{"id":12275,"date":"2014-02-06T11:01:47","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T16:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.collectingcandy.com\/wordpress\/?p=12275"},"modified":"2014-02-06T15:29:29","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T20:29:29","slug":"meet-mark-sweet-the-real-life-willy-wonka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/collectingcandy.com\/wordpress\/?p=12275","title":{"rendered":"Meet Mark Sweet: The Real-Life Willy Wonka!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CC_Mark Today marks CollectingCandy.com’s second anniversary (launched on February 6th, 2012 with our Retrospective of Big League Chew<\/a>) – and it’s also our 450th post!\u00a0 With so much to celebrate, we wanted to bring you a great feature as well as one that is uniquely the fare of CollectingCandy.com.\u00a0 We think this one does the trick.<\/p>\n

—————————<\/p>\n

The Willy Wonka candy brand was launched in 1971 in concert with the release of the feature film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory<\/em>.\u00a0 It would eventually become one of the most successful candy brands of all time, having just celebrated its 43rd birthday.\u00a0 For the first half of its successful run, a man named Mark Sweet represented the brand by playing the real-life Willy Wonka – in print ads, television commercials, videos and hundreds of personal appearances around the country.<\/p>\n

Mark Sweet hung up his Willy Wonka top hat and cane nearly twenty years ago, though he’s remained a busy entertainer within the television industry and beyond.\u00a0 Last year I contacted Mark and he generously agreed to share his story and experiences of playing this iconic confectionery spokesman with CollectingCandy.com.\u00a0 More than just the recollections of a candy company’s costumed spokesman, Mark Sweet’s story is a classic showbiz tale of hard work, perseverance, and a whole lot of magic.<\/p>\n

Today’s post is one of the most in-depth I’ve ever presented and it’s also one of the richest stories that I’ve ever had the pleasure to share.\u00a0 Without further ado, here is the story of Mark Sweet: The Real-Life Willy Wonka!<\/p>\n

When I first approached Mark to ask him about his years of playing Willy Wonka, I didn’t know what to expect, but as we spoke, a fascinating and inspiring show-business tale unfurled before me.<\/p>\n

In order to appreciate his path to confectionery-spokesperson legend, it’s important to understand Mark Sweet’s entertainment origins, which date back to his earliest years:<\/p>\n

I was born 1951 in Detroit, Michigan.\u00a0 My father Fred Sweet managed a movie theater in downtown Detroit called the Telenews.<\/p>\n

\"Telenews

Telenews Theater – Detroit Michigan – circa 1945<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

\"Fred

Fred Sweet in front of the Telenews Theater in Detroit<\/p><\/div>\n

A few blocks down the street was another movie theater called the Fox Theater<\/a> and inside the Fox Theater building was a magic store called Fox Fun N’ Magic.\u00a0 When I was five years old my dad would bring me into the magic store which was next to a deli in the Fox Building, and I remember him saying once “If you finish your milk, I will buy you a magic trick.”\u00a0 I never had any toys as a child, just magic tricks.<\/p>\n

The owner of the magic store was a colorful gentleman named Roy Kissell and after these early interactions, he became a lifelong friend.\u00a0 Roy would tell me that “…you do not need a lot of tricks – just learn five and do them well.\u00a0 With that, you can put together an act.”<\/p>\n

So I began with doing shows in my garage for the kids in the neighborhood for a nickel.\u00a0\u00a0 Right about this time I put a sign at the local A&P Grocery Store, Mark Sweet: Magician for all Occasions.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet Magician Advertising Sign – late 1950’s – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

By the time I was eight years old my parents were divorced.\u00a0 After the divorce my mother Fay began working for an office of five pediatricians, sitting behind a desk booking all of the appointments for them.\u00a0 My mom is the most sincere, gifted and natural-born promoter of people she believes in, and who do mothers love and believe in more than their own kid?<\/p>\n

Since she had to book their doctor’s appointments, my mom knew when all of these kids were celebrating their birthdays, and she would promote me by telling their parents “my son is a magician”.<\/p>\n

So by the time I was eight, I was doing magic shows for kids celebrating their fifth birthdays.\u00a0 Mom was usually at work so my grandfather would drive me from show to show.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet Childhood Magician Business Card – 1950’s-1960’s – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

I would give every kid attending these parties my business card, and between my mom promoting me, my business card hand outs, the sign at the grocery and word of mouth I was very busy – I did hundreds of shows.\u00a0 Some weekends I would do three shows on a Saturday and two on a Sunday.\u00a0 Eventually it led to larger parties, picnics, Cub Scout Banquets, even some adult shows.\u00a0 By the time I was fifteen I had saved $3,000.<\/p>\n

Around that time, one of the doctors my mom worked for recommended a stock broker in downtown Detroit for me to meet with: WC Roney and Co.\u00a0 The broker asked if I had an agent and my answer was “No, just my business cards, my sign at the grocery store, and of course my mom.”\u00a0 He picked up the phone and called Gail and Rice Agency, set up an audition with John Bonino and the owner Al Rice.\u00a0\u00a0 They booked me at The Detroit Boat Club on Belle Isle for $60.00 to do a 30 minute Comedy and Magic Act, and the show went fine.\u00a0 That led to 10-15 dates a month.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet pre-Wonka publicity flyer – circa 1970 – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1970 they booked me at the Detroit Auto Show for Chrysler which immediately morphed into 100 dates a year for 25 years – just for General Motors!\u00a0 I would perform at the Detroit, New York, Cleveland, Chicago Auto Shows, plus the Texas State Fair, RV shows in Louisville and on and on.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet pre-Wonka publicity brochure – Cover – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet pre-Wonka publicity brochure – Interior – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Mark

Mark Sweet pre-Wonka publicity brochure – Back Cover – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1972 it was his tireless and successful work within the trade show industry that would put Mark Sweet in front of the executives charged with finding ways to market the recently-launched Wonka candy brand.<\/p>\n

In 1972 I met another magician, Johnny Thompson at the Auto Shows.\u00a0 Johnny was going into Las Vegas for a year and wanted me to meet his trade show agent, Gene Bullard.\u00a0 I flew to Chicago and ended up meeting Gene along with his new clients, the Willy Wonka people.\u00a0 I performed a little close-up magic for them in the Ambassador Club.\u00a0 I was hired on the spot to perform a three day trade show for the NCWA [National Candy Wholesalers Association] as Willy Wonka.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"NCWA

NCWA – National Candy Wholesalers Association logo – 1972<\/p><\/div>\n

Mark’s multiple performances at that NCWA trade show were a big success and helped the fledgling Wonka brand stick in buyers and distributor’s minds.<\/p>\n

After that initial three day trade show they asked if I wanted to do a three week shopping mall tour.\u00a0 I would do three shows a day at the mall and also go with the local candy brokers on sales calls and to wholesalers in the AM. Then they retained a P.R. firm and I would go to local newspapers, TV shows including news, kid shows, and talk shows as Willy Wonka.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"MarkSweet_Willy

Willy Wonka Shopping Mall Magic Show promo photo – 1970’s – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

\"MarkSweet_Willy

Willy Wonka and his Candymobile promo photo – circa 1970’s – Courtesy Mark Sweet<\/p><\/div>\n

The candy brokers loved my Willy Wonka appearances, as it gave them a vehicle to help sell and promote the line.\u00a0 At the time all we had was Super Skrunch and Oompas.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Quaker

Quaker Oats – Willy Wonka’s Candies – Super Skrunch and Peanut Butter Oompas – trade ad – January 1972<\/p><\/div>\n

One of Mark Sweet’s earliest television appearances as Willy Wonka is also one of my favorites.\u00a0 Mark appeared at the Kentucky State Fair with Jerry Reed in 1976 for one of Jerry Reed’s television specials.\u00a0 Here’s a clip:<\/p>\n