Flipper (1964–1967): Season 2, Episode 5 - Coral Fever - full transcript
Flipper is injured during an explosions and the doctor announces that Flipper may not live. Porter tries to get to the bottom of who set off that explosion and why while the boys take vigil at Flipper's side, praying he pulls through.
♫ We call him Flipper, Flipper
♫ You'll see him smiling'
♫ 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
- What's that, Dad?
- It's a piece of gem coral, Sandy.
Here, take a look at it, it's very rare.
- Looks some of that red coral up
the other end of the park.
- Yeah, well I thought
that was the only place
you could get it, but
a lot of this stuff's
been turning up in town.
- Poachers, do you suppose?
- Well, it could be, Bud.
Well, we'll talk about this later.
Let's get those boxes unloaded.
- Where you going?
- Just to tell Flipper that we're back.
- You think he doesn't know?
He can hear an ant stamp his foot.
- Flipper!
Flipper!
Flipper, we're home!
Flipper!
Flipper, what's the matter?!
Dad, Dad, come here, quick!
Something's wrong with Flipper?
- What is it, Bud?
- Flipper's hurt!
- Flipper, what's the matter?
Flipper!
Dad, hurry!
- What's the matter with him?
- Well, look at him!
- Sandy, get Flipper's float, hurry.
- Dad, is he gonna die?
- No, he'll be alright,
son, he'll be alright.
It's okay, Flipper, it's
alright, Flipper, you'll be okay.
Come on, Sandy, hurry up!
It's alright, Bud, he'll be fine.
You'll be fine, old fella.
It's alright, Flipper.
It's alright, old fella,
you'll be alright.
- What do you suppose is
the matter with him, Dad?
- I don't know, Sandy, but
dolphins usually beach themselves
when they're sick.
- He's in a bad way, isn't he?
- I think so, Bud.
I'd better call Dr. Drew at the Seaquarium
and have him come over and examine him.
Alright, let's get this
poor guy back in the water.
Come on, Flipper, easy does it.
Easy does it, fella.
That's the boy.
- Well, you
boys sure look hungry.
- Hi Mr. Hobson.
- Well, what will it be?
One of our special burgers?
Or a mile long hot dog
smothered with chili
and melted cheese, what do you say?
- Nothing for me, Mr. Hobson, but thanks.
- I don't get it.
Oh, I meant on the house,
of course, my treat.
- It's not that, Mr. Hobson.
It's because of Flipper
that we're not hungry.
- Flipper?
- Our pet dolphin.
- Well, he does look like he's gone
through pretty heavy weather, for a fact.
Any ideas on what's the matter?
- My dad's phoning the
vet over at the Seaquarium
to come and examine him.
- I see, I wish you
good luck with Flipper.
I really mean it, I hope
he's gets well again.
Meantime, consider
you've got a rain check.
- Thanks, Mr. Hobson.
- Yeah.
- Any change?
- Just the same, poor guy.
- Well, Dr. Drew's on his way over.
- Good.
- Well, what's the verdict, Paul?
- Not very good, I'm afraid,
especially for a dolphin.
- What do you mean, what's
the matter with him?
- I'm afraid he's deaf.
- Deaf?
- You mean he can't hear me?
It could be much worse, couldn't it?
- Not for a dolphin.
- Your brother's right, son.
A dolphin's hearing is
his most important sense.
In fact, it's vital.
He lives by his built-in sonar.
He finds food with it, protects himself.
Without it...
- Paul, couldn't it be temporary?
- It depends on what caused it.
It's my guess it was an
underwater concussion,
like an explosion.
- An explosion!
- In which case, whether
it's temporary or not
whether how big the explosion was
or how near Flipper was to it.
If he were within a hundred yards of it,
I'm afraid he might be permanently deaf.
- So what'll happen to him, Dad?
- Well, we can't send
him out to sea this way,
he's completely helpless.
If he goes out by himself,
he'll either kill himself
or be killed by some sea creature.
- Couldn't we keep him
here in the pen, Dad?
- In most cases where this
has happened to a dolphin
they've had to destroy him.
- Destroy him? No!
- Wait a minute, Bud, wait a minute.
Paul, isn't there anything we can do?
- Well, we don't have to
do anything right away.
The loss of hearing could be temporary,
or he could adjust living to a pen.
The most important thing
to do is to watch him.
If he starts acting strangely
or frantically, call me.
- Right.
- Now, you know where I'll be, son.
I'm gonna go down to
the far end of the park
and see if there's been
anybody at that red coral.
And while I'm gone, Sandy, if,
well, if Flipper should
start acting strange,
I want you to call Dr. Drew right away.
- But Dad, he's not running
into the fence anymore,
maybe he's getting better.
- I don't think so, Sandy.
I think he just knows
that the fence is there.
I don't want you to get
your hopes up too high, son.
- It'd be awfully tough
to have to call Dr. Drew.
- I know that, Sandy,
but sometimes we have to do what's right,
even though it is rough.
- You can count on us, Dad.
- I know I can, son.
- How is he?
- About the same.
- Harry! Harry Hobson!
- Hey, he snapped out of it, Sandy!
- He hasn't snapped out of it, Bud.
He's doing just what Dr.
Drew said he was gonna do.
He's frantic.
- He's not frantic!
- Now we're gonna have
to do just what dad said,
call the doctor, I promised him.
- No, Sandy, look, he's not frantic.
I tell ya, he just wants out of his pen.
Oh Sandy, please, please,
we can follow him.
- But you heard what Dr. Drew said.
The other creatures will kill him.
- No, they won't, not if
we stay there with him.
Please, Sandy, please!
- Well, okay, you open the gate.
I'll get the skiff.
- Where'd he go?
- Way out there!
- Where did Flipper go?
- There he is, over there.
Look, there's something
floating over there, Sandy!
See!
Look, it's Dad!
- That was a close one, boys, too close.
- What happened, Dad?
- Well, I, I followed
Hobson into the water
and then, and then there was an explosion.
- Harry Hobson?
- Yeah, yeah, he's the poacher.
He's the one that's been
setting the explosions.
Now wait a minute, Hobson.
Alright, Sandy, into the beach, come on.
- Alright, cut it!
You're in enough trouble as it is.
Now, what's going on, Hobson?
- I never meant to hurt
anybody, Mr. Ricks.
Not even Flipper.
You must believe that.
- You're lucky the
charge is only poaching.
It could have been murder.
You can thank these boys for that.
- It wasn't Bud or I, Dad.
It was our deaf dolphin.
- Yeah, he must have heard the explosion.
That's why he was so excited
and wanted to get out of his pen.
Hey, but wait a minute!
If he heard the explosion, that
means he's not deaf, right?
- Well, that makes sense to me, Bud.
- Can you hear me,
Flipper, are you alright?
You see that, he heard me!
- Alright, let's go, get the boat, boys.
- Come on, Flipper, let's go home.
♫ When you're feeling' sad
♫ When you're feeling' 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
♫ You'll see him smiling'
♫ 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
- What's that, Dad?
- It's a piece of gem coral, Sandy.
Here, take a look at it, it's very rare.
- Looks some of that red coral up
the other end of the park.
- Yeah, well I thought
that was the only place
you could get it, but
a lot of this stuff's
been turning up in town.
- Poachers, do you suppose?
- Well, it could be, Bud.
Well, we'll talk about this later.
Let's get those boxes unloaded.
- Where you going?
- Just to tell Flipper that we're back.
- You think he doesn't know?
He can hear an ant stamp his foot.
- Flipper!
Flipper!
Flipper, we're home!
Flipper!
Flipper, what's the matter?!
Dad, Dad, come here, quick!
Something's wrong with Flipper?
- What is it, Bud?
- Flipper's hurt!
- Flipper, what's the matter?
Flipper!
Dad, hurry!
- What's the matter with him?
- Well, look at him!
- Sandy, get Flipper's float, hurry.
- Dad, is he gonna die?
- No, he'll be alright,
son, he'll be alright.
It's okay, Flipper, it's
alright, Flipper, you'll be okay.
Come on, Sandy, hurry up!
It's alright, Bud, he'll be fine.
You'll be fine, old fella.
It's alright, Flipper.
It's alright, old fella,
you'll be alright.
- What do you suppose is
the matter with him, Dad?
- I don't know, Sandy, but
dolphins usually beach themselves
when they're sick.
- He's in a bad way, isn't he?
- I think so, Bud.
I'd better call Dr. Drew at the Seaquarium
and have him come over and examine him.
Alright, let's get this
poor guy back in the water.
Come on, Flipper, easy does it.
Easy does it, fella.
That's the boy.
- Well, you
boys sure look hungry.
- Hi Mr. Hobson.
- Well, what will it be?
One of our special burgers?
Or a mile long hot dog
smothered with chili
and melted cheese, what do you say?
- Nothing for me, Mr. Hobson, but thanks.
- I don't get it.
Oh, I meant on the house,
of course, my treat.
- It's not that, Mr. Hobson.
It's because of Flipper
that we're not hungry.
- Flipper?
- Our pet dolphin.
- Well, he does look like he's gone
through pretty heavy weather, for a fact.
Any ideas on what's the matter?
- My dad's phoning the
vet over at the Seaquarium
to come and examine him.
- I see, I wish you
good luck with Flipper.
I really mean it, I hope
he's gets well again.
Meantime, consider
you've got a rain check.
- Thanks, Mr. Hobson.
- Yeah.
- Any change?
- Just the same, poor guy.
- Well, Dr. Drew's on his way over.
- Good.
- Well, what's the verdict, Paul?
- Not very good, I'm afraid,
especially for a dolphin.
- What do you mean, what's
the matter with him?
- I'm afraid he's deaf.
- Deaf?
- You mean he can't hear me?
It could be much worse, couldn't it?
- Not for a dolphin.
- Your brother's right, son.
A dolphin's hearing is
his most important sense.
In fact, it's vital.
He lives by his built-in sonar.
He finds food with it, protects himself.
Without it...
- Paul, couldn't it be temporary?
- It depends on what caused it.
It's my guess it was an
underwater concussion,
like an explosion.
- An explosion!
- In which case, whether
it's temporary or not
whether how big the explosion was
or how near Flipper was to it.
If he were within a hundred yards of it,
I'm afraid he might be permanently deaf.
- So what'll happen to him, Dad?
- Well, we can't send
him out to sea this way,
he's completely helpless.
If he goes out by himself,
he'll either kill himself
or be killed by some sea creature.
- Couldn't we keep him
here in the pen, Dad?
- In most cases where this
has happened to a dolphin
they've had to destroy him.
- Destroy him? No!
- Wait a minute, Bud, wait a minute.
Paul, isn't there anything we can do?
- Well, we don't have to
do anything right away.
The loss of hearing could be temporary,
or he could adjust living to a pen.
The most important thing
to do is to watch him.
If he starts acting strangely
or frantically, call me.
- Right.
- Now, you know where I'll be, son.
I'm gonna go down to
the far end of the park
and see if there's been
anybody at that red coral.
And while I'm gone, Sandy, if,
well, if Flipper should
start acting strange,
I want you to call Dr. Drew right away.
- But Dad, he's not running
into the fence anymore,
maybe he's getting better.
- I don't think so, Sandy.
I think he just knows
that the fence is there.
I don't want you to get
your hopes up too high, son.
- It'd be awfully tough
to have to call Dr. Drew.
- I know that, Sandy,
but sometimes we have to do what's right,
even though it is rough.
- You can count on us, Dad.
- I know I can, son.
- How is he?
- About the same.
- Harry! Harry Hobson!
- Hey, he snapped out of it, Sandy!
- He hasn't snapped out of it, Bud.
He's doing just what Dr.
Drew said he was gonna do.
He's frantic.
- He's not frantic!
- Now we're gonna have
to do just what dad said,
call the doctor, I promised him.
- No, Sandy, look, he's not frantic.
I tell ya, he just wants out of his pen.
Oh Sandy, please, please,
we can follow him.
- But you heard what Dr. Drew said.
The other creatures will kill him.
- No, they won't, not if
we stay there with him.
Please, Sandy, please!
- Well, okay, you open the gate.
I'll get the skiff.
- Where'd he go?
- Way out there!
- Where did Flipper go?
- There he is, over there.
Look, there's something
floating over there, Sandy!
See!
Look, it's Dad!
- That was a close one, boys, too close.
- What happened, Dad?
- Well, I, I followed
Hobson into the water
and then, and then there was an explosion.
- Harry Hobson?
- Yeah, yeah, he's the poacher.
He's the one that's been
setting the explosions.
Now wait a minute, Hobson.
Alright, Sandy, into the beach, come on.
- Alright, cut it!
You're in enough trouble as it is.
Now, what's going on, Hobson?
- I never meant to hurt
anybody, Mr. Ricks.
Not even Flipper.
You must believe that.
- You're lucky the
charge is only poaching.
It could have been murder.
You can thank these boys for that.
- It wasn't Bud or I, Dad.
It was our deaf dolphin.
- Yeah, he must have heard the explosion.
That's why he was so excited
and wanted to get out of his pen.
Hey, but wait a minute!
If he heard the explosion, that
means he's not deaf, right?
- Well, that makes sense to me, Bud.
- Can you hear me,
Flipper, are you alright?
You see that, he heard me!
- Alright, let's go, get the boat, boys.
- Come on, Flipper, let's go home.
♫ When you're feeling' sad
♫ When you're feeling' 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