“ | Well, I'm gonna have to take Benji for a couple days. (Cindy: Why? What has he done?) Cindy, he hasn't done anything. And I'm gonna take very good care of him, I promise you that. (Cindy: Well, if he hasn't done anything, why do you want to take him away?) (Mary: And why does this man want to take him?) Mary, listen to me, all of you. I work for the United States Government, and Benji is the key to a very important situation. It's my fault he's involved in all of this, and I'm sorry. I had no idea it was gonna be so complicated, but it has and that's all I'm saying right now. (Paul: Does that mean Benji's a spy.) No, he's not a spy, but he is important to the United States. | „ |
~ Chandler Dietrich manipulating Mary and the children so he can take Benji. |
Chandler Dietrich is the main antagonist of Joe Camp's 1977 film For the Love of Benji. He is a phony CIA agent who wants to murder a top scientist and kidnap Benji. Chandler's real name is unknown, as he never mentioned it in the film.
He was portrayed by the late Ed Nelson.
Biography[]
While waiting to check-in, Mary learns that the man behind her in line, Chandler, is also headed to Crete. Chandler then sneaks into the luggage area where the employees are only allowed, snatches Benji's carrier off a conveyor belt, drugs the dog, and imprints a code in his paw. Upon arrival in Crete, Chandler befriends Mary, while the family learns that Benji and Tiffany missed the connecting flight from Athens.
Meanwhile, Chandler pursues Benji in a sports car, but loses him. Alone again, Benji wanders to a hotel and spots Mary and the children. However, Benji stops as he spots Chandler and recognizes him, so he flees. Procuring a Doberman named Calaga, Chandler tracks Benji to the ruins. They eventually arrive at Yiannis' shop and Benji flees. Chandler enters the shop and searches for Benji. As he searches in the cupboards, Benji springs from the last cupboard and flees the shop.
The next morning, Benji returns to Yiannis' shop and notices him talking to Stelios. Before he could get their attention, Chandler captures Benji and Stelios offers him to hand him over, but Chandler refuses and leaves. However, Stelios and Yiannis release Calaga, whom Chandler tied up outside the shop, and Stelios follows Calaga to find Chandler and Benji. As Calaga leaps at Chandler, Benji escapes once more. Calaga chases Benji to the ruins, but the stray dog chases him away.
Benji arrives at the hotel and manages to reunite with Mary and the children. Stelios comes into the hotel and tells them that he needs to borrow Benji for a few days. Before Stelios can explain, Chandler hits him over the head with a gun, knocking him unconscious. Chandler then manipulates the family, claiming that he's a U.S. agent who must take Benji because the dog holds the key to important information. Instructing Mary to call the police and hold Stelios at gunpoint, Chandler leaves with Benji. Stelios awakens and tells Mary that Chandler is an impostor. The real Dietrich was found murdered in New Jersey and that this man is impersonating him for his own gain. Stelios explains he is a real secret agent, not Chandler, and he has orders to save the life of a top scientist and to preserve a project of worldwide significance and Mary is reluctant to believe him.
Meanwhile, Chandler takes Benji to a yacht, where Ronald and Elizabeth are waiting. When the couple accuse the impostor of trying to double-cross them, he knocks them unconscious. As Benji escapes, Chandler pursues the dog back to the hotel, which is now surrounded by the police. Seeing that the impostor is holding Cindy hostage, Benji overcomes his fear of guns and rushes over to bite Chandler in the arm, causing him to let go of the gun and giving Cindy the opportunity to escape as the police arrest him.
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