Murderous, sadistic London gang leader Vic Dakin, a mother-obsessed homosexual modeled on real-life gangster Ronnie Kray, is worried about potential stool pigeons that may bring down his ...
See full summary »
Can't get enough of movies and TV shows that scare up a good fright? Check out Scary Good, IMDb's Horror Entertainment Guide.
Related News
-
Idris Elba Posts Cryptic References to Bond Amid Casting Rumors
12 August 2018 | Variety -
Cs Amudhan's 'Tamizh Padam 2' speaks the truth about female characters in Kollywood
13 July 2018 | The News Minute -
Rockline Venkatesh to produce Marathi film next
11 April 2018 | The News Minute
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Villain (1971)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Reckoning
(1970)
Drama
Director:
Jack Gold
Stars:
Nicol Williamson,
Ann Bell,
Lilita De Barros
I Promised to Pay
(1961)
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Sidney Hayers
Stars:
Michael Craig,
Françoise Prévost,
Billie Whitelaw
A Run for Your Money
(1949)
Comedy
Director:
Charles Frend
Stars:
Donald Houston,
Meredith Edwards,
Moira Lister
Only Two Can Play
(1962)
Comedy
|
Drama
Director:
Sidney Gilliat
Stars:
Peter Sellers,
Mai Zetterling,
Virginia Maskell
Violent Playground
(1958)
Drama
|
Crime
Director:
Basil Dearden
Stars:
Stanley Baker,
Anne Heywood,
David McCallum
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Francis Megahy
Stars:
Ian McShane,
Warren Clarke,
Stephen Greif
The Night Has Eyes
(1942)
Horror
|
Mystery
|
Thriller
Director:
Leslie Arliss
Stars:
James Mason,
Wilfrid Lawson,
Mary Clare
Freelance
(1971)
Crime
Director:
Francis Megahy
Stars:
Ian McShane,
Gayle Hunnicutt,
Keith Barron
Jigsaw
(1962)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Mystery
Director:
Val Guest
Stars:
Jack Warner,
Ronald Lewis,
Yolande Donlan
Hammersmith Is Out
(1972)
Comedy
|
Drama
Director:
Peter Ustinov
Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor,
Richard Burton,
Peter Ustinov
Never Let Go
(1960)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
John Guillermin
Stars:
Richard Todd,
Peter Sellers,
Elizabeth Sellars
Concrete Jungle
(1960)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Joseph Losey
Stars:
Stanley Baker,
Sam Wanamaker,
Grégoire Aslan
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Richard Burton | ... | Vic Dakin | |
| Ian McShane | ... | Wolfe Lissner | |
| Nigel Davenport | ... | Bob Matthews | |
| Donald Sinden | ... | Gerald Draycott | |
| Fiona Lewis | ... | Venetia | |
| T.P. McKenna | ... | Frank Fletcher | |
| Joss Ackland | ... | Edgar Lowis | |
| Cathleen Nesbitt | ... | Mrs. Dakin | |
| Elizabeth Knight | ... | Patti | |
| Colin Welland | ... | Tom Binney | |
 |
Tony Selby | ... | Duncan |
| John Hallam | ... | Terry | |
|
|
Del Henney | ... | Webb |
|
|
Ben Howard | ... | Henry |
| James Cossins | ... | Brown | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Murderous, sadistic London gang leader Vic Dakin, a mother-obsessed homosexual modeled on real-life gangster Ronnie Kray, is worried about potential stool pigeons that may bring down his criminal empire. The brutal Vic cuts the throat of one bloke who has been a little too loose-lipped, afraid that his gossiping may turn into a grand operatic performance for the coppers. Vic, who enjoys playing at rough trade with his sidekick Wolfe, plans a payroll robbery and directs the blackmailing of Members of Parliament with a taste for unorthodox sex. Scotland Yard Police Inspector Matthews, playing Javert to Vic's Jean Valjean, is moving in on him and the gang. Gang-member Edgar is hospitalized for an ulcer, and Inspector Matthews might be able to make him sing. Will Edgar spill the beans to the coppers before Vic can silence him? Written by Jon C. Hopwood
Taglines:
Meet Vic Dakin. Then wish you hadn't. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
7 October 1971 (Norway) See more »Also Known As:
Burden of Proof See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
Opening credits: All characters and events in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons living or dead is purely coincidental. See more »Goofs
There is a clear overdub when Wolfe and Venetia arrive at the country house for the party. As they are walking up the drive they both survey the front of the mansion. Wolfe describes the house as, "fit for a king". Venetia responds, "I bet the bathrooms are freezing", but if you watch her mouth movements closely, she actually completes Wolfe's sentence with the phrase , "or queen" . See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
British gangster films have always been with us, but in the case of this very rare and hardly ever shown on TV classic, VILLAIN was to be the real start of many vicious gangster films to follow. For some insane reason Richard Burton never got any real film awards for any films he did. His films were very varied indeed. And it probably came as a shock to many when he stepped into the role of vicious London crime boss Vic Dakin. It's a performance with such frightening menace, that you wonder why this film is not shown more on television. It is also not on DVD and videos of the movie are hard to find, or of a very high price sold by collectors who wish to make a profit on this very rare gem. People go on and on about Get Carter, another great film, and I agree on it also being a classic, but for me Villain is just as good. If you can watch this film and can get hold of a copy, I urge you to do so. You won't be disappointed.