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The original movie version of "Willy Wonka" is one of those movies that everybody remembers fondly, but if you go back and actually watch it again, it's awful.

And that Grandpa Joe is the biggest load in the history of all movies! He lays there like a lump for twenty years, while his grandson tries to scrap together some living for the whole family.

Yeah, I was kind of floored how poor Charlie and his family were. When I see it, I try to determine the country Charlie lives in, I do remember seeing a Phillips (electronics company who developed the CD and cassette recorder) ad on a side of the building as Charlie is walking about town. I know Phillips is Dutch (although known around the world) and the the town looks like it could be in Holland, perhaps the UK. I remember his teacher was English and everyone spoke English so I can also assume he lives in England. I always got a big kick out of his TV, it looks like an old postwar British (405 line system) or Dutch set. If it is British, it looks like maybe a Cossor brand. I get into old electronics, especially old radios and TV's.

I'm perplexed at Grandpa Joe though, he seems to be able bodied enough to help out the family financially although the rest of the grandparents I'm not sure of. Still if they sat there for 20 years, they would have been dead a long time ago. Maybe if I read the book, I'll get some insight. B-)

Yeah, I was kind of floored how poor Charlie and his family were. When I see it, I try to determine the country Charlie lives in, I do remember seeing a Phillips (electronics company who developed the CD and cassette recorder) ad on a side of the building as Charlie is walking about town. I know Phillips is Dutch (although known around the world) and the the town looks like it could be in Holland, perhaps the UK. I remember his teacher was English and everyone spoke English so I can also assume he lives in England. I always got a big kick out of his TV, it looks like an old postwar British (405 line system) or Dutch set. If it is British, it looks like maybe a Cossor brand. I get into old electronics, especially old radios and TV's.

I think it was filmed in Germany (with British financing)

About British TV sets...before the move to solid state in the 70s British TVs used valves and extremely flammable materials (instead of tubes like we used)...giving them the tendency to catch fire (one brand was Bush, which had the nickname of "Burning Bush"!). Which is why Brits unplugged their sets at night!