Aaron Tracy

Then, on April 16th, 1945, she continues, her town was finally liberated by Allied forces.

The Nazi occupation was over.

Audrey could finally venture into the streets, the first time in years she'd been allowed in public without fear of punishment or attack.

The entire population was just erupting in celebration and embracing the Canadian and Dutch soldiers who pressed condensed milk and chocolate bars into their desperate hands.

One officer, spotting this skeletal waif of a girl with the giant brown eyes, handed Audrey all seven of the chocolate bars he was carrying.

It had been a very long time since Audrey had eaten anything sweet.

The taste of these chocolate bars was the polar opposite of the fear and pain she'd been forced to live in throughout the war.

And so, having barely eaten in weeks, she devoured all seven bars in a row, just gobbled them all up.

And then she threw up.

Despite that, Audrey tells her spellbound listeners, all these years later, after everything she's been through, all the fame and success she's achieved, chocolate, more than anything else, represents freedom to her and opportunity.

The very smell of it feels like an escape from darkness into the light.

Dahl is mesmerized.

And like I said, he's taking notes.

It's not too long after hearing Audrey Hepburn tell this tale that he begins work on his own story of a child for whom chocolate also represents a kind of freedom and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.

And ironically, even though it was one of Hollywood's greatest legends who may have partially inspired his chocolate factory, Dahl absolutely despised what Hollywood did with that story and so many of the others.

I reached out to an expert on the subject to hear more.

All right, hopefully you got a message that says you're being recorded.

Okay.

If you're a longtime podcast junkie, you might recognize that voice just from that one word.

I've been following his film and TV criticism for years, and his perspective has genuinely changed how I watch things.