DOG’S BEST FRIEND

Joe Camp, the Man Behind the ‘Benji’ Films, Has Died at 84

The first movie in the series was released in 1974 and was a smash hit.

Joe Camp, the filmmaker behind the Benji film series died Friday at the age of 84, according to The New York Times. As writer and director, Camp was the creative force behind the heartwarming 11-film series that follows the delightful adventures of a scrappy blonde mutt named Benji. Camp said he was inspired by Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, and the looks of bewilderment and joy he saw on his own furry friend, a Yorkshire terrier named Sir Benjamin of Courtney, or Benji for short. "I went to sleep with the distinct concept that dogs do talk if you're really paying attention," Camp once told the Associated Press. The first Benji film was released in 1974, and made $40 million, an astounding feat for a film with a $500,000 budget. The most recent Netflix reboot, which was co-written by Camp and his son Brandon, was released in 2018. Camp also wrote books, including a memoir about his love for horses called The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd, which he published in 2009.