what is the name of the character who is portrayed as the villain?
Leatherface
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the hitchhiker, the proprietor, and Leatherface. 
where did the texas chainsaw massacre story come from The graphic coverage of violence by San Antonio news outlets and from murderer Ed Gein, who committed his crimes in 1950s Wisconsin when was this film released? October 1, 1974 who directed it? Tobe Hooper
wiki:19615497
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [SEP] Introduction
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American slasher film directed by Tobe Hooper and written and co-produced by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the hitchhiker, the proprietor, and Leatherface. The film follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. The film was marketed as being based on true events to attract a wider audience and to act as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate; although the character of Leatherface and minor story details were inspired by the crimes of murderer Ed Gein, its plot is largely fictional.