Flipper

(1963, U.S.) Color 87 minutes
Ivan Tors Films/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Story: Ricou Browning, Jack Cowden
Screenplay: Ricou Browning, Jack Cowden, Arthur Weiss
Music: Henry Vars
Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Joseph C. Brun
Editing: Warren Adams
Produced by Ivan Tors, Ricou Browning, Harry Redmond Jr.
Directed by James B. Clark

With: Chuck Connors (Porter Ricks), Luke Halpin (Sandy Ricks), Connie Scott (Kim Parker), Jane Rose (Hettie White), Joe Higgins (Mr. L.C. Parett), Robertson White (Mr. Abrams), George Applewhite (Sheriff Rogers), Kathleen Maguire (Martha Ricks), Flipper (Dolphin)

***

In 1964, producer Ivan Tors collaborated with MGM to create and produce a drama about a dolphin's friendship with a young boy: FLIPPER. The story opens with fisherman Porter Ricks (Chuck Connors, best remembered as Lucas McCain on "The Rifleman" and Jason McCord on "Branded"), and his son Sandy (Luke Halpin) finishing up their day of fishing. They receive a radio call that a terrible hurricane is heading towards the Florida Keys. The pair head for home and get their boat safely tucked away in a cove. After boarding up their house, Porter, Sandy and Mrs. Ricks head for the post office, where they stay until the next day, when the storm passes.

The hurricane does only slight damage to the Ricks house, but a friend of theirs is killed in the storm, and the family pays their last respects to their friend. Later, a beautiful girl invites Sandy to go skin diving with her and her cousin. After finishing his chores, Sandy heads out with the girl and her cousin in her father's boat. While swimming, the cousin (who is sporting a spear gun) mistakes a male dolphin for a shark and shoots it. The irresponsible boy is also injured when he hits his head on some coral. The boy is taken back to shore, where he is treated by the doctor.

Sandy asks the girl's father to help the dolphin, since he has to contact the cousin's mother about the boy's condition. The man says that he can't, and Sandy goes to find the dolphin himself. He locates the injured mammal, and with the help of his mother, nurses him back to health. Sandy wants to keep the dolphin, but his parents are against it, especially Porter who sees dolphins as nothing more than a threat to the fisherman's way of life. Nevertheless, Sandy keeps Flipper in the fish pen and does extra work for the local merchants and neighbors so that he can earn enough money for fish to feed the dolphin.

Ricks is away while all this is happening. When he returns and finds out that his Sandy has disobeyed him and kept the dolphin, he orders his son to let the dolphin loose, which Sandy does reluctantly. He also finds out that his son has not done his chores and he angrily tells his son that he will go out every day to obtain more fish until he can refill the fish pen. His father's ranting upsets the boy, and he retreats to his bedroom in tears. Mrs .Ricks chides her husband for his sharp treatment of their son. Ricks, however, tells his wife that he had to do it.

Time passes. Sandy goes out every day to find fish. Flipper sees that his friend is in trouble, and helps him find an entire school of fish in a hidden cove. Sandy leads his father to the cove and they soon have a big enough catch to sell to the local merchants. Ricks is now proud of his son's accomplishments, until he learns that Flipper helped his son find the fish. Ricks is not impressed by the dolphin's aid and tells Sandy that if Flipper is seen within the fishing lanes again, he will shoot him.

Frightened for the life of his friend, Sandy gets up early the next morning and sails out to sea to try and warn Flipper to stay away from the fishing lanes. But while he swims through the seas he is being trailed by a pair of sharks. Flipper sees that Sandy is in trouble and he attacks the sharks and beats them to death with his hard nose. Ricks and one of his fellow fishermen sees the sharks being attacked by Flipper. When they also see Sandy being brought to them by Flipper, the old man brings his son into the boat and embraces him. His eyes fill with tears, and he says, “Thank you, Flipper, for saving my son!” The grateful dolphin swims off, safely returning home. Sandy tells his parents about Flipper's efforts to help the boy find the hidden cove filled with fish and that this will help all of the fishermen replenish their catch. Ricks finally sees Flipper as a friend, and allows him to stay with the Ricks forever.

I first saw this film with my father at the Lowe's New Rochelle movie theater, and I enjoyed it immensely. I've seen FLIPPER many times on TV, especially on MGM/ABC's “Off To See The Wizard” Series, and once more at the Wakefield Theater in the Bronx, N.Y. at an MGM Children's Matinee in the 1970's. The movie still brings tears to my eyes and still thrills me. The following year, FLIPPER was spun off as a successful TV series on NBC and remained a popular family show for years. The original FLIPPER still enchants audiences, and is miles ahead of the forgettable remake with Paul Hogan.

Kevin S. Butler