BENJI'S VERY OWN CHRISTMAS STORY

Details

• Release Year: 1978
• Genre: Family, Short
• Plot: 'Benji's Very Own Christmas Story' is a charming little tale, though it carries a subtle touch of 70's nostalgia as well for all those who are aware of it. Benji, himself (or herself), is a 70's icon to begin with, and the lovely miss Cindy Smith comes off as sort of a poor man's Linda Blair (circa Exorcist 2, yowza). Plus, there's that whole 'I'd like to teach the world to sing...' feel to the story. As a previous reviewer pointed out, Benji isn't given much to do in this one. Mainly, he's just carried around by Cindy Smith and gets petted by the elves at the end. Smith and Ron Moody, who plays Kris Kringle, are pretty much the stars of the whole program. More than anything, it's a 'get to know Santa' kind of film, with a strong focus on his many international incarnations. Moody is center stage the whole time, as the Oscar nominated actor (Fagin in 'Oliver!') handles most of the dialogue and displays his song and dance talents beautifully. Only a few gripes, like the fact that Santa has relocated to Switzerland because the North Pole was too cold, and the elves prosthetic noses are none too convincing in close-up shots, but otherwise, this is a very charming holiday special at a fantastic price! Nominated for an Emmy as 'Outstanding Children's Program,' you can't go wrong with this combination of the cutest dog of all time and the most wondereful time of the year! Oh, and be sure to watch for a cameo by Rudolph!
• Cast: Ron Moody, Patsy Garrett, Cynthia Smith, Benji, Sadie Corre, Marcus Powell, Deep Roy, Joe Camp
• Director: Joe Camp
• Runtime: 0:26
• Company: Mulberry Square Productions
• Media Format: Series