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 Music, Original Song category
Plot
Benji tells the story of a 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. When two children whom Benji loves are kidnapped and held for ransom, the dogs try to help, and Benji seeks out friendly human beings to assist him in freeing the children.
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 in 1976.
Locations used in the film
The movie 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 S. Tennessee (now a bed and breakfast inn) served as the ‘haunted house’ in the movie.
