Original artwork, not a still
You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!
— Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory · 1971
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
This is Wonka's mask dropping, and it lands because the film has spent two hours making him a twinkling host. The showman turns into a bellowing bureaucrat hiding behind the small print, and then it turns out to be one last test of Charlie's honesty. Fans still use "Good day, sir!" as the definitive way to end an argument, and the sudden rage is one of the most-clipped Gene Wilder moments.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryShow the scene
The tour is over. The other four children are gone, and Wonka has hurried to his office. Grandpa Joe follows with Charlie and asks when Charlie gets his lifetime supply of chocolate. Wonka says he doesn't, because Charlie broke the contract: under section 37B, stealing Fizzy Lifting Drinks and bumping the ceiling voids the prize. Gene Wilder had rehearsed the scene calmly, then reportedly grew genuinely angry once filming began. After Grandpa Joe's furious rant, Wonka shouts "good day" a second time, and Charlie quietly sets the Gobstopper on his desk.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryOffice scene, end of the tourReference checked
- Wikipedia: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryProduction > PerformancesReference checked
Context reviewed
