Willard (1971)

A social misfit uses his only friends, his pet rats, to exact revenge on his tormentors.

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

Gilbert Ralston (screenplay) (as Gilbert A. Ralston), Stephen Gilbert (novel)

Stars:

Bruce Davison, Elsa Lanchester, Sondra Locke

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bruce Davison	...	Willard Stiles
Sondra Locke	...	Joan
Elsa Lanchester	...	Henrietta Stiles
Ernest Borgnine	...	Martin
Michael Dante	...	Brandt
Jody Gilbert	...	Charlotte Stassen
William Hansen	...	Barskin
John Myhers	...	Carlson
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Jonathan Farley
Joan Shawlee	...	Alice
Almira Sessions	...	Carrie Smith
Pauline Drake	...	Ida Stassen
Helen Spring	...	Mrs. Becker
Alan Baxter	...	Walter Spencer
Sherry Presnell	...	Mrs. Spencer

Storyline

A social misfit, Willard is made fun of by his co-workers, and squeezed out of the company started by his deceased father by his boss. His only friends are a couple of rats he raised at home, Ben and Socrates. (And their increasing number of friends) However, when one of them is killed at work, he goes on a rampage using his rats to attack those who have been tormenting him.

---

Plot Keywords:

character name as title | psychotronic film | literature on screen | european literature on screen | irish literature on screen | 

---

Taglines:

This is Willard and his friend Ben. Ben will do anything for Willard.

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sondra Locke was 2 years and 1 month older than Bruce Davison.

---

Goofs

Toward the end of the movie 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

[last lines]
Willard Stiles: [screaming] I was good to you, Ben!

---

Connections

Referenced in Supernatural: Bugs (2005)

User Reviews

I wouldn't call it "Psycho", but it's still quite memorable

My mom remembers seeing "Willard" when it first came out, and so she encouraged me to see it. It tells the story of Willard Stiles (Bruce Davison), an outcast who still lives with his mother Henrietta (Elsa Lanchester). But Willard discovers that their house has some other inhabitants: rats. He quickly befriends the critters, and then turns them into a sort of army who will obey all his commands. To add to this situation, Willard and his mother believed that his father died naturally, but it begins to look like Willard's boss Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine) may have been involved.

The old, dark house, and the young man living with his mother might bring to mind "Psycho", but "Willard" seems to me to be more of a story of an outcast taking revenge on the world that rejected him.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ratman's Notebooks

Filming Locations:

Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch Mansion - 637 South Lucerne Boulevard, Windsor Square, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$19,216,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bing Crosby Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1