| Ben | |
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| Directed by | Phil Karlson |
| Produced by | Mort Briskin |
| Written by | Gilbert Ralston |
| Starring | Lee Montgomery Joseph Campanella Arthur O'Connell Meredith Baxter |
| Music by | Walter Scharf |
| Studio | Bing Crosby Productions |
| Distributed by | Cinerama Releasing Corporation |
| Release date(s) | 23 June 1972 (USA) |
| Running time | 94 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Willard |
Ben is a 1972 film
about a young boy named Danny(played by Lee H. Montgomery) and his pet rat, Ben. This film is a sequel to the
1971 film Willard. The movie is known
for its sentimental theme song, sung by a young Michael
Jackson.
This sequel to the rampaging-rodent chiller Willard (1971 film) stars Lee H. Montgomery as young Danny Garrison, a neglected kid who finds a new little friend in Ben -- an intelligent rat whose furry minions managed to slaughter most of the cast of the previous film.
Contents |
A lonely boy named Danny Garrison befriends the rat that leads the swarm of trained/telepathic rats found in Willard. This rat, whom the boy names Ben(after he hears about the leader of a flock of killer rats), becomes the boy's best friend and keeps his spirits up in the face of bullying and his terrible illness.
However, the balance of power between the human and rat begins to shift, with Ben beginning to control the boy and the swarm becoming increasingly irrational and violent. Ben became violent when the town folks used pesticide and killed his partner. Eventually, the police destroy many members of the rat colony, while others are sent to testing labs; Ben, however, survives. The film closes with the boy, determined not to lose his friend, tending to a badly injured Ben.
The film's title theme song, "Ben," performed by Michael Jackson, became a #1 pop hit single. Later included on Jackson's album of the same name, "Ben" won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song is calm and mellow, which contrasts with the horror content of the film. A live recorded version was released on Jackson's Number Ones album in 2003.
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