Mr. Salt

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Mr. Salt was a character from Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He is the father of Veruca Salt and the husband of Mrs. Angina Salt. In the 1971 movie, he spoils his bratty daughter out of fear, and was given the name "Henry". In the 2005 movie, he is much older and is very critical of his daughter's avarice and conceited attitude (despite the fact that he and his wife reinforce it). Near the end of the film, he sternly states to Veruca that she will only get a bath and that's final (when she demands a flying glass elevator).

In all three versions of the story, Mr. Salt is the CEO and owner of a peanut-packing business. When Veruca said that she wanted a Golden Ticket, Mr. Salt bought hundreds of thousands of Wonka Bars and had every one of his workers (shown as women in the films) unwrap them until a Golden Ticket was found. Mr. Salt is the only adult to be punished alongside his child, suggesting that his reinforcement of Veruca's avarice is more morally reprehensible than the poor parenting skills of the other adults.

He was played by Roy Kinnear in the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and by James Fox in the 2005 film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

In the novel

Mr. Salt in the various novel adaptations is always depicted as wearing a business suit. In contrast to the two film portrayals, he also has a moustache. Arguably he and his wife Angina the most developed of the parents who accompany their children to the factory. He is an extremely doting and loving father who cannot bear to see his daughter unhappy or hurt in any way; hence the mass purchase and the subsequent mass unwrapping of the Wonka bars. Mr. Salt stops all regular work in his nut factory for the mass unwrapping, regardless of the cost this has on his business.

Unlike the other two Salts, the various novel adaptations' version is aware of his daughter's shortcomings, however; referring to her as a "bit of a frump" after her abrupt departure in the Nut Sorting Room; however, he says that her getting burned alive is an unacceptable punishment for her behavior. After his barging in and entertaining the possibility of finding Veruca stuck in the chute and retrieving her, is dispatched by the squirrels in similar fashion to both his wife and daughter. He, his wife and his daughter leave the factory covered in large amounts of garbage, and he has an angry frown on his face.

His wife is named Angina and is a geography teacher by profession, which is another source of income for the Salts.

1971 Film

Henry Salt, like his novel counterpart, is extremely doting, albeit in a more sycophantic manner. His looks and responses to things in the factory imply that he suffers from stress, possibly due to all the catering to his tyrannical daughter.

Despite this, he is always willing to grant Veruca her every want. This, along with his inability to administer any control over her antics, lead to both of their downfalls. While he is happy to pay Wonka for a golden goose, Wonka is not willing to receive the money; this out-of-control scenario leads to Veruca first wrecking the room and then falling down the garbage chute. With the possibility of retrieval he throws himself after her, where he is deemed a "bad egg". After this, Grandpa Joe (who was with Charlie at the time) jokingly says that Mr Salt got what he wanted: Veruca went first.

His wife is renamed Henrietta and her attitude towards spoiling their daughter is "happiness is what counts with children. Happiness and harmony".

2005 Film

The 2005 Mr. Salt strikes a contrast to his predecessors, though he still loves his daughter a lot. He displays more rationality and is always reluctant and uncomfortable with Veruca's sly demands; his lack of control over her remains similar to the other two men. His rationality clashes with Willy Wonka's flamboyant eccentricity.

As a person he is quite polite and elegant in a very English manner, but it is still clear that he considers some things below him, his wife, and Veruca. After Veruca has been removed from the tour courtesy of 100 rogue squirrels into a garbage chute, a panicked Mr. Salt hesitantly moves to retrieve her (as the Oompa Loompas finish their song) and is pushed in after her (a portrait of his wife is thrown in as well). Unlike the book versions and other film, in their last scene, he finally begins being a strict father, much to his daughter's anger. It is revealed on his business card that his first name is Rupert, making his full name Rupert Salt in this adaptation.

Unlike the other Mr. Salts in the other film and the novel, Rupert does try to talk Veruca away from her wishes ("I want a squirrel!" "Veruca dear, you have many marvelous pets...") but fails due to his daughter's insistence.

Mrs. Salt is confined to an even smaller role and does not even have a given name or even a word to speak. She is probably meant to be a "trophy wife". She reacts to Veruca's tantrums by taking refuge in sipping martinis and rolling her eyes. The Oompa-Loompas throw a portrait of her down the chute as a symbolic punishment for spoiling her daughter before the squirrel pushes her husband down the chute.