"Flipper" (1964) TV series 1964-1967

Creators:

Ricou Browning
Jack Cowden
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

19 September 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family

Tagline:

Dive into a world full of wonder with the King of the Sea! (Season One DVD)

Plot:

Ranger Porter Ricks is responsible for the animal and human life in Coral Key Park, Florida. Stories...

Plot Keywords:

Dolphin | Florida | Brother Brother Relationship | Park Ranger | Family Relationships

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Brian Kelly	...	Porter Ricks / ... (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
Luke Halpin	...	Sandy Ricks (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
Tommy Norden	...	Bud Ricks (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
Flipper	...	Dolphin (36 episodes, 1964-1966)

Series Directed by
Ricou Browning		(37 episodes, 1964-1967)
Stanley Z. Cherry		(8 episodes, 1965)
Joseph Gannon		(8 episodes, 1966-1967)
Paul Landres		(6 episodes, 1965-1966)
Hollingsworth Morse		(5 episodes, 1964-1965)
Leon Benson		(5 episodes, 1964)
Andrew Marton		(5 episodes, 1965)
Frank McDonald		(4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Marshall Thompson		(4 episodes, 1965)
Herman Hoffman		(2 episodes, 1964)
Brian Kelly		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Edward Haldeman		(2 episodes, 1967)

Series Writing credits
Maria Little		(39 episodes, 1965-1967)
Jack Cowden		(34 episodes, 1964-1966)
Ricou Browning		(33 episodes, 1964-1966)
James Buxbaum		(15 episodes, 1965-1967)
Peter L. Dixon		(10 episodes, 1964-1967)
Monroe Manning		(9 episodes, 1965-1967)
Laird Koenig		(7 episodes, 1964-1967)
Stanley H. Silverman		(7 episodes, 1964-1967)
Orville H. Hampton		(6 episodes, 1964-1965)
Lee Erwin		(5 episodes, 1964-1965)
Art Arthur		(4 episodes, 1964-1966)
Ernest Spaulding		(3 episodes, 1964-1966)
Leonard B. Kaufman		(3 episodes, 1965-1966)
Arthur Weiss		(3 episodes, 1965-1966)
Robert Lees		(3 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jess Carneol		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Kay Lenard		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Ivan Tors		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Richard Tuber		(2 episodes, 1965)

Series Produced by
Ivan Tors	....	executive producer / producer (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
James Buxbaum	....	producer (58 episodes, 1965-1967)
Ricou Browning	....	associate producer: in charge of underwater operations (30 episodes, 1964-1965)
Joseph Gannon	....	associate producer (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Edward Haldeman	....	co-producer (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Leon Benson	....	producer (9 episodes, 1964)
Leonard B. Kaufman	....	producer (5 episodes, 1964)
Andrew Marton	....	producer (3 episodes, 1965)

Series Original Music by
Henry Vars		(53 episodes, 1964-1966)
Samuel Matlovsky		(28 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ruby Raksin		(15 episodes, 1966)

Series Cinematography by
Howard Winner		(49 episodes, 1965-1967)
Clifford H. Poland Jr.		(29 episodes, 1964-1965)
Lamar Boren		(7 episodes, 1964)
Edmund Gibson		(3 episodes, 1967)

Series Film Editing by
Charles Craft		(28 episodes, 1964-1966)
Stan Gilbert		(26 episodes, 1964-1967)
Erwin Dumbrille		(15 episodes, 1966-1967)
John B. Woelz		(14 episodes, 1964-1965)
Warren Adams		(6 episodes, 1964-1966)
Harold V. McKenzie		(4 episodes, 1964-1965)
John A. Martinelli		(3 episodes, 1967)

Series Production Management
Ben Chapman	....	production supervisor (59 episodes, 1964-1966)
Stanley Colbert	....	executive in charge of production (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Edward Haldeman	....	unit manager (22 episodes, 1965-1966)
Erwin Dumbrille	....	post-production supervisor (10 episodes, 1966-1967)
Stan Gilbert	....	post-production supervisor (3 episodes, 1967)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Rich	....	assistant director (47 episodes, 1965-1967)
Edward Haldeman	....	assistant director (38 episodes, 1964-1966)
Gordon McLean	....	assistant director (30 episodes, 1965-1967)
Gayle DeCamp	....	assistant director (21 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ben Chapman	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1965)
Steve Barnett	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank Simpson	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1967)

Series Sound Department
Howard Warren	....	sound recorder / sound recordist / ... (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor (59 episodes, 1964-1966)

Series Stunts
Denis Weaver Sr.	....	stunt double: Luke Halpin (1 episode, 1966)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	director of underwater photography (46 episodes, 1964-1966)
Lamar Boren	....	director of underwater photography (28 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Editorial Department
John D. Dunning	....	supervising film editor / editoral supervisor (59 episodes, 1964-1966)

Series Music Department
Henry Vars	....	composer: theme music / composer: "Flipper" theme / ... (88 episodes, 1964-1967)
'By' Dunham	....	composer: theme music / composer: "Flipper" theme (83 episodes, 1964-1967)
Al Mack	....	music supervisor (59 episodes, 1964-1966)
Frankie Randall	....	singer: theme song (2 episodes, 1965)

Series Other crew
Maria Little	....	story executive (59 episodes, 1964-1966)
Norman Siegel	....	assistant: Ivan Tors / assistant to executive producer (56 episodes, 1964-1966)
Joseph Gannon	....	assistant to producer / production assistant (30 episodes, 1964-1965)
Jack Cowden	....	assistant to producer (30 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Thanks
Irvin Stephens	....	acknowledgment: we offer our appreciation and gratitude for their cooperation, U. S. Coast Guard, Seventh Coast Guard District, Miami, Florida (1 episode, 1964)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television (presentation)
• Ivan Tors Films (produced by)
• Miami Seaquarium (produced in co-operation with) (as Miami Seaquarium, Miami, Florida)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964-1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• American-International Television (AIP-TV) (197?) (USA)
• Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (NTS) (1965-1967) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Samuel Goldwyn Television
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Canada) (DVD) (Season One)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Season One)
• Warner Bros. Television

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min (88 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Singapore:G | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Greenwich Studios - 12100 Ivan Tors Boulevard, Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television

Trivia:

Flipper was played by three dolphins named Mitzi, Little Bit, and Mr. Gipper. Mitzi did the close-up shots, but she wasn't very athletic, so Little Bit and Mr. Gipper did the stunt work. All three were trained by Milton Santini, a commercial fisherman who started working with dolphins after accidentally injuring one in a fishing net.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fathers' Day (1997)

In memoriam: Brian Kelly, 1931-2005

It is with sadness that, while surfing through this database, I read that Brian Kelly, the handsome actor who played patriarch Porter Ricks on the television version of Flipper, passed away in February 2005, just short of his 74th birthday. I believe that the news of Mr. Kelly's passing was quite under-reported.

Brian Kelly played a father who was intelligent, understanding, and when warranted, firm. His character of Porter Ricks raised his two sons, Bud and Sandy, with keen senses of the difference between right and wrong, values that are quite under-portrayed in an age of extreme dynamics surrounding sex, drugs, and violence.

After Flipper went off the air and into syndication, Mr. Kelly appeared in a handful of films and episodic television programs. Around 1970 or 1971, his acting career came to a tragic end following a freak motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed and with speech and health problems. Nevertheless, he continued in the entertainment industry as a motion picture producer. One such production effort is the 1980's action film 'Blade Runner'.

Brian Kelly will be missed, and may he rest in peace.