Flipper (1964 TV series)
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| Flipper | |
|---|---|
 Title screen, 1964 |
|
| Genre | Children's television programs |
| Format | Color, full-screen |
| Created by | Jack Cowden Ricou Browning |
| Starring | Brian Kelly Luke Halpin Tommy Norden Andy Devine, (1964) Ulla Stromstedt, (1965) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 25 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | September 19, 1964 – April 15, 1967 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Flipper is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 18, 1964 until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a Bottlenose Dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons Sandy and Bud. The show was created by Jack Cowden and Ricou Browning, a man with extensive experience in underwater filming and underwater performance, notably as the monster in The Creature from the Black Lagoon. A considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during the first-run. The show has been dubbed an "aquatic Lassie".
Contents |
[edit] Production
The television show is an adaptation of the 1963 film Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin as Porter and Sandy Ricks, and its 1964 sequel, Flipper's New Adventure, where Brian Kelly took over the role of Porter. In adapting the films to a television series, the producers made Porter a single parent and gave him a second son named Bud. The producers departed yet again from the films in endowing Flipper with an unnatural degree of intelligence and an extraordinary understanding of human motives, behavior, and vocabulary.
[edit] Filming locations
Flipper was filmed in Miami at Greenwich Studios, (as Ivan Tors Studios), 12100 Ivan Tors Boulevard, Miami, Florida, USA. Nassau was an occasional location. The show was produced in cooperation with Miami Seaquarium, an aquarium located on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida.
[edit] Role of Flipper
Flipper was played mainly by a female dolphin named Susie, and occasionally by other females named Patty, Kathy, Scotty and Squirt. The five dolphins performed all of Flipper's thespian chores except the famous tail walk, a trick they were unable to master completely. A male dolphin named Clown was brought in for scenes involving the tail walk.[1] The famous "voice" of Flipper was actually the doctored song of a Kookaburra bird. Female dolphins were chosen because females are less aggressive than males and their skins (unlike the skins of male dolphins) are usually free of disfigurations acquired in altercations with other dolphins. The dolphins used on the show were trained by Richard O'Barry.
[edit] Music
The show's theme tune was credited to Henry Vars with lyrics by William "By" Dunham. In France the melody was known as "La Romance de Paris" ("The Love Song of Paris"). The words to the Flipper theme:
They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,
No-one you see, is smarter than he,
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder,
Lying there under, under the sea!
Everyone loves the king of the sea,
Ever so kind and gentle is he,
Tricks he will do when children appear,
And how they laugh when he's near!
They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,
No-one you see, is smarter than he,
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder,
Lying there under, under the sea!
The first five episodes of the second season feature a completely different recording of the theme, sung by Frankie Randall, with different lyrics:
We call him Flipper, Flipper, you'll see him smilin'
Right from the start, he'll play it smart.
Beware of Flipper, Flipper, he's such a lover,
You will discover when he steals your heart!
When you're feelin' sad, when you're feelin' blue,
He'll make you glad, yes, that's what he'll do,
And what he can do you'll never believe,
For he's got tricks up his sleeve!
Beware of Flipper, Flipper, he's such a lover,
You will discover when he steals your heart!
The background music of the long underwater sequences was inspired by Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe.
[edit] Broadcast history
Initially the show was broadcast September 1964 - September 1967, NBC, Saturday 7:30-8:00 pm. Later, reruns of the first two seasons aired January 1968 - June 1968, NBC, Sunday 6:30-7:00 pm and June 1968 - September 1968, NBC, Sunday 7:00-7:30 pm.
[edit] Characters and cast
[edit] Animal cast
- Flipper. Flipper is a wild dolphin and the companion animal of the Ricks family. Flipper is an extraordinarily intelligent dolphin who helps enforce regulations on the preserve, assists Porter Ricks with rescues at sea, and keeps a watchful eye on Sandy and Bud.
- Pelican Pete. A pelican named Pete, depicted in the original movie as Sandy's pet before he met Flipper, had a recurring role on the show and appeared in several episodes.
- Additional animal cast members. Other animals appearing on the show included a chocolate brown dog named Spray (seen only in a few early episodes), a seal, a baby elephant, alligators, a female albino dolphin (whose baby Flipper fathered during her only appearance, in the "White Dolphin" episode); and another female dolphin, introduced at the end of the second season, dubbed "Lorelei" by the Ricks family. Lorelei became Flipper's "girlfriend".
[edit] Human cast
- Porter Ricks. Brian Kelly fills the show's moral center with his portrayal of loving father, conscientious government employee, rugged outdoorsman, and all-around good guy Porter Ricks. Porter is a widowed father with two sons, Sandy and Bud, and is employed as Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida. Porter's friend and co-worker, Warden Dennis (Dan Chandler) appears in a recurring role on the show. Although Porter is single, he has few female companions. In the first season, for example, he dates a woman who makes one appearance and is never seen again. Brian Kelly told TV Guide (July 9, 1966): "I'm going to bring a couple of bikini girls on. I want some groovy-lookin' girls because a lot of fathers who see the show say, "Where are the chicks?""
- Sandy Ricks. Luke Halpin plays Porter's elder son Sandy, a mid-to-late teen adolescent sometimes given to boyish mishaps and poor choices yet old enough for adult responsibilities and duties. Sandy often accompanies his father on dangerous adventures and rescues at sea. The character of Sandy (as well as the actor) is carried over from the feature films, where he was the one who first met Flipper and became his special friend.
- Bud Ricks. Redheaded, freckle-faced Tommy Norden played Porter Ricks's younger son Bud, a boy who had a difficult time staying out of trouble. Many episodes revolve around mistakes made by Bud, intentionally or unintentionally. Bud is gullible and easily swallows the tall tales Hap Gorman feeds him. Bud is at home on or near the sea and loves animals of all sorts. Flipper is his special companion.
- Hap Gorman, Veteran film, radio, and television character actor Andy Devine had a recurring role in the show's first season as an old salt and marine carpenter named Hap Gorman. Hap was something of a bungler who tried Porter's patience. Hap, in the traditional vein for Andy Devine, enjoyed spinning yarns and tall tales about bejeweled maharajahs, faraway kingdoms and exotic ports for the amusement of skeptical Sandy and gullible Bud.
- Ulla Norstrand. Swedish-born character actress Ulla Stromstedt had a recurring role during the second season as Ulla Norstrand, an oceanographer whose work frequently took her to Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve. She was often instrumental in enforcing the park's regulations. One of her trademarks was her miniature yellow submarine she was often seen using in her oceanographic explorations, and which was sometimes pivotal in storylines. She was a potential love interest for Porter Ricks, although no serious relationship was ever shown to develop.
[edit] Plot
The series follows a Bottlenose Dolphin named Flipper who is the wild pet of Porter Ricks, a park warden, and his sons Sandy and Bud. Flipper lives in a lagoon near the Ricks cottage at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve. With the Ricks family, Flipper helps protect the park and preserve and its wild inhabitants. He is also instrumental in apprenhending criminals and thugs in the park. Flipper is the special companion of the youngest member of the Ricks family, Bud, and several episodes feature Flipper rescuing Bud from dangerous situations. There are few women in the lives of the Ricks males but Porter does have a date in the first season while Sandy meets the girl operator of a floating zoo. A female oceanographer enters the series in the second season to add a feminine touch to the proceedings. Promotional material for the third season announced a new girlfriend for Sandy, although she only appeared in one episode. The series is distinguished for its lush photography of subtropical Florida and its colorful underwater sequences.
[edit] Cancellation and subsequent history
The last first-run episode of Flipper aired April 15, 1967.
Flipper has seen periodic syndication since its NBC cancellation. The show has aired on cable's Family Channel, Nickelodeon, Animal Planet, Discovery Kids, and satellite provider Voom's Family Room channel in high-definition. Most of the images of Flipper jumping against a skyline not in the originally aired version, as the filming took place in an enclosed lagoon. They were filmed at the end of the series and added for syndication.[2]
The rights to Flipper were later acquired by Turner Entertainment, with distribution rights being acquired by the Samuel Goldwyn Company, and in turn acquired by MGM Television (ironically, the company that originally produced the series). Turner (now a Time Warner division) and MGM now share ancillary rights.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Merchandise
Flipper merchandise generated for the juvenile market during the show's first run is scarce and collectible. Flipper vintage collectibles include: lunch boxes, song books, comic books, coloring books, Whitman novel, Big Little Books, souvenir spoons Whitman frame tray puzzles, a board game, Viewmaster reels, and a battery-operated "spouting dolphin" water toy.
[edit] DVD release
MGM/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD on April 24, 2007.
[edit] Awards and recognition
The Miami Seaquarium celebrated the 40th anniversary of Flipper in 2004 with Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden participating. Flipper was nominated for two TV Land awards: in 2004 for the TV Land Favorite Fauna Award and, in 2003, for the TV Land Favorite Pet-Human Relationship Award. Flipper appeared twice on TV Guide covers.
[edit] List of episodes
| First season (1964-1965) | Second season (1965-1966) | Third season (1966-1967) |
|---|---|---|
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[edit] See also
- Flipper (1963 film)
- Flipper's New Adventure
- Flipper (1995 TV series)
- Flipper (1996 film)
- Cetacean intelligence
- Child actors
- Marine life
- Biscayne Bay
- Ivan Tors
- Underwater photography
- Dolphinarium
[edit] References
- ^ Ric O' Barry and Keith Coulbourn, "Behind the Dolphin Smile" Renaissance Books, 2000, ISBN 978-1580631013
- ^ Ric O' Barry and Keith Coulbourn, "Behind the Dolphin Smile" Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1988, ISBN 0-912697-79-2
