BEVERLY HILLS—Director of the fabled “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” Mel Stuart died of cancer in his Beverly Hills home Thursday, August 9.

The documentary film producer/director won three Emmy awards for work with historical and political films, making the fore into the children’s film when he released Roald Dahl’s classic story on film in 1971 with actor Gene Wilder playing the titular role.  The approximate $3 million dollar budget was only outshone by $1 million at the box office.  But the film has since become a classic in both the U.K. and in the U.S.

Two of Stuart’s children, Peter and Madelaine, had cameo roles in the movie.

Mel Stuart, courtesy of his IMDb page

And while Stuart probably became best known for his work with the eccentric Gene Wilder and The Chocolate Factory, many forget that he aided in the production of over 50 titles, the most recent of which was “Acting Normal” in 2009, a documentary that follows an aspiring actor overcoming the added difficulty of being developmentally challenged.

Stuart leaves behind his three children, Peter, Madelaine and Andrew. He was 83.

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