Mulberry Square Productions
Starring: Higgins, Frances Bavier
Directed by: Joe Camp

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A stray dog named Benji (played by canine actor Higgins) wins the hearts of two children and then comes to their rescue when they are kidnapped.

Kitty Cameo: Benji is shown following a daily routine where he walks around town and meets up with the same people and does the same things. One stop on his route is the home of an older woman (Frances Bavier) and her white cat Sweetie Petey. Sweetie Petey is sitting in the grass, washing herself as Benji sneaks up.

Benji then lunges at the cat who takes off running and climbs up a tree. Sweetie’s owner chases Benji away and scolds him, saying one day she’ll tell Sweetie Petey to go after him and then he’ll be sorry. Even after her scolding, though, the woman notes, “He was late today,” indicating the daily chase of the cat is a fun game between them. It’s clear that the cat actor playing Sweetie Petey is licking something off the tree, probably a treat as an incentive to climb the tree and stay in place.

Later in the film Benji again chases Sweetie Petey up the tree and again the woman yells after the rascally dog. Then she notes that the dog has had a good brushing.

Still later Benji has found a girlfriend. Sweetie Petey sits and watches the two dogs pass by.

The woman is surprised that Benji has ignored her cat and is indignant. Sweetie Petey even seems disappointed and goes to the woman for comfort. The woman calls angrily after Benji, telling him to come back and chase her cat. “You want to give her a complex?” she asks.

Final Mewsings: Benji is kind of a jerk when it comes to cats.

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