Benji

I first saw "Benji" when I was eight years old; during its original release, and after nearly 25 years it is still one of the finest, independently-produced family films ever made. Told entirely from the eyes of a dog, it mixes humor, suspense, and heart-tugging emotion. The dog, Benji, is still one of the finest animal actors ever to appear on screen. He conveys emotion, like no other animal on film ever had before, or has since. Although this is mainly a film for families to enjoy, it would surprise me if any adult couldn't be moved by its sentiment.

Every decade, or so it seems, Hollywood likes to build films around a cute dog. The early seventies was the era for "Benji", whose real name was Higgins, an attractive and photogenic dog that had already had a recurring role in "Petticoat Junction", the successful sitcom of the sixties. Edgar Buchanan, one of the stars from that show is on hand to act with an old pal again.

Joe Camp, the director and screen writer, targeted this film toward a young audience of children under ten. Higgins and his trainer, Frank Inn, do wonders for the film. "Benji" shows a dog that has a natural intelligence and responds well to whatever it was asked to do. The film will delight young children.

Some other faces in the movie are Frances Bavier, Deborah Walley, Patsy Garrett and others. Although the movie is predictable, let's not forget it was targeted for a young audience that will probably appreciate it more than the grown ups.

Joe Camp probably had no idea this family film about an independent mutt turning neighborhood hero was going to touch off such a reaction at the box-office. "Benji" doesn't have the earmarks of an ambitious movie, nor did its initial publicity suggest it was going to be anything more than a matinée flash-in-the-pan, but positive word-of-mouth amongst kids was incredibly high, and "Benji" became the fifth highest grossing film of 1974 (no small feat; it's just behind "The Godfather Part II"). Although the slim plot pilfers heavily from Disney's "That Darn Cat!", the canine star Higgins (from TV's "Petticoat Junction") is an amazing find: his expressions and reactions are priceless, and the film's narrative--Benji's escapades, his human friends, his romance with a little white pooch--proved to be immediate and bracing with the target audience. Charlie Rich's song "I Feel Love" was Oscar-nominated (!), underlining the doggy romance with uplifting sentiment, the kind that makes a crowd-pleaser. Followed in 1977 by "For the Love of Benji"; but, with a different, look-alike dog and a hoked-up story, the sequel didn't crossover to older children. **1/2 from ****

Those eyes, that face! Benji does seem almost human in his first motion picture. This film isn't in the same league as National Velvet or Lassie Come Home but it is a refreshing warm-hearted little movie that's filled with several funny and moving moments. What's best is that you can watch it with your kids without being bored or having to monitor every scene. The lovable star of this movie has a face that could melt a heart of stone. That helps to compensate for the somewhat predictable plot.

Benji's real name was Higgins and got his start as a regular cast member of sixties TV sitcom Petticoat Junction. Though he was retired shortly after the end of Petticoat Junction, Higgins later came out of retirement to launch a career in movies as Benji, starring in the first two films of the series (his offspring have carried on the legacy in subsequent films). Frank Inn was his trainer throughout his lifetime and began as an assistant trainer for Lassie.