The Villain
...the fastest fun in the west!
1979 | 89m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Hal Needham |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Robert G. Kane |
| Staring: |
| Handsome Stranger has agreed to escort Charming Jones to collect her inheritance from her father. But Avery Simpson wants the money and hires notorious outlaw Cactus Jack to ambush Charming. However, Cactus Jack is not very good at robbing people. | |
| Release Date: | Jul 26, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Hal Needham |
| Writer: | Robert G. Kane |
| Genres: | Comedy, Western |
| Keywords | train, chase, cowboy, glue, explosion, wild west |
| Production Companies | Rastar Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $5,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 10, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Kirk Douglas | Cactus Jack |
| Ann-Margret | Charming Jones |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Handsome Stranger |
| Paul Lynde | Nervous Elk |
| Foster Brooks | Bank Clerk |
| Ruth Buzzi | Damsel in Distress |
| Jack Elam | Avery Simpson |
| Strother Martin | Parody Jones |
| Robert Tessier | Mashing Finger |
| Mel Tillis | Telegraph Agent |
| Laura Lizer Sommers | Working Girl |
| Ray Bickel | Man |
| Jan Eddy | Sheriff |
| Mel Todd | Conductor |
| Jim Anderson | Bartender |
| Ed Little | Little Man in Bar |
| Dick Dickinson | Man in Bar |
| Richard Brewer | Man in Bar |
| Charles Haigh | Salesman |
| Ron Duffy | Salesman |
| Earl W. Smith | Salesman |
| Mike Cerre | Salesman |
| Lee Davis | Salesman |
| Dick Armstrong | Ticket Agent |
| Sheldon Rosner | Little Man Outside Bank |
| Bud Stout | Blacksmith |
| Ott | Whiskey |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Walter Hannemann | Editor |
| Bill Justis | Original Music Composer |
| Bobby Byrne | Director of Photography |
| Dorothy Parkinson | Makeup Artist |
| George Masters | Makeup Artist |
| Frankie Bergman | Hairstylist |
| Hal Needham | Director |
| Bob Mackie | Costume Design |
| Robert Gould | Set Decoration |
| Gilbert B. Combs | Stunts |
| Hallie Smith-Simmons | Makeup Artist |
| Cherie | Hairstylist |
| Robert G. Kane | Writer |
| Carl Anderson | Art Direction |
| William Turner | Makeup Department Head |
| Dorothy Byrne | Hairstylist |
| David Hamburger | First Assistant Director |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Paul Maslansky | Executive Producer |
| Stu Fleming | Associate Producer |
| Mort Engelberg | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 15 | 26 | 9 |
| 2024 | 5 | 19 | 33 | 11 |
| 2024 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 9 |
| 2024 | 7 | 17 | 35 | 10 |
| 2024 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 9 |
| 2024 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 9 |
| 2024 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 9 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 7 |
| 2024 | 12 | 11 | 27 | 8 |
| 2025 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 7 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Trending Position
A slow-witted cowboy named Handsome Stranger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is acting as a bodyguard of sorts for a woman named Charming Jones (Ann-Margret). Charming is traveling across the West with fortune in a locked chest. An old outlaw named Cactus Jack (Kirk Douglas) is hired to steal the chest. Cac ... tus Jack comes up with trap after trap to try to get his hands on the loot, but each plan fails epically. I can't tell you how many reviews I've read comparing The Villain to a live action Wile E Coyote cartoon. While I see some comparisons, the difference is that Wile E Coyote's tales are funny and told with wit and charm. The tale of Cactus Jack is filled with failed attempts at comedy and is about as dull as anything I've seen recently. None of it worked on me. I knew I was in trouble five minutes into the movie when Jack has an argument with his horse. Ugh. I could see my 6-year old laughing at some of Jack's hijinks, but none of it brought as much as a smile to my face. I was bored to tears. Without a car in sight, director Hal Needham seems horribly out of his element. As for the acting, I watched The Villain for Schwarzenegger. However, in 1979, he was still a terribly green actor. In most scenes, he's as stiff as a board. The ridiculously gorgeous Ann-Margaret almost makes The Villain worth watching on her own, but after a while, ogling Ann-Margret can get tedious. As for Douglas, what an embarrassment! Let's just say that comedy wasn't his thing. The highlight of the cast for me was easily Strother Martin in a bit part. His five minutes of screen-time were easily the best part of the film.