Mel Stuart

Mel Stuart (born Stuart Solomon on September 2 , 1928 in New York City) was an American film director and producer whose career spanned nearly four decades, from the early 1960s through the turn of the millennium. He began his professional life after graduating from New York University in 1949, initially working in advertising before joining the production company of legendary television producer David L. Wolper, where he spent 17 years honing his craft on both documentary and scripted projects. Stuart’s breakthrough in feature filmmaking came with the 1971 fantasy‑musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a film that has endured as a cult classic and showcased his knack for blending whimsical storytelling with meticulous visual design; the movie also featured cameo appearances by his own children, Madeline and Peter, adding a personal touch to the production. In addition to this iconic work, he directed a series of notable films such as If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), the drama One Is a Lonely Number (1972), and the later adventure documentary Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 (2000). His documentary oeuvre was equally impressive, earning an Academy Award nomination for the Kennedy‑focused Four Days in November (1964) and a Peabody for the influential concert film Wattstax (1973). Over his career Stuart produced or directed more than 180 titles, ranging from television movies like The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal to series such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and he served two years as president of the International Documentary Association. Recognized with an Emmy, a Peabody, and numerous other honors, his contributions shaped both popular and documentary filmmaking. On a personal level, Stuart married Harriet Rosalind Dolin in 1956, with whom he had three children, and later wed Roberta Silberman in 1985; he remained active in the industry until his death from skin cancer on August 9 , 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.