Benji (film)
Encyclopedia
Benji is the first film in a series of nine about the golden mixed breed dog named Benji
. It was written and directed by Joe Camp
and was released in 1974. It received one Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song
.
star Charlie Rich
, won a Golden Globe award in 1976.
. The park scenes, as well as the municipal building, were filmed in Denton, Texas
. The outdoor scenes were filmed primarily in McKinney, Texas
and the house located at 1104 South Tennessee (now a bed and breakfast
inn) served as the "haunted house" where the children were being held hostage.
The film, and the ensuing franchise, was created after Joe Camp expressed concern over the overabundance of family films released through the four wall distribution
concept. He told Variety
magazine in 1977: "It has become an industry-caused thing, but the G rated classification
has to some degree become 'if it's G, it can't be for me'." Camp observed that four-wall companies had saturated the market for G-rated product; in response to the lowered-down quality of their films, he created Benji.
Benji
Benji is the name of a fictional dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the Benji series....
. It was written and directed by Joe Camp
Joe Camp
Joe Camp is a motion picture director and writer. He is best known as the creator and director of the Benji films. He currently resides in Bell Buckle, Tennessee with his wife Kathleen. They also own property in Valley Center, California.Camp is also known for his work with horses...
and was released in 1974. It received one Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
.
Plot
Benji is a lovable stray dog who lives in a small Texas town where he has befriended many local people, each of whom calls him by a different name. He gets plenty of food and attention whenever he visits with one of his acquaintances. He meets another stray dog, a diminutive white female with long fluffy hair, and the two dogs form a bond. Two children whom Benji loves are kidnapped and held for ransom, the dogs try to help, and Benji seeks out friendly people to assist him in freeing the children.Theme song
The movie's theme song, "I Feel Love (Benji theme)," recorded by the country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
star Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
, won a Golden Globe award in 1976.
Production
Benji was filmed near Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. The park scenes, as well as the municipal building, were filmed in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. The outdoor scenes were filmed primarily in McKinney, Texas
McKinney, Texas
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States, and the second in population to Plano. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 131,117 The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in...
and the house located at 1104 South Tennessee (now a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
inn) served as the "haunted house" where the children were being held hostage.
The film, and the ensuing franchise, was created after Joe Camp expressed concern over the overabundance of family films released through the four wall distribution
Four wall distribution
In the film industry, four wall distribution is a process through which a studio or distributor rents movie theaters for a period of time and receives all of the box office revenue. The four walls of a movie theater give the term its name...
concept. He told Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine in 1977: "It has become an industry-caused thing, but the G rated classification
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
has to some degree become 'if it's G, it can't be for me'." Camp observed that four-wall companies had saturated the market for G-rated product; in response to the lowered-down quality of their films, he created Benji.
Cast and crew
- HigginsHiggins (dog)Higgins was one of the best-known dog actors of the 1960s – 1970s. Most people remember him either as "Dog" or as "Benji," two of the most popular roles he played during a 14-year career in show business....
- BenjiBenjiBenji is the name of a fictional dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the Benji series.... - Patsy GarrettPatsy GarrettVirginia "Patsy" Garrett is an actress best known for her recurring roles asnosy neighbor Mrs. Florence Fowler on TV's Nanny and the Professor , school secretary Miss Hogarth on Room 222 and as Mary Gruber in the Benji series of motion pictures beginning in 1974.-Career:Active on stage, screen...
- Mary - Cynthia Smith - Cindy Chapman
- Allen Fiuzat - Paul Chapman
- Peter BreckPeter BreckJoseph Peter Breck is an American prolific character actor of stage, who has played roles on television and in film...
- Dr. Chapman - Christopher Connelly - Henry
- Tom LesterTom LesterThomas William "Tom" Lester is an American actor and evangelist. He may be best remembered for his role as Oliver & Lisa Douglas's farmhand, Eb Dawson, in the television series Green Acres, and appeared in the movies Gordy and Benji.-Biography:Lester was born in Laurel, Mississippi...
- Riley - Mark SladeMark SladeMark Van Blarcom Slade is an American actor.In 1956, he enrolled in the Worcester Academy with intention of becoming a cartoonist. After he filled in for a sick classmate, playing the role of an English professor in the play, The Male Animal, he decided to enter acting...
- Mitch - Deborah WalleyDeborah WalleyDeborah Walley was an American actress.-Biographical Information:Deborah Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Ice Capades skating stars and choreographers Nathan and Edith Walley. She attended Central High School in Bridgeport. At fourteen she was playing summer-stock theatre. She...
- Linda - Herb VigranHerb VigranHerbert "Herb" Vigran was a well-known American character actor in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350 television and film appearances.-Career:...
- Lt. Samuels - Frances BavierFrances BavierFrances Elizabeth Bavier was an American stage and television actress. Originally from the New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s...
- Lady with Cat - Edgar BuchananEdgar BuchananEdgar Buchanan was an American actor with a long career in both film and television, most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s...
- Bill - Terry CarterTerry CarterTerry Carter is an American actor and filmmaker who is known for his roles as "Sgt. Joe Broadhurst", on the seven year hit TV series McCloud and as "Colonel Tigh" on the original Battlestar Galactica.-Early life:...
- Officer Tuttle - Larry Swartz - Floyd
- Joe CampJoe CampJoe Camp is a motion picture director and writer. He is best known as the creator and director of the Benji films. He currently resides in Bell Buckle, Tennessee with his wife Kathleen. They also own property in Valley Center, California.Camp is also known for his work with horses...
- Director
- Joe Camp