Arthur Slugworth is the overarching antagonist of Roald Dahl's children book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, its 2005 film adaptation and the main antagonist in the animated 2017 special Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Like Willy Wonka, he is head of a chocolate making company. After becoming jealous of Wonka, he decided to hire spies to help him steal his competitor's recipes.
In the 2005 film adaptation, he was portrayed by Philip Philmar. As Mr. Wilkinson disguised as Slughworth, he was portrayed by the late Gunter Meisner in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and he was voiced by Mick Wingert, who also voiced Bad Po in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness and Crispy in Sofia the First in the animated direct-to-video musical comedy film Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,
Biography[]
Biography[]
Novel[]
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory[]
In the book, Arthur Slugworth is one of Willy Wonka's rival chocolatiers. Slugworth, along with Wonka's other rivals Mr. Fickelgruber and Mr. Prodnose, sent in spies to steal the secret recipes to Wonka's treats for them.
Having obtained these, he began making candy balloons that a consumer blows up to incredible sizes, and then causes to burst before eating them; a plagiarized invention.
The work of Slugworth (along with the other rivals) came close to ruining Wonka's factory. Wonka was forced to close his factory and fire all of his workers. A few years later, Wonka's factory began working again (operated exclusively by Oompa-Loompas) and his work continued to dominate the candy industry, with no rival able to plagiarize his work because using the Oompa Loompa as his workers enables Wonka to operate his factory without regular employees and keeping it off-limits to the public, so none of the spies can infiltrate.
Slugworth is never heard from again, but it is stated that Slugworth, Prodnose, or Fickelgruber would each give their front teeth to enter Wonka's inventing room (a laboratory) for 5 minutes. It's presumed that Slugworth, alongside Prodnose and Fickelgruber, may have continued their businesses, but as Willy Wonka stopped hiring human employees, it's likely they no longer were able to produce special treats like those of Wonka.
In the original novel, Arthur Slugworth is first mentioned to have developed a type of gum that could be blown to incredible sized before it popped. He is mentioned twice more, again talking about his thievery. But Slugworth and his two spies (Prodnose and Fickelgruber) were never to be seen or heard again
1971 Film[]
In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Slugworth's company is in business. Inside Bill's Candy Shop, Wonka's products and signs are the most visible; but Slugworth's Sizzlers are also prominently displayed, and one is even sold to a child called June Marie.
Things that are also seen are signs for Fickelgruber's candy. Grandpa Joe describes Slugworth as the worst of Wonka's rivals, telling Charlie that he was one of those who sent his spies in dressed as Wonka workers to steal Wonka's Recipes.
A man calling himself Slugworth is a prominent character later in the film-where he was portrayed by the late Günter Meisner. As each Golden Ticket is found, he approached the finder and whispered something into his or her ear. After Charlie got the last ticket, the same man then approached Charlie as well, and told him what is presumably the same speech he told the other children.
He introduced himself as Arthur Slugworth, president of Slugworth Chocolates Incorporated, and bribed the child to bring one piece of the newly invented Everlasting Gobstopper to him so that he can discover and plagiarize the formula. Two of the children responded to Slugworth's bribe. Veruca Salt crossed her fingers behind her back when Willy Wonka asked the children to promise not to show the Everlasting Gobstopper to anyone else.
Mike Teavee asked his mother what secrets they can sell to Slugworth; his mother is also heard telling her son to keep his eyes peeled and his mouth shut. Grandpa Joe also responded near the end of the movie. After Willy Wonka snapped at him and Charlie Bucket for violating the rules by stealing Fizzy Lifting Drinks and bouncing up the ceiling which needs to be washed as a reason of why Charlie didn't get the prize, Joe threatened to give Slugworth the Gobstopper. However, Charlie can't bring himself to betray Wonka and thus returned the Gobstopper to Wonka.
Touched by this display of selflessness, Wonka forgived the theft of the Fizzy Lifting Drinks and told them that the man isn't actually Slugworth, but a non-Oompa Loompa Wonka worker named Mr. Wilkinson, and that his "offer" was a morality test, which only Charlie passed.
The movie doesn't explain how the false Wilkinson was able to approach each winner so soon after they found their tickets. However, it's implied that Wonka somehow managed to keep track of each ticket's destination and then he told Wilkinson where they are most likely to be found. This seems likely, as in the 2005 film, Wonka personally places the tickets on the candy bars and they are then shipped to specific locations.
2005 Film[]
In the 2005 film, Slugworth is first seen during a flashback receiving a secret recipe from a spy that he hired to disguise himself as a worker. He is later seen again outside of his shop while children chewed his gum, which were made out of the recipe he stole.
Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory[]
In the film, he invaded Wonka's chocolate factory to steal a special candy known as the Everlasting Gobstopper. He was voiced by Mick Wingert.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the original story, Arthur Slugworth does not play as vital of a role as he does in the film, being only one of three of the rival chocolate manufacturers that threatened Wonka's business. he does not have a larger role until the 1971 adaptation.
- In 2005 film version, the character seen is the real Slugworth himself, but in the 1971 and 2017 (Tom & Jerry special) version, he is later revealed Willy Wonka's trusty employee Mr. Wilkinson who pretended to be Slugworth to steal the formula in order to test Charlie Bucket. Charlie passes, Wilkinson was only helping Wonka find a heir (who is none other Charlie Bucket himself, the last remaining child/winner who's not been eliminated from the factory tour).
Gallery[]
