Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Willard

  • 19711971
  • GPGP
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
4.5K
YOUR RATING
Bruce Davison in Willard (1971)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:18
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror
A social misfit uses his only friends, his pet rats, to exact revenge on his tormentors.A social misfit uses his only friends, his pet rats, to exact revenge on his tormentors.A social misfit uses his only friends, his pet rats, to exact revenge on his tormentors.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
4.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Daniel Mann
  • Writers
    • Gilbert Ralston(screenplay)
    • Stephen Gilbert(novel "Ratman's Notebooks")
  • Stars
    • Bruce Davison
    • Elsa Lanchester
    • Sondra Locke
Top credits
  • Director
    • Daniel Mann
  • Writers
    • Gilbert Ralston(screenplay)
    • Stephen Gilbert(novel "Ratman's Notebooks")
  • Stars
    • Bruce Davison
    • Elsa Lanchester
    • Sondra Locke
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 65Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Willard
    Trailer 2:18
    Willard

    Photos101

    Bruce Davison in Willard (1971)
    Willard (1971)
    Willard (1971)
    Ernest Borgnine, Bruce Davison, and Michael Dante in Willard (1971)
    Ernest Borgnine and Michael Dante in Willard (1971)
    Elsa Lanchester in Willard (1971)
    Bruce Davison and Jody Gilbert in Willard (1971)
    Jody Gilbert in Willard (1971)
    Bruce Davison in Willard (1971)
    Willard (1971)
    Ernest Borgnine in Willard (1971)
    Sondra Locke in Willard (1971)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bruce Davison
    Bruce Davison
    • Willard Stilesas Willard Stiles
    Elsa Lanchester
    Elsa Lanchester
    • Henrietta Stilesas Henrietta Stiles
    Sondra Locke
    Sondra Locke
    • Joanas Joan
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • Martinas Martin
    Michael Dante
    Michael Dante
    • Brandtas Brandt
    Jody Gilbert
    Jody Gilbert
    • Charlotte Stassenas Charlotte Stassen
    William Hansen
    William Hansen
    • Barskinas Barskin
    John Myhers
    • Carlsonas Carlson
    J. Pat O'Malley
    J. Pat O'Malley
    • Jonathan Farleyas Jonathan Farley
    Joan Shawlee
    Joan Shawlee
    • Aliceas Alice
    Almira Sessions
    Almira Sessions
    • Carrie Smithas Carrie Smith
    Pauline Drake
    • Ida Stassenas Ida Stassen
    Helen Spring
    • Mrs. Beckeras Mrs. Becker
    Alan Baxter
    Alan Baxter
    • Walter Spenceras Walter Spencer
    Sherry Presnell
    • Mrs. Spenceras Mrs. Spencer
    Ben
    • Benas Ben
    • (uncredited)
    Lois Berkson
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Bradley
    • Chemistas Chemist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Daniel Mann
    • Writers
      • Gilbert Ralston(screenplay)
      • Stephen Gilbert(novel "Ratman's Notebooks")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Ben
    5.3
    Ben
    Willard
    6.1
    Willard
    Willard
    Willard
    Monkey Shines
    6.2
    Monkey Shines
    Magic
    6.8
    Magic
    Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile
    6.4
    Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile
    Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde
    5.2
    Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde
    Blacula
    5.7
    Blacula
    The Baby
    6.1
    The Baby
    The Children
    5.4
    The Children
    Dreamscape
    6.3
    Dreamscape
    Dead & Buried
    6.5
    Dead & Buried

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The surprise box office success of this film would inspire a huge amount of animal-themed horror films in the early 1970s.
    • Goofs
      Toward the end of the film, when Willard is in the kitchen with Ben preparing to poison the rats, you can see the image of the rat wrangler putting Ben on the kitchen counter in the reflection of the glass cabinet.
    • Quotes

      Willard Stiles: Tear him up!

    • Connections
      Edited into Ben (1972)

    User reviews64

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    The ratman cometh
    The progenitor of the 'when-good-animals-go-bad' trend in '70s schlock films, "Willard" brings us the story of a boy and his rat, or eventually his rats, given the fecundity of rodents. The movie has the look of '70s TV and in places could be an extended episode of "The Night Stalker" or "Night Gallery" (especially the close-ups of busybody neighbour Charlotte (Jody Gilbert)). Bruce Davidson is quite good in the titular role, playing Willard as a normal looking nebbish, which makes his ascent to ratte-führer even more incongruous. His mother is played by the great Elsa Lanchester (one of the few actresses who could out-ham husband Charles Laughton) and Ernest Borgnine rounds out the main cast as Willard's lascivious dirt-bag of a boss. The story, script and direction are pretty simple, although there are some good jump-cuts to show people can be rats too (the best is the cut from the humans stuffing their faces at a particularly unappetizing buffet to the rats stuffing their snouts in Willard's basement). The rat wranglers earned their pay, as some scenes include hundreds of the rodents and Davidson seems completely at ease with the animals, which contributes to the film's verisimilitude. More fun than scary (unless you are musophobic) and not particularly gruesome, the movie appeals more to boomer nostalgia than to cinematic connoisseurship. Followed by a sequel "Ben", which contains the prettiest ode to a rat ever put on film.
    helpful•4
    0
    • jamesrupert2014
    • Oct 24, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 30, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ratman's Notebooks
    • Filming locations
      • Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch Mansion - 637 South Lucerne Boulevard, Windsor Square, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Bing Crosby Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $19,216,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Bruce Davison in Willard (1971)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Willard (1971) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    Editors' Picks: What to Watch Now on Netflix
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.