A lonely boy befriends Ben, the leader of a violent swarm of killer rats.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Lee Montgomery | ... |
Danny Garrison
(as Lee Harcourt Montgomery)
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| Joseph Campanella | ... |
Cliff Kirtland
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| Arthur O'Connell | ... |
Billy Hatfield
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| Rosemary Murphy | ... |
Beth Garrison
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| Meredith Baxter | ... |
Eve Garrison
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| Kaz Garas | ... |
Joe Greer
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| Paul Carr | ... |
Kelly
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| Richard Van Vleet | ... |
Reade
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| Kenneth Tobey | ... |
Engineer
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| James Luisi | ... |
Ed
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| Lee Paul | ... |
Carey
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| Norman Alden | ... |
Policeman
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Scott Garrett | ... |
Henry Gray
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Arlen Stuart | ... |
Mrs. Gray
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| Ric Drasin | ... |
George
(as Richard Drasin)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Ben | ... |
Ben (uncredited)
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| Bruce Davison | ... |
Willard Stiles (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Frank Farmer | ... |
Police Officer (uncredited)
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| Bob Harks | ... |
Observer on Sidewalk (uncredited)
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Bern Hoffman | ... |
Truck Driver (uncredited)
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| Kenner G. Kemp | ... |
Onlooker (uncredited)
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John Rayner | ... |
Hydrex Pest Controller (uncredited)
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| Leoda Richards | ... |
Onlooker (uncredited)
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| Tom Steele | ... |
Fireman Covered with Rats (uncredited)
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| Hunter von Leer | ... |
Police officer with camera (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Phil Karlson | ||
Written by
| Stephen Gilbert | ... | (characters) |
| Gilbert Ralston | ... | (written by) (as Gilbert A. Ralston) |
Produced by
| Joel Briskin | ... | associate producer |
| Mort Briskin | ... | producer |
| Bing Crosby | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| Charles A. Pratt | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Walter Scharf | ||
Cinematography by
| Russell Metty | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Harry Gerstad | ... | (as Henry Gerstad) |
Casting By
| Irving Lande | ||
Art Direction by
| Rolland M. Brooks | ||
Set Decoration by
| Antony Mondello | ||
Costume Design by
| Ray Harp | ||
| Mina Mittelman | ||
Makeup Department
| Hazel Washington | ... | hair stylist |
| Jack H. Young | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Floyd Joyer | ... | unit production manager |
| John Pommer | ... | executive in charge of production operations |
| Houseley Stevenson Jr. | ... | post-production supervisor |
| John Pommer | ... | vice president in charge of production (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Craig Huston | ... | dga trainee |
| Floyd Joyer | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Ed Shanley | ... | construction coordinator |
Sound Department
| David Dockendorf | ... | sound recordist |
| James J. Klinger | ... | sound editor |
| Leon M. Leon | ... | sound recordist |
Stunts
| Craig R. Baxley | ... | stunts |
| Bob Minor | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Tom Steele | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Calvin Maehl | ... | gaffer: second unit |
| Earl C. Williman | ... | gaffer |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Joan Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
| Tina Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Jack K. Tillar | ... | music editor (as Jack Tillar) |
| Malcolm McNab | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Moe Di Sesso | ... | animal trainer |
| René Zendejas | ... | marionettes (as René) |
| Maury Foladare | ... | unit publicist (uncredited) |
| Ted Mapes | ... | advisor: American Humane Society (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Cinerama Releasing (1972) (United States) (theatrical)
- Ambassador Film Distributors (1972) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Cinerama Releasing UK (1972) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Cinerama Filmgesellschaft (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Cinerama Releasing (1973) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- New Cinema Corporation (NCC) (1973) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Europa Film (1973) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Europafilm (1973) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Killic Film (1973) (Turkey) (theatrical)
- CBS (1975) (United States) (tv)
- American-International Television (AIP-TV) (1976) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Roadshow Films (1977) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Astral Video (1984) (Canada) (VHS)
- Videoville (1984) (Canada) (VHS) (Montreal)
- Atlas Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Prism Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS)
- Image Entertainment (1986) (United States) (laserdisc)
- VCL (1986) (Australia) (VHS)
- Videomax (1988) (Mexico) (VHS)
- Paramount Home Video (1990) (United States) (VHS)
- Great Movies (2016) (Germany) (Homevideo, VOD, Internet)
- Scream Factory (2017) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- 375 Media (2018) (Germany) (DVD)
- i-catcher media (2018) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (distributed by)
- 375 Media (2019) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- EuroVideo (2020) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- WMM (2020) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
Special Effects
- Howard Anderson Digital Effects (photographic effects)
Other Companies
- Glen Glenn Sound Company (recorded by)
- Howard Anderson Digital Effects (second unit photography)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A lonely boy named Danny Garrison befriends Ben, the rat leader of the swarm of rats that had been trained by Willard Stiles. Ben becomes the boy's best friend, protecting him from bullying and keeping his spirits up in the face of a heart condition. However, things gradually take a downward turn as Ben's swarm becomes violent, resulting in several deaths. Written by Johnny P |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Teamed up - to Tear 'em up! Double-Featured for the Curious and the Courageous [poster for double feature pairing "Willard" and "Ben"] See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | According to a September 1972 "Los Angeles Times" news item, the rat portraying Ben won a PATSY Award, which honors animal actors. See more » |
| Goofs | Toward the end of the film when the policemen and the firemen are attacking the rats in the sewers with flamethrowers and the rats are fighting back, it can be seen twice that the scenes of the flamethrower action have been filmed in reverse so that it appears that the rats are advancing - in fact, it can also be seen that the flames are going back into the flamethrowers. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited from Willard (1971). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Ben See more » |
| Quotes |
[last lines]
Danny Garrison: [crying as Michael Jackson sings "Ben" in the film's score] You'll get well, Ben, and I'll get well. We'll get well, Ben. [places Ben on a handkerchief] Danny Garrison: We'll get well, Ben. No one's gonna hurt one of my friends. No, sir. [gets out a first aid kit, takes a cotton swab and gently rubs Ben's wounds] Danny Garrison: It's okay. [Ben squeaks] Danny Garrison: You're the only friend I have. I love you, Ben. [Michael Jackson sings the final verse of "Ben" as the closing credits roll] See more » |