The entire Flipper phenomenon began when producer Ivan Tors was pitched a movie idea by Ricou Browning. Browning was a diver and stunt man (he was in the Creature from the Black Lagoon, as the creature itself) who became important to Tors when he was producing his hit TV series Sea Hunt. Browning told Tors about his encounters with dolphins, which Tors found incredible but believed due to Browning's no-nonsense personality. Luckily, Tors agreed and Browning wrote a script with former journalist Jack Cowden.
The film was a beautifully photographed color production, and had the benefit of the great Chuck Connors, always watchable, as the gruff fisherman father. Luke Halpin is the film's heart, giving a natural performance that helped make the entire story quite believable. The dolphin footage is stunning and must have made a huge impression on audiences who had never seen a dolphin so close-up before. Lamar Boren's underwater photography is, as always, superb and clear.
I was unaware that there was a feature film that preceded the TV series as a child. I first learned of its existence when it was re-released as a matinee feature in the very early 70s. I was surprised by the differences between the film and series, but appreciated it even so.
The film is a dramatic turn in Ivan Tors' career. He would soon embark on a whole series of animal-themed films and series. These became important culturally. Tors productions such as Flipper, Daktari, Gentle Ben and Namu The Killer Whale all have themes of conservation and respect for other species that surely had an impact on all the children who grew up watching them. As light-hearted as they were, they had substance and merit that most of what gets churned out by the entertainment industry never considers.
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