Posted: Mon., Dec. 31, 1973, 11:00pm PT

Benji

By Variety Staff

Mulberry Square. Director Joe Camp; Producer Joe Camp; Screenplay Joe Camp; Camera Don Reddy; Editor Leon Smith; Music Euel Box; Art Director Harland Wright

Patsy Garrett Allen Fiuzat Cynthia Smith Peter Breck Edgar Buchanan

Benji is a dog's picture from first to last. From the moment he pokes his head through a broken door in a deserted house where he has his pad until he's adopted by the family whose two children he saves from kidnappers, interest rests squarely on the head of this pooch, of uncertain parentage.

One of the wonders of the production, told simply and with no pretense of grandiose style, is the manner in which Benji - real name Higgins - performs. In this case, it isn't a dog performing, but a dog acting, just as humans act.

Much of the footage is shot from about 18 inches above the ground, upward from Benji's point of view, and innovation is fascinating.

1974: Nomination: Best Song ('I Feel Love')

(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1974. Running time: 85 MIN.