Flipper (1964–1967): Season 2, Episode 25 - Flipper Joins the Navy: Part 1 - full transcript

A troubled Dolphin worth a million dollars is having nervous breakdowns. Porter and Flipper are called in to see if they can figure out how to help him.

- Tough Guy, again?

- I'm afraid so.

Here he comes.

He's going towards the gate.

He's going to try to break out again.

- The Navy's got over a million dollars

in this research project
and it all hangs on him.

He's got to be cured.

- Commander, I have tried everything.

Nervous breakdown or whatever it is,

I haven't been able to diagnose it.



Oh Tough Guy, don't.

It's all over, he's worn himself out.

- I'd say bring in a specialist

if the Navy had one who knew any more

about dolphins than you do.

- Commander,

maybe a non-scientific practical approach.

Ranger Ricks at Coral Key,

his boys has had a pet dolphin for years.

- Maybe out of their
experience, a lead, something.

- Commander, let's call them.

- Alright, let's go.

You two men stay close by.

♫ 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

- Alright Flipper, now
when I give you the signal.

- Well, we'll be very happy to, Commander,

if you think we'll be of some help.

Roger and out.

Bud, how'd you like to visit the Navy?

- Do you mean that Navy project
that Ulla is working on?

- That's right.

- You bet!

Hey Flipper, Sandy thought
it was a big deal going

on a campout, we're
going to visit the Navy.

- Hang on.

- Come on, Flipper.

- Alright, here he comes now.

This is Tough Guy, one
of the research tests

before he got these attacks.

The first thing the Navy
wanted us to find out

is whether the dolphins depend
on their eyes to guide them.

Now, see his eyes are open.

- Flipper uses his eyes
underwater and on top.

- We're convinced now that dolphins

use more than their eyes.

See, those patches cover
his eyes completely

but he goes right through
the hoops just as fast.

- Gee whiz, how does he do it?

- We think they have a
built-in sonar system.

That's why the Navy's interested.

- We're convinced they
can teach us a few things.

- Judging the amount of time
I've spent with Flipper,

I'd say he's got the intelligence.

- As you know, the dolphin
has a high potential

as a work animal.

Now, here's Tough Guy in harness.

He's opened our eyes to new
possibilities for communication.

- We were getting him
ready for other experiments

when he got sick.

He has the necessary
intelligence, all right.

Here's one of the tests he passed.

The apparatus there at poolside
is a sort of a vending machine,

it's stocked with fish.

- You mean if he presses the
right button, he gets a fish.

- We didn't make
it that easy for him.

He's given several different signals

and only one is the right one

and he had to learn which
one would get him the food.

- If he answers the right
signal, then he gets a fish.

- We made it even harder.

He had to respond to the right signal

within five seconds by pressing the lever.

There!

He did it again.

- How long did it take
him to learn to do that?

- It took us three weeks
to build the apparatus

and him about two minutes
to learn how to operate it.

- This temper tantrum he's having,

have you got any idea what's causing it?

- We don't really know, Porter.

Sometimes, like this morning for instance,

it just happened without warning.

- What we do know is that
five hundred thousand dollars

of our procreation goes down
the drain if we don't cure him.

- Dad, do you remember the time

that Flipper lost his temper with me?

- Right, Bud.

- And then we found out that
the day before it happened,

some kids had been teasing him.

Well, maybe that's the
trouble with Tough Guy.

- Well, we were allowing Sunday visitors

until he started to have these attacks.

- I've got an idea.

Why don't we introduce him to a new face,

someone he's not familiar with?

And see what kind of reaction that causes.

- What do you think?

- I've got my diving gear in the boat.

- Let's try it.

If anyone knows dolphins, it's Porter.

. Okay-

- Alright, here I go.

- Hold on a minute.

What about the danger?

Now I know that Tough Guy's
never attacked anyone but...

- Dolphins never attack
a human being, sir.

Flipper wouldn't, I know that.

- I gotta go along with Bud.

It's against their nature
to attack a human being.

- Alright but be careful.

Remember Tough Guy isn't Flipper.

Easy now, easy.

- Alright, Tough Guy, you're not so tough.

Nobody's gonna hurt you.

Take it easy boy.

Take it easy.

- Look out, Porter.

' Dad!

- Ricks, get out!

- I'm alright, now
everybody just settle down.

Alright, now take it easy Tough Guy.

- For awhile there, I
thought you were a goner.

Dolphins have killed
even sharks by ramming.

- Well, Tough Guy could've
hit me but he didn't.

- Dad, Dad, look!

I think Flipper made him quiet down.

- Did you say that Tough Guy

was having some sort
of a nervous breakdown?

- Yes.

- You know some doctors recommend

a change of scene for that condition.

- What do you mean?

.Dad?

Do you mean that we should
take Tough Guy to our pen

and let Flipper play
with him and help him?

- That's what I've got in mind, Bud.

- Well, we haven't been able
to do him any good here.

- Here, let it down right here.

- Let's lower the ropes.

Let me have your ropes, Mr. Ricks.

- Alright.

- There we go.

- Thank you, gentlemen.

- Dad, now can I go in?

- Alright Bud, go ahead.

Now, the idea here is
to let Tough Guy

see Bud and Flipper playing.

- When you see affection,
you want affection.

- Let's hope.

Tough Guy seems interested.

- Hey Dad.

How about letting Flipper feed Tough Guy?

That'll make 'em friends.

- That's a good idea, Bud.

Come on up.

- You are going to give Flipper the fish

and he's going to give 'em to Tough Guy?

- Sure.

Here you are, Bud.

Here's a fish.

Now watch this.

- Flipper.

Now here, I want you to give
this to Tough Guy, understand?

Hey, I said Tough Guy, not you!

Now Flipper, give this to Tough Guy.

I'm not fooling.

Hey Flipper, I won't play
with you for a whole week

if you don't give it
this time, understand?

Now come on, Flipper.

- I don't believe it.

- How about that?

- Now if this doesn't convince Tough Guy

that Flipper's his friend.

Dad, do you suppose we could put Flipper

in the pen with Tough Guy?

- What do you think?

It's your dolphin.

- Well, they seem friendly enough.

But let me get Tough
Guy away from the gate.

- Alright.

- Here Tough Guy.

Tough Guy, come on.

- Alright Bud, open the gate.

- Come on, Flipper, come on through.

Through the gate.

- Bring the harness.

I'm going to try to put in on him.

Two weeks ago I tried to and he refused it

but if he lets me do it now,

I'll know being here is good for him.

Alright boys, let's go.

I'm going to tell the Commander

that I am sure we are
on our way to a cure.

- Well good, you can use
our telephone if you want.

Bud, you get washed up
and we'll have lunch.

- Dad, dad, Tough Guy's broken out.

- We have just lost the dolphin
worth a half million dollars

to the United States Navy.

- A half a million dollars?

Dad, what are we going to do?

- Bud, we're going to find that dolphin

and bring him back if we can.

- Flipper'll help, won't you, Flipper?

♫ Everyone loves the king of the sea

♫ Ever so kind and gentle is he

♫ Tricks he will do when children are near

♫ 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