Flipper (1963)

Sandy is distraught when, having saved Flipper by pulling out a spear, his father insists the dolphin be released. A grateful Flipper, however, returns the favor when Sandy is threatened by Sharks.

Director:

James B. Clark

Writers:

Ricou Browning (story), Jack Cowden (story),

Stars:

Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, Connie Scott

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Chuck Connors	...	Porter Ricks
Luke Halpin	...	Sandy Ricks
Connie Scott	...	Kim Parker
Jane Rose	...	Hettie White
Joe Higgins	...	Mr. L.C. Porett
Robertson White	...	Mr. Abrams
George Applewhite	...	Sheriff Rogers
Kathleen Maguire	...	Martha Ricks
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mitzie	...	Flipper

Storyline

The Florida Keys have been hit by hard times of late. First, a red plague kills off much of the fish in the area. And second, Hurricane Hazel unexpectedly changes course to hit the Keys. Regardless, the Ricks family - fisherman father Po (short for Porter), wife Martha, their preteen son Sandy, and Sandy's pet pelican Pete - live in all its aspects by the sea, even during these hard times. When Sandy witnesses the accidental spearing of a dolphin, he, on his own, decides to find the dolphin to put it out of its misery. Upon finding the injured dolphin, Sandy, not having the heart to shoot him, decides instead to tow the dolphin home. With some care and love, Sandy and Martha nurse the dolphin back to health. Sandy wants to keep the dolphin, who he's named Flipper, but Po ultimately releases Flipper, who he sees as "the enemy": a creature who is on the hunt for whatever short supply of fish there are around the Keys. But Po learns that friends - what Flipper and Sandy are to each other...

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Plot Keywords:

dolphin | hurricane | famous song | motorboat | fishing | 

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Taglines:

The wonderful story of a boy and his amazing underwater friend!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Drama

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aventure en Floride

Filming Locations:

Grassy Key, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ivan Tors Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in 1961.

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Goofs

When Sandy and Kim are feeding Flipper off the dock, Sandy is barefoot. Then Sandy climbs down the ladder onto the platform, and suddenly he's wearing a pair of black Chuck Taylor hi-tops, but is barefoot again when he goes back up on the dock.

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Quotes

Porter Ricks: [Porter consoles his wife about possibly losing their home in the hurricane] The boat is safe; we can always build another house.

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Connections

Referenced in What Love Is (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Flipper"
Written by 'By' Dunham and Henry Vars

User Reviews

Cut-rate aquatic adventure, but matinée audiences didn't seem to mind...

A plague in the waters off the Florida Keys has left fisherman Chuck Connors and his son scrambling to make a living; luckily, a dolphin rescued by young Luke Halpin seems to understand their predicament and leads the boy to fresh fish. Rather dingily-produced underwater tale for kids has a thin plot (with echoes of "The Yearling" besides), but does have a marvelous animal at its center. The acting, photography, and editing are all disappointing, but when Flipper is doing tricks for the locals--even interacting with a swimming dog--it's hard not to smile. Too bad the relationship between the boy and his parents is so stiff (with lots of homilies and fearsome dialogue) that the movie drags whenever Flipper is off-screen. Followed by a sequel and a TV-series. ** from ****