The Everlasting Gobstopper is a
gobstopper
Gobstoppers, also known as jawbreakers in the United States, are a type of hard candy. They are usually round, and usually range from across; though gobstoppers can be up to in diameter.
The term ''gobstopper'' derives from "gob", which is sl ...
candy from
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
's 1964 children's novel ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
The story was originall ...
''. According to its creator Willy Wonka, it was intended "for children with very little pocket money". It not only changes colours and flavours when sucked on, but also never gets any smaller or disappears. In 1976, the name of the fictional candy was used for a product similar to a normal gobstopper, or jawbreaker.
Although only briefly mentioned in the book and its
2005 film adaptation, the 1971 film adaptation ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'' used the Everlasting Gobstopper as a plot device in which Wonka's business rival Slugworth attempts to bribe the children visiting the Wonka factory to steal one for him. This is later revealed as a lie; Slugworth is actually Mr. Wilkinson, one of Wonka's workers. The proposal is a test Wonka set up to judge the worthiness of the ticket holders to take over the factory, given to all five children.
An actual Everlasting Gobstopper prop used in the
Gene Wilder
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
movie was sold for $100,000 to the owners of the television show ''
Pawn Stars
''Pawn Stars'' is an American reality television series shown on History and produced by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24 ...
''.
Nestlé Everlasting Gobstopper
A product called the Forever lasting Gobstopper was introduced in 1976 by the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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candy company Breaker Confections. Breaker Confections had licensed the "Willy Wonka" name in 1971 so that their candy could be used as merchandising tie-ins for the film ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'', which was released the same year.
The Willy Wonka Candy Company
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
brand was later bought by
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since ...
, and production has been moved to
Itasca, Illinois.
The everlasting gobstopper is like a normal gobstopper or jawbreaker and is composed of several discrete layers. The layers allow for the colour and flavour changing effects described in the book. They are available in a variety of different flavour combinations and usually have a chalky center with a cherry flavour. A version with a chewy center is also available.
The everlasting gobstopper product resembles the gobstopper from the book and its 2005 film adaptation far more than the ones in the 1971 film. The versions from the 1971 film are a multi-coloured, bumpy, spiky candy, while ones in the book and the 2005 film are round, single-coloured spheres.
Seasonal variants such as "Gobstopper Snowballs" and "Gobstopper Heart-breakers" are available during winter holidays and around the time of
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
, respectively. An example is the Gobstopper Candy Cane, which is the company's only non-spherical Gobstopper: the product is modelled after the regular candy canes that are popular during the Christmas season.
See also
*
Wonka Bar
The Wonka Bar is a fictional chocolate bar, introduced as a key story point in the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. Wonka Bars appear in both film adaptations of the novel, ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' ...
References
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fictional food and drink
Willy Wonka
The Willy Wonka Candy Company brands
Products introduced in 1976
Brand name confectionery