I Love My Wife, starring Elliott Gould and Brenda Vaccaro, and the television movies Bill starring Mickey Rooney and Dennis Quaid, which won a Golden Globe and Peabody Awards, and Sophia Loren: Her Own Story.

He is survived by his children Madeline, Andrew, and Peter.