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Flipper the Dolphin -
Dolphin featured on the maritime adventure FLIPPER/NBC/1964-67.
Flipper was first introduced in the Ivan Tors feature films
Flipper (1963) and Flipper's New Adventure (1964). On
the TV series spin-off, Flipper was the domesticated dolphin pet
of Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden) the sons of Porter
Ricks (Brian Kelly), the game warden at Coral Key Park, Florida
(Marine Callsign: WD9598).
The concept for the movies/TV series was based on the book idea
about a boy and his dolphin created by underwater expert Ricou
Browning who starred in the horror film Creature of the Black
Lagoon (1954) and radio station worker Jack Couder. Ivan
Tors producer of the underwater series SEA HUNT/SYN/1957-61
adapted their story for film and television.
To obtain a dolphin to star in the Flipper series, Ricou
Browning struck a deal with Milton Santini of the Florida Keys
who was known to have successfully trained a dolphin named
Mitzi.
Ricou's 9-year-old son began playing toss the ball with Mitzi
and soon was riding on her back. Later, Santini started an
attraction called "Flipper's Sea School" featuring dolphins used
in the Flipper movies/series.
Mitzi played Flipper in the film Flipper (1963). Suzie
the dolphin played in the sequel movie Flipper's New
Adventure (1964), and in the TV series FLIPPER/NBC/1964-67.
The Miami Seaquarium, which called itself "The Home of Flipper"
also supplied dolphins for the programs among them Cathy and
Suzie who performed some 40 tricks.
Flipper (Mitzi) died of a heart attack on June 25, 1971 at
Grassy Key, Florida. She was 22 years old. Bebe, the last of the
seven Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that starred on the series
died in 1997 at the Miami Seaquarium. She was 40. A year before
her death she gave birth to Echo, her eighth calf.
TRIVIA NOTE: In 1995, a remake of the series entitled Flipper
appeared in syndication and then moved to the PAX network during
its third season. It starred the adventures of Brian Wimmer as
Dr. Keith "Bud' Ricks, a dolphin researcher at Bal Harbor in
Florida [and later the Monroe County Search and Rescue
substation].
In 1996, a theatrical adaptation entitled Flipper
starred Elijah Wood as a belligerent young city boy who was
forced to spend the summer with his bohemian uncle Porter (Paul
Hogan) where he meets up with a feisty dolphin named Flipper
[who lost one of its parents to a heartless fisherman].
Theme Song Lyrics- NBC "Flipper"
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,
flying there-under, under the sea!
(end of TV show)
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,
flying there-under, under the sea!
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