10 Classic Films That Were Shamefully Ignored At First

10. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory has the "feel" of a movie that did well at the box office, bringing in the pundits in their masses in exchange for laughs and lifetime memories. We've all seen the movie - after all, who could honestly resist its charms? Um, everyone, apparently. You might be surprised to learn, then, that this classic extravaganza of awesomeness was a relative flop, bringing in a measly $4 million at the box office. Considered such a misfire of movie making was Willy Wonka & The Chocolate factory, that Paramount Pictures - the studio responsible - decided to let the rights to movie expire. Later, Warner Bros. purchased them for half a million and started playing the movie on TV, where it finally found its audience. So, rather bizarrely, we can thank the fact that this movie was originally ignored because it later allowed us all to watch it compulsively on television.