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Posted: |
May 10, 2012 - 11:15 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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The working title of WILLARD was “Ratman’s Notebooks,” the title of the Stephen Gilbert novel upon which the picture was based. The film was the first theatrical production from Bing Crosby Productions (BCP) since its purchase by Cox Broadcasting in 1968. By 1971, Crosby was no longer associated with BCP, which had produced a number of pictures during the 1940s and 1950s.
Husband-and-wife animal trainers Moe and Nora Di Sesso purchased a dozen rats from a pet store, then spent a year training approximately 500 of their offspring for the film. The rat “Ben” appeared only in closeups, with fourteen “backup” rats of the same size and color performing his stunts. Officials from the Los Angeles chapter of the ASPCA were on hand at all times to verify that the rats were not mistreated.
Distributor Cinerama Releasing was initially uncertain about how much to emphasize the rats when advertising Willard. The advertising firm of Diener, Hauser, Greenthal organized two ad campaigns, both with the tagline “the one movie you should not see alone.” One campaign featured the rats while the other did not. Two test screenings were held in Pennsylvania on 26 February 1971, and the screening using the advertising with the rats grossed higher than the one that did not, so Cinerama Releasing decided to emphasize the rats in its exploitation campaign. The picture’s highly popular posters featured either a single shot of Ben or a shot of Ben sitting on “Willard’s” shoulder, and the posters have since become a cult collector’s item. WILLARD became one of the biggest box-office hits of 1971, and grossed well over twelve million dollars in the first four months of its release.
Paramount controls the BCP films that were released by Cinerama Releasing. I’m hoping for a DVD or Blu-ray from Olive Films.
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Posted: |
May 10, 2012 - 11:19 PM
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By: |
JSWalsh
(Member)
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dantheman,
Just a request which you can ignore at will, but I am enjoying your latest salvo of 70's movie stuff, and Bob's responses. But I'd like to keep track of these and look for some of them, and that's hard to do with so many. I did a 70's thread with many responses from Bob that I hope you and others will take advantage of--Bob put an enormous amount of work into his postings there, year by year, and there are tons of great posters.
Instead of just adding to that one, though, how about starting one thread--dantheman's Whatever Happened to... or something? That way folks like me who aren't on every day can keep track of your titles and maybe comment on them, and folks who come and go can maybe give you the info you're looking for because that thread will be easier to keep active, as opposed to many.
If not, no sweat, just a suggestion.
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Posted: |
May 11, 2012 - 12:35 AM
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By: |
dan the man
(Member)
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To MR Walsh- sounds like a good idea, why not, will start a thread like that in a day or two, let's hope the folks here keep it going, well a good start, you, me and hopefully Bob will be in on it, as i said to Bob a few days ago, good combo, i bring out the pretty obscure films, he deliver's the great info, sounds fine to me.
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