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IMDb > Willard (1971)
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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   870 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 26% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Daniel Mann
Writers:
Gilbert Ralston (screenplay)
Gilbert Ralston (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Willard on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 November 1971 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Horror more
Tagline:
Where your nightmares end...WILLARD begins. more
Plot:
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... more | full synopsis
Awards:
2 nominations more
User Comments:
a boy's best friend is his rats. more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Bruce Davison ... Willard Stiles

Elsa Lanchester ... Henrietta Stiles

Ernest Borgnine ... Al Martin
Sondra Locke ... Joan
Michael Dante ... Brandt
Jody Gilbert ... Charlotte Stassen
Joan Shawlee ... Alice Rickles
William Hansen ... Mr. Barskin
J. Pat O'Malley ... Jonathan Farley
John Myhers ... Mr. Carlson
Helen Spring ... Mrs. Becker
Pauline Drake ... Ida Stassen
Almira Sessions ... Carrie Smith
Alan Baxter ... Walter T. Spencer
Sherry Presnell ... Mrs. Spencer
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Ratman's Notebooks (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
UK:X | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film's Spanish title is 'La Revolución de las ratas', meaning 'The Revolution of the Rats'. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Dead End (1985) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful:-
a boy's best friend is his rats., 5 August 2005
10/10
Author: Nightman from Brentwood, USA

A truly memorable 1971 thriller that has became a bit of an underground classic.

Handsom, shy Willard Stiles doesn't have an ideal life. He lives with his domineering widowed mother, is bullied by his boss, and doesn't have any friends. That is, until he befriends the rats in his garden and learns that he can make them do his bidding!

Highlighted by a touching and sympathetic performance from Davison, Willard is a different kind of "nature-strikes-back" film. It's a rare occasion where the human characters, rather than the animals, drive the film to its intense climax. There's plenty of twists and turns to be had, as well as a few moments of skin-crawl, especially for those who aren't fond of rodents! The movie also has a bit of a darkly humorous side to it. It's a bit of a rare movie to find these days, but seek it out and hope for a much-needed DVD release of this B movie classic.

Followed by a rather dark remake in 2003

*** 1/2 out of ****

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