Saturday, March 17, 2012

BENJI

Benji (film)

Benji

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joe Camp
Produced by Joe Camp
Written by Joe Camp
Starring Higgins
Patsy Garrett
Cynthia Smith
Allen Fiuzat
Peter Breck
Music by Euel Box
Cinematography Don Reddy
Editing by Leon Seith
Distributed by Original USA distributor - Mulberry Square Releasing
Current USA distributor - Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release date(s) October 17, 1974
Running time 85 minutes
Country United States
Language EspaƱol
Budget $500,000
Box office $39,552,000[1
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. Released in 1974, it was a critical and box office smash, grossing nearly $40 million on a tight budget of $500,000. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song for the theme song "I Feel Love".

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.

[edit] Theme song

The movie's theme song, "I Feel Love (Benji theme)", recorded by the country music star Charlie Rich, won a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song in 1976.[2][3]

Production

Benji was filmed near Dallas, Texas. 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.[4]

Reception

Benji has garnered both critical acclaim and box office success. Produced on a tight budget of only $500,000, it grossed nearly $40 million in the United States, making it the eighth highest grossing film of 1974. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, earning an 86% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[5]

 Cast and crew

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