Flipper (1963) - full transcript
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 - help each other unconditionally.
I've lived all my life on the sea.
So did my father.
So will my son.
I've seen the giant creatures of the deep,
the great whales...
making their passage
to northern feeding grounds...
and the last herds of the sea elephant.
I've watched the cunning maneuvers
of killer whale...
as they leaped into the air...
frightening the sea elephants and sea lions
into the water...
where they would become easy prey.
The shark, lacking this cleverness...
prowled for what smaller fish
he could find.
But the dolphins...
and ride the bow wave
with the speed of a torpedo.
Curiously, they seemed at times...
I used to watch them for hours,
studying them...
thinking and remembering
the stories I'd heard about them.
But I didn't really know the dolphins
until my son...
a child, as in the Bible...
led me to an understanding of their kind.
It was a few years ago...
Like the fishermen above...
the surviving creatures below
were hungry.
Even the swift dolphin
was able to find no food.
The fish were poisoned by the plague.
Their lifeless bodies
were spread throughout the sea.
Pa, maybe this time the fish will be alive.
- Maybe the red tide didn't come this far.
- Maybe.
Used to be you throw out an anchor
you'd hit a fish.
Dolphins.
Sure making time.
It shouldn't be as hard for them.
What's the matter, Pa?
Is something wrong, Pa?
Hazel must have changed her course.
The weather station this morning
said she was headed west.
She's coming north now.
Amplifier's gone.
I should have carried a spare tube.
- You're not scared, are you?
- No, Pa.
Lash down everything loose.
We'll make a run for home.
"Return to port.
"Coast guard patrol boat
will intercept you.
"Hurricane Hazel now heading north.
Winds increasing up to 80 knots."
- But you knew that already.
- I should have known it an hour ago.
Hold fast.
- You Porter Ricks out of Coral Key?
- That's right.
- We've been trying to raise you.
- Radio's out.
You heard from Nick Velakis,
another boat like mine?
Just had him on the radio.
He says he can make it in all right
ahead of the storm.
I can't take you in tow.
Do you want to come aboard?
I promised your ma
we'd be home before dark.
- Come on, Zack, hurry up.
- It's terrible outside the channel.
I haven't seen your folks go by yet.
You better go and get them.
And leave Mirabel?
I'd rather leave my wife.
Porter Ricks' boat.
Porter, where the Halifax you been?
- Nick Velakis come in yet?
- I ain't seen him. No.
Everybody's heading for the post office.
- You get home and help her.
- Okay, Pa.
- Give me that line.
- Where the blazes you going now?
Gonna put that boat up at Willow Creek.
She'll be safe there.
This boat's my living.
Kim.
Ea Sher res I Ane
Is my mother inside the post office?
- No. I was just gonna see if--
- You go back inside. I'll get her.
Gee, you're lucky.
- Son.
Ma, what about Pete?
Can ll take him?
Pete, where are you?
Come down here.
We got to get to the post office.
Pete, I'll whale the tar out of you
unless you come down here.
Pete, come down here.
We got to get to the post office.
- Is Ma all right?
- Ma's ready to go.
- Get Pete and come.
- Come on down here, Pete.
The boat's safe.
We can always build another house.
Dang blast it, you stubborn old bird!
Pelicans have lived through
more hurricanes than we'll ever see.
You can come in but can't bring the boat.
She'll blow away.
“shall not exceed 100 inches
in length and girth combined."
Section 135.32,
Postal Laws and Regulations.
The same applies to holding and storage.
Are you coming in?
I'm pretty sure we got a hold of everybody
that didn't go inland...
except Nick Velakis. His boat's still out.
We're fairly comfortable here.
Nick must have run with the wind,
put in at one of the other Keys.
The phone lines might be down.
Stella, he has to be all right.
Nobody knows the sea like Nick.
The sea. It kills even those who know it.
I hope my father and cousin
aren't trying to come from the mainland.
The police don't let anybody
on the causeway...
With you staying with Hettie?
You know what she says.
"No hurricane would dare blow down
a US. post office.”
Miss Hettie.
It's still no, Mr. L.C. Porett.
Mr. Porett, come in.
Mr. L.C. Porett, you poor, dear man.
Post office.
Who's calling? Who?
Miss Hettie White speaking.
Yes, Mr. Parker.
I'm looking at her this very moment,
safe, high and dry.
Aren't you, Kim?
Now, don't you worry, Mr. Parker.
As soon as Hazel leaves,
you come right on out.
Of course, we'll take good care...
Hello?
That means the water's
over the causeway.
Yeah, we could have water in here,
like in '58.
Barometer is still falling.
Waterspouts reported in the area.
Full gale warnings have been posted.
My fish house, it's on fire!
My fish house is on fire.
Mr. Abrams!
- If it's not there, what do we do?
- Build it again.
Let's find out.
- Isn't it beautiful?
- You sure are.
- Thanks for not crying.
- Pa, we should've taken him with us.
You haven't even looked for him.
Maybe he's under the house. Let's go see.
Maybe we'd better look inside.
Pete, you old...
Sandy, your house is okay.
- I thought I'd come and see.
- Yeah, but this bird isn't.
- It's Pete.
- Yeah, just as big a pest as ever.
It's kind of damp inside,
but it's not too bad.
- You going to see about the boat?
- Right now. Want to come?
No, not wrecked, just swamped.
But there might be some damage.
Here, son.
You bail out the dinghy
while I take a look here.
- Where?
- Over there.
- You hurt or scared?
- Just scared, I guess.
Lay to, Northern Star. Lay to, baby.
Anytime your jack is ready,
Mr. L.C. Porett.
Easy as you go.
Gee, it's so pretty up here.
Pa?
Ever see anything like that before?
Dolphins do like that every now and then.
Little right rudder, Northern Star.
Well, there are lots of stories
about dolphins.
One that Nick Velakis...
that Nick tells
about a Greek poet named Arion...
who lived some 3,000 years ago.
Once when he was sailing home
to Greece from Sicily...
lifted him up
and carried him safely to shore.
LI believe dolphins are very special animals.
They breathe air, have eyelids,
and have babies, just like people.
You mean the dolphin jumped
right out of the dinghy?
Hello, Sid.
What is it?
Porter, I thought you ought to know.
He was your friend.
"He has outsoared
the shadow of our night”
we commend the soul of Nick Velakis...
but was in spirit a brother to us all.
We commit his body to the deep.
Amen.
Nick Velakis was killed by the sea,
but he wasn't defeated by it.
In there, young man. Put it in there.
Porter, knew I'd catch you
on the way back.
Sorry I couldn't attend,
but the living come first.
Lou Germain sent you a wire
from Ocala. He...
- Read it yourself. It's really to you.
- Thanks, Hettie.
- Come now, a little bigger.
- I wonder what's on Lou's mind.
Sandy, my father's on his way
with my cousin.
Okay.
Yes, sir. See you later. Fishing.
It's nice of Lou Germain to offer to help.
Truth is, I was gonna ask him.
It's gonna take $300 worth of credit.
Go onto the mainland, I mean.
Open a boat agency
or some inland job we talked about?
At least there'd be no red plague
or hurricanes.
- Well, there might be other things.
- I guess.
If you're gonna go to Ocala
in the morning, let's go to bed.
Would you want to live on the mainland?
Do you expect him to get all those chores
done before you get back?
He ought to.
I'll be gone at least a couple of weeks.
Dang you, Pete.
Don't you think this is heavy enough?
Beat it.
Mom, could I please...
- Thanks, Ma.
- Tired?
- Dragging tired.
- I think you've done enough for one day.
- Ma, can ll go?
- Of course.
- Hi, Sandy.
- Hi, Kim.
Dad, this is Sandy Ricks.
- Coming with us?
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir, if you know the spots.
- You're the pilot. Cast off the line.
Sandy, you remember, I told you
my cousin was coming with Dad.
Let's go find Bill.
A dolphin, Go get your pa.
Doc Barnett will know what to do.
He's taken care of everybody here.
It's a slight concussion,
but he's going to be all right.
If Bill's okay,
could we go back to Silver Cove now?
My pa taught me to put a dog, or a cat,
or any animal out of its pain...
She may want me to take Bill
to the family doctor.
- It won't take long, Dad.
- Please, sir?
Dad.
Kim, it's not that I don't want to.
Bill's mother would never forgive me.
Please.
Ma!
Go ahead.
Are you hurt that bad?
Just a flipper or something?
I can't leave you here to die.
Can't you move at all?
- Sandy?
- Where did you go?
- Nowhere.
- What did you do?
- Nothing.
Supper will be ready in a minute.
Didn't you go out with Kim and her father?
- Mom?
- Yes?
- Sandy, you been up to something?
- No, Ma, only...
Sandy, what?
I've got an 8 foot dying dolphin
in the fish pen.
About 8 feet.
Now you go wash up for supper.
I think I'll have a look.
- He got speared.
- That poor thing.
What'll we do, Ma?
Same thing I'd do for any animal.
Get me the kitchen knife and the iodine.
Then I just towed him home.
"Where did you go? What did you do?"
Sandy, that water's freezing.
You want to catch your death of cold?
Back to bed.
Yes, Mom. I just wanted to see
how Flipper was doing.
I named him Flipper.
Don't you think that's a good name, Ma?
Okay.
Poor Flipper.
My cousin says he's awful sorry.
Daddy took him home this morning.
It's a very bad wound.
He needs strength to recover.
He needs food.
Mom, the first shark that saw him
would kill him. He's so weak.
He'll die here, too, without food.
Couldn't we somehow... Can I...
Your pa told you
how much fish a dolphin eats.
About 15 pounds a day.
- Some days at Silver Cove, there's a lot.
- Not every day.
I guess you're right.
- I guess he doesn't like those kind of fish.
- What are we gonna do?
I don't know.
You don't feel you owe me nothing
for a day's fishing?
Our deal was for marlin,
and all we get is a bunch of trash fish.
Don't expect to see us back again, either.
Take them all.
But to get them,
you're gonna have to clean my boat.
Clean it of the smell of fish,
every board and seam.
- The devil with fish.
- Yes, sir.
Ma!
Sandy, don't do that!
Sandy, come out!
Please, Sandy.
What's the matter, Ma?
I think we better go in the house
and talk this over.
Flipper.
Mr. Abrams is bringing in fish
from the other Keys to sell here.
Mr. Abrams is not gonna
feed your dolphin.
He needs help to rebuild his fish house.
What about your own chores?
I'll do them both, mine, too.
Please, Ma, let me try.
You can try for a while.
first thing in the morning.
All right, it's a deal.
- In fish?
- In fish. Start nailing up the board.
Hey, Kim Parker says you got a porpoise
at your place that does tricks.
I've been out to your place
a couple of times.
- I can prove I'm not a liar.
- How?
Tomorrow afternoon.
- Hi, Charlie.
- Hi.
Watch him get it.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Go get this, Flipper.
Flipper, dance. Come on.
Flipper, do you love me?
Do you love me, Flipper?
Po telephoned.
I said, Po telephoned. He'll be in tonight.
That boy of yours
sure has a way with critters, ain't he?
- Po figures to be in about midnight.
- Thank you, Baxter.
- It seemed like 10 weeks.
- It sure did.
That's why I didn't stop
to put the boat in the water.
Maybe it's not right, keeping you out here.
But, Martha, 10 days in Ocala
decided me all over again.
I couldn't trade this
for jammed sidewalks, auto smoke...
all that hurry.
Unless you said you wanted to.
I don't want to.
None of the work's been done. Martha?
Well, Po, the day after you left,
it so happened that a dolphin...
This will take a while. We better go inside.
Pa, watch this.
Come on out, son. I want to talk to you.
Pretty good, huh, Pa?
It's like the old stories
Nick used to tell about.
You'll figure some way, won't you, Pa?
Where? The boat's ready. I'll need the pen.
Couldn't we dig another maybe?
It took a month and $500
to blast that one out of the coral.
Sandy, the dolphin's well again.
Let him go free.
Pa, he's come to be my friend.
He's a friend
who's kept you from your work.
Not one thing finished
in the 10 days I was gone.
I'll do my work. Honest.
- What about your own chores?
- I'll do them, too.
Son, you've tried that before.
It just didn't work out.
Do you remember Stella Velakis
at the funeral?
Didn't she love her husband?
Sandy, for you, this may be the first time.
I know it hurts.
I can't.
Flipper, come back.
I sure hope we find Flipper.
I never prayed so hard in my life
as I did this morning.
Flipper!
Have you thought about
what I said the other day?
About losing things and people you love?
What we've got to make up our minds to
is to find fish.
Look ahead to better days, new friends.
Boy, am I ever glad to see you.
- You say something?
- No, sir.
Stay down.
Pa doesn't think you're a good influence.
Sandy, you'll fall overboard.
Where are you going?
You want us to follow you?
I thought I did.
Well, hang on.
Sandy, come here.
Pa, look!
Healthy, live pompano.
- What made you try off Green Point?
- Sandy saw them jumping.
Tomorrow, I'll go back at first light.
Son, by the way, when I'm gone,
will you fix that wire?
Okay.
You didn't have to stay away that long.
Flipper, come here.
Flipper, come up here.
Flipper, don't do that.
Hey, where are you?
You ate all of Pa's pompano.
That dolphin got every last one of them.
Pompano's selling in Ocala
for better than $1 a pound...
What have you got to say for yourself?
Yes, sir.
What's wrong with you, boy?
Or are you nine, or seven, or five?
A child who doesn't have the sense
to know what his next meal depends on?
Answer me! The fence, the yard, the nets.
Not one of your chores done,
and now this.
Are you growing up or down?
Or are you hanging on to a feed-me-
dress-me-blow-my-nose childhood?
Answer me!
If he could.
- Sandy, you better go to your room.
- One more thing.
Tomorrow you'll go out by yourself...
and by yourself you'll find the fish
to replace what that dolphin ate.
He's got to grow up.
Nevertheless, he is a boy.
He's hurt, he's crying.
The way you told him? Shouting?
Nearly taking his head off?
You should have stopped me.
- Look, Martha, I love that boy--
- Then why don't you tell him?
- Men just don't talk that way.
- Maybe they should.
Maybe.
Look, sweetheart, I grew up with the sea.
The sea is never soft.
And he is a fisherman's son.
Where are you going?
There's never been fish there.
What made you try?
- I just had a feeling.
- Never mind why. Let's go back and see.
This time, I'll make sure
the fish gate stays closed.
- But Flipper was the one that--
- Flipper can find his own fish.
Sandy, you keep it going with Mr. Porett,
will you?
- I'll be at your place at 7:00 a.m.
- Good.
Smells good.
Lord, whose bounty sustains us,
we ask thy favor.
Strengthen our will to serve thee in peace.
We thank thee, O Lord...
Pa, when the Lord brings forth food
he gets help sometimes, doesn't he?
The Lord helps those
who help themselves.
Sometimes wouldn't the Lord
ask dolphins to help people?
What's on your mind, Sandy?
It was Flipper who led me
to Kingman Reef.
- Flipper?
- Yes, Pa.
It doesn't matter. Try to understand, son.
they eat our fish,
they chase the rest away.
They may be your friends.
Even Flipper.
Where are you?
Dolphins. Hundreds of them.
If we kill a few, maybe the rest will run.
Look, Po, there's one that got inside.
I'll get him.
So after Flipper killed the shark...
he lifted me up
and brought me back to you.
Just like you told us about Arion,
the Greek poet.
You believe me, don't you, Pa?
Aren't there plenty for all of us?
I think it was written for us today...
to share with the dolphins,
not to kill them.
English
So did my father.
So will my son.
I've seen the giant creatures of the deep,
the great whales...
making their passage
to northern feeding grounds...
and the last herds of the sea elephant.
I've watched the cunning maneuvers
of killer whale...
as they leaped into the air...
frightening the sea elephants and sea lions
into the water...
where they would become easy prey.
The shark, lacking this cleverness...
prowled for what smaller fish
he could find.
But the dolphins...
and ride the bow wave
with the speed of a torpedo.
Curiously, they seemed at times...
I used to watch them for hours,
studying them...
thinking and remembering
the stories I'd heard about them.
But I didn't really know the dolphins
until my son...
a child, as in the Bible...
led me to an understanding of their kind.
It was a few years ago...
Like the fishermen above...
the surviving creatures below
were hungry.
Even the swift dolphin
was able to find no food.
The fish were poisoned by the plague.
Their lifeless bodies
were spread throughout the sea.
Pa, maybe this time the fish will be alive.
- Maybe the red tide didn't come this far.
- Maybe.
Used to be you throw out an anchor
you'd hit a fish.
Dolphins.
Sure making time.
It shouldn't be as hard for them.
What's the matter, Pa?
Is something wrong, Pa?
Hazel must have changed her course.
The weather station this morning
said she was headed west.
She's coming north now.
Amplifier's gone.
I should have carried a spare tube.
- You're not scared, are you?
- No, Pa.
Lash down everything loose.
We'll make a run for home.
"Return to port.
"Coast guard patrol boat
will intercept you.
"Hurricane Hazel now heading north.
Winds increasing up to 80 knots."
- But you knew that already.
- I should have known it an hour ago.
Hold fast.
- You Porter Ricks out of Coral Key?
- That's right.
- We've been trying to raise you.
- Radio's out.
You heard from Nick Velakis,
another boat like mine?
Just had him on the radio.
He says he can make it in all right
ahead of the storm.
I can't take you in tow.
Do you want to come aboard?
I promised your ma
we'd be home before dark.
- Come on, Zack, hurry up.
- It's terrible outside the channel.
I haven't seen your folks go by yet.
You better go and get them.
And leave Mirabel?
I'd rather leave my wife.
Porter Ricks' boat.
Porter, where the Halifax you been?
- Nick Velakis come in yet?
- I ain't seen him. No.
Everybody's heading for the post office.
- You get home and help her.
- Okay, Pa.
- Give me that line.
- Where the blazes you going now?
Gonna put that boat up at Willow Creek.
She'll be safe there.
This boat's my living.
Kim.
Ea Sher res I Ane
Is my mother inside the post office?
- No. I was just gonna see if--
- You go back inside. I'll get her.
Gee, you're lucky.
- Son.
Ma, what about Pete?
Can ll take him?
Pete, where are you?
Come down here.
We got to get to the post office.
Pete, I'll whale the tar out of you
unless you come down here.
Pete, come down here.
We got to get to the post office.
- Is Ma all right?
- Ma's ready to go.
- Get Pete and come.
- Come on down here, Pete.
The boat's safe.
We can always build another house.
Dang blast it, you stubborn old bird!
Pelicans have lived through
more hurricanes than we'll ever see.
You can come in but can't bring the boat.
She'll blow away.
“shall not exceed 100 inches
in length and girth combined."
Section 135.32,
Postal Laws and Regulations.
The same applies to holding and storage.
Are you coming in?
I'm pretty sure we got a hold of everybody
that didn't go inland...
except Nick Velakis. His boat's still out.
We're fairly comfortable here.
Nick must have run with the wind,
put in at one of the other Keys.
The phone lines might be down.
Stella, he has to be all right.
Nobody knows the sea like Nick.
The sea. It kills even those who know it.
I hope my father and cousin
aren't trying to come from the mainland.
The police don't let anybody
on the causeway...
With you staying with Hettie?
You know what she says.
"No hurricane would dare blow down
a US. post office.”
Miss Hettie.
It's still no, Mr. L.C. Porett.
Mr. Porett, come in.
Mr. L.C. Porett, you poor, dear man.
Post office.
Who's calling? Who?
Miss Hettie White speaking.
Yes, Mr. Parker.
I'm looking at her this very moment,
safe, high and dry.
Aren't you, Kim?
Now, don't you worry, Mr. Parker.
As soon as Hazel leaves,
you come right on out.
Of course, we'll take good care...
Hello?
That means the water's
over the causeway.
Yeah, we could have water in here,
like in '58.
Barometer is still falling.
Waterspouts reported in the area.
Full gale warnings have been posted.
My fish house, it's on fire!
My fish house is on fire.
Mr. Abrams!
- If it's not there, what do we do?
- Build it again.
Let's find out.
- Isn't it beautiful?
- You sure are.
- Thanks for not crying.
- Pa, we should've taken him with us.
You haven't even looked for him.
Maybe he's under the house. Let's go see.
Maybe we'd better look inside.
Pete, you old...
Sandy, your house is okay.
- I thought I'd come and see.
- Yeah, but this bird isn't.
- It's Pete.
- Yeah, just as big a pest as ever.
It's kind of damp inside,
but it's not too bad.
- You going to see about the boat?
- Right now. Want to come?
No, not wrecked, just swamped.
But there might be some damage.
Here, son.
You bail out the dinghy
while I take a look here.
- Where?
- Over there.
- You hurt or scared?
- Just scared, I guess.
Lay to, Northern Star. Lay to, baby.
Anytime your jack is ready,
Mr. L.C. Porett.
Easy as you go.
Gee, it's so pretty up here.
Pa?
Ever see anything like that before?
Dolphins do like that every now and then.
Little right rudder, Northern Star.
Well, there are lots of stories
about dolphins.
One that Nick Velakis...
that Nick tells
about a Greek poet named Arion...
who lived some 3,000 years ago.
Once when he was sailing home
to Greece from Sicily...
lifted him up
and carried him safely to shore.
LI believe dolphins are very special animals.
They breathe air, have eyelids,
and have babies, just like people.
You mean the dolphin jumped
right out of the dinghy?
Hello, Sid.
What is it?
Porter, I thought you ought to know.
He was your friend.
"He has outsoared
the shadow of our night”
we commend the soul of Nick Velakis...
but was in spirit a brother to us all.
We commit his body to the deep.
Amen.
Nick Velakis was killed by the sea,
but he wasn't defeated by it.
In there, young man. Put it in there.
Porter, knew I'd catch you
on the way back.
Sorry I couldn't attend,
but the living come first.
Lou Germain sent you a wire
from Ocala. He...
- Read it yourself. It's really to you.
- Thanks, Hettie.
- Come now, a little bigger.
- I wonder what's on Lou's mind.
Sandy, my father's on his way
with my cousin.
Okay.
Yes, sir. See you later. Fishing.
It's nice of Lou Germain to offer to help.
Truth is, I was gonna ask him.
It's gonna take $300 worth of credit.
Go onto the mainland, I mean.
Open a boat agency
or some inland job we talked about?
At least there'd be no red plague
or hurricanes.
- Well, there might be other things.
- I guess.
If you're gonna go to Ocala
in the morning, let's go to bed.
Would you want to live on the mainland?
Do you expect him to get all those chores
done before you get back?
He ought to.
I'll be gone at least a couple of weeks.
Dang you, Pete.
Don't you think this is heavy enough?
Beat it.
Mom, could I please...
- Thanks, Ma.
- Tired?
- Dragging tired.
- I think you've done enough for one day.
- Ma, can ll go?
- Of course.
- Hi, Sandy.
- Hi, Kim.
Dad, this is Sandy Ricks.
- Coming with us?
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir, if you know the spots.
- You're the pilot. Cast off the line.
Sandy, you remember, I told you
my cousin was coming with Dad.
Let's go find Bill.
A dolphin, Go get your pa.
Doc Barnett will know what to do.
He's taken care of everybody here.
It's a slight concussion,
but he's going to be all right.
If Bill's okay,
could we go back to Silver Cove now?
My pa taught me to put a dog, or a cat,
or any animal out of its pain...
She may want me to take Bill
to the family doctor.
- It won't take long, Dad.
- Please, sir?
Dad.
Kim, it's not that I don't want to.
Bill's mother would never forgive me.
Please.
Ma!
Go ahead.
Are you hurt that bad?
Just a flipper or something?
I can't leave you here to die.
Can't you move at all?
- Sandy?
- Where did you go?
- Nowhere.
- What did you do?
- Nothing.
Supper will be ready in a minute.
Didn't you go out with Kim and her father?
- Mom?
- Yes?
- Sandy, you been up to something?
- No, Ma, only...
Sandy, what?
I've got an 8 foot dying dolphin
in the fish pen.
About 8 feet.
Now you go wash up for supper.
I think I'll have a look.
- He got speared.
- That poor thing.
What'll we do, Ma?
Same thing I'd do for any animal.
Get me the kitchen knife and the iodine.
Then I just towed him home.
"Where did you go? What did you do?"
Sandy, that water's freezing.
You want to catch your death of cold?
Back to bed.
Yes, Mom. I just wanted to see
how Flipper was doing.
I named him Flipper.
Don't you think that's a good name, Ma?
Okay.
Poor Flipper.
My cousin says he's awful sorry.
Daddy took him home this morning.
It's a very bad wound.
He needs strength to recover.
He needs food.
Mom, the first shark that saw him
would kill him. He's so weak.
He'll die here, too, without food.
Couldn't we somehow... Can I...
Your pa told you
how much fish a dolphin eats.
About 15 pounds a day.
- Some days at Silver Cove, there's a lot.
- Not every day.
I guess you're right.
- I guess he doesn't like those kind of fish.
- What are we gonna do?
I don't know.
You don't feel you owe me nothing
for a day's fishing?
Our deal was for marlin,
and all we get is a bunch of trash fish.
Don't expect to see us back again, either.
Take them all.
But to get them,
you're gonna have to clean my boat.
Clean it of the smell of fish,
every board and seam.
- The devil with fish.
- Yes, sir.
Ma!
Sandy, don't do that!
Sandy, come out!
Please, Sandy.
What's the matter, Ma?
I think we better go in the house
and talk this over.
Flipper.
Mr. Abrams is bringing in fish
from the other Keys to sell here.
Mr. Abrams is not gonna
feed your dolphin.
He needs help to rebuild his fish house.
What about your own chores?
I'll do them both, mine, too.
Please, Ma, let me try.
You can try for a while.
first thing in the morning.
All right, it's a deal.
- In fish?
- In fish. Start nailing up the board.
Hey, Kim Parker says you got a porpoise
at your place that does tricks.
I've been out to your place
a couple of times.
- I can prove I'm not a liar.
- How?
Tomorrow afternoon.
- Hi, Charlie.
- Hi.
Watch him get it.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Go get this, Flipper.
Flipper, dance. Come on.
Flipper, do you love me?
Do you love me, Flipper?
Po telephoned.
I said, Po telephoned. He'll be in tonight.
That boy of yours
sure has a way with critters, ain't he?
- Po figures to be in about midnight.
- Thank you, Baxter.
- It seemed like 10 weeks.
- It sure did.
That's why I didn't stop
to put the boat in the water.
Maybe it's not right, keeping you out here.
But, Martha, 10 days in Ocala
decided me all over again.
I couldn't trade this
for jammed sidewalks, auto smoke...
all that hurry.
Unless you said you wanted to.
I don't want to.
None of the work's been done. Martha?
Well, Po, the day after you left,
it so happened that a dolphin...
This will take a while. We better go inside.
Pa, watch this.
Come on out, son. I want to talk to you.
Pretty good, huh, Pa?
It's like the old stories
Nick used to tell about.
You'll figure some way, won't you, Pa?
Where? The boat's ready. I'll need the pen.
Couldn't we dig another maybe?
It took a month and $500
to blast that one out of the coral.
Sandy, the dolphin's well again.
Let him go free.
Pa, he's come to be my friend.
He's a friend
who's kept you from your work.
Not one thing finished
in the 10 days I was gone.
I'll do my work. Honest.
- What about your own chores?
- I'll do them, too.
Son, you've tried that before.
It just didn't work out.
Do you remember Stella Velakis
at the funeral?
Didn't she love her husband?
Sandy, for you, this may be the first time.
I know it hurts.
I can't.
Flipper, come back.
I sure hope we find Flipper.
I never prayed so hard in my life
as I did this morning.
Flipper!
Have you thought about
what I said the other day?
About losing things and people you love?
What we've got to make up our minds to
is to find fish.
Look ahead to better days, new friends.
Boy, am I ever glad to see you.
- You say something?
- No, sir.
Stay down.
Pa doesn't think you're a good influence.
Sandy, you'll fall overboard.
Where are you going?
You want us to follow you?
I thought I did.
Well, hang on.
Sandy, come here.
Pa, look!
Healthy, live pompano.
- What made you try off Green Point?
- Sandy saw them jumping.
Tomorrow, I'll go back at first light.
Son, by the way, when I'm gone,
will you fix that wire?
Okay.
You didn't have to stay away that long.
Flipper, come here.
Flipper, come up here.
Flipper, don't do that.
Hey, where are you?
You ate all of Pa's pompano.
That dolphin got every last one of them.
Pompano's selling in Ocala
for better than $1 a pound...
What have you got to say for yourself?
Yes, sir.
What's wrong with you, boy?
Or are you nine, or seven, or five?
A child who doesn't have the sense
to know what his next meal depends on?
Answer me! The fence, the yard, the nets.
Not one of your chores done,
and now this.
Are you growing up or down?
Or are you hanging on to a feed-me-
dress-me-blow-my-nose childhood?
Answer me!
If he could.
- Sandy, you better go to your room.
- One more thing.
Tomorrow you'll go out by yourself...
and by yourself you'll find the fish
to replace what that dolphin ate.
He's got to grow up.
Nevertheless, he is a boy.
He's hurt, he's crying.
The way you told him? Shouting?
Nearly taking his head off?
You should have stopped me.
- Look, Martha, I love that boy--
- Then why don't you tell him?
- Men just don't talk that way.
- Maybe they should.
Maybe.
Look, sweetheart, I grew up with the sea.
The sea is never soft.
And he is a fisherman's son.
Where are you going?
There's never been fish there.
What made you try?
- I just had a feeling.
- Never mind why. Let's go back and see.
This time, I'll make sure
the fish gate stays closed.
- But Flipper was the one that--
- Flipper can find his own fish.
Sandy, you keep it going with Mr. Porett,
will you?
- I'll be at your place at 7:00 a.m.
- Good.
Smells good.
Lord, whose bounty sustains us,
we ask thy favor.
Strengthen our will to serve thee in peace.
We thank thee, O Lord...
Pa, when the Lord brings forth food
he gets help sometimes, doesn't he?
The Lord helps those
who help themselves.
Sometimes wouldn't the Lord
ask dolphins to help people?
What's on your mind, Sandy?
It was Flipper who led me
to Kingman Reef.
- Flipper?
- Yes, Pa.
It doesn't matter. Try to understand, son.
they eat our fish,
they chase the rest away.
They may be your friends.
Even Flipper.
Where are you?
Dolphins. Hundreds of them.
If we kill a few, maybe the rest will run.
Look, Po, there's one that got inside.
I'll get him.
So after Flipper killed the shark...
he lifted me up
and brought me back to you.
Just like you told us about Arion,
the Greek poet.
You believe me, don't you, Pa?
Aren't there plenty for all of us?
I think it was written for us today...
to share with the dolphins,
not to kill them.
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