Joe Camp, creator, director and screenwriter of the
Benji
movies , died this Friday, March 15.
He was 84 years old.
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, after a battle with illness, according to his son, filmmaker and writer of the 2018
Benji
reboot , Brandon Camp.
Camp had almost no experience in
Hollywood
before raising $500,000 to make the first
Benji
movie , a family film about an adorable stray dog who saves a pair of children from kidnappers.
Higgins the dog, who previously appeared on the US CBS comedy
Petticoat Junction
, came out of retirement to star in the lead role.
After having no luck with distribution, Camp formed his own distribution company, Mulberry Square Releasing, in 1974 to distribute the film himself.
Benji
would go on to raise almost $40 million ($250 million after inflation).
Benji was a stray dog.
Camp would follow the original film with
For the Love of Benji
, in 1977, and
Oh!
Heavenly Dog
, in 1980, starring Chevy Chase as a detective reincarnated as the heroic canine.
The series also spawned a television Christmas special in 1978 and a television series in 1983 titled
Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince
.
The last two films would arrive in 1987, with his collaboration with Disney
Benji the Hunted
and in 2004 with
Benji: Off the Leash!
.
Animal lover
Behind the scenes, Camp was a dedicated animal lover and best-selling author.
He published his book
The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd
in 2008, which chronicles what he learned from working with these majestic creatures.
Camp also served as a board member for several charities, activist groups, and schools, including Piney Woods School in Mississippi.
Camp is survived by his wife, Kathleen;
his two sons, Joe and Brandon;
and his stepsons David, Dylan and Allegra.
POS