Flipper (1964–1967): Season 2, Episode 7 - The Ditching: Part 1 - full transcript

Sandy talks Porter into letting him travel with Flipper in the plane while Porter stays on the Island with the pretty lady. Flipper is on his way to the lab to be studied for awhile. But a flock of birds puts Flipper, Sandy, and the others on the plane in grave danger.

- Flipper, let's go back, Flipper,

or we'll be late to the plane.

Flipper, Flipper

Flipper.

I've got Flipper, dad.

- Flipper, look what I've got.

How about that, huh?

- Gosh, dad, it's almost as if

he knew he was going on a trip.

- Yeah.

- Except he doesn't know the kind of trip,



or what's in store for him.

Maybe I ought to give up
the whole idea.

- Why?

You've done all the work.

You've made all the preparations.

Besides, this trip isn't
gonna hurt him any at all.

That's right.

- It's true.

I can learn so much more about him

at Bonita Island Lab under
controlled conditions

than I can here.

- I guess things are a little
out of control around here.

- No, not at all, Porter.

I think they are too much under control.



- Alright, Flipper, if you want it

that bad, you can have it.

Be my guest.

Come on, let's get this show on the road.

- Hope you won't mind the
trip too much, Flipper.

Remember, it's all in the name of science.

- Just think, you're
going on an airplane ride.

♫ 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

- How's Flipper doing back there?

- Fine.

He just likes to complain.

- Like any self respecting dolphin,

he'd rather swim than ride.

- Can't say I blame him.

- Actually, I think he's enjoyed

working with you, Ulla.

I know we have.

- It's been fun for me, too.

You know, it's the first time

I've ever been chaperoned
by a boy and a dolphin.

- Well, we don't always have
to be chaperoned, you know.

- Isn't that the airport?

- Yeah, uh huh.

Hello, Mac.

- Hello, Porter.

- How are you?

- Fine.

- How's the weather
between here and Bonita?

- Some fog possible, but it's
clear over the main strip.

Porter, aren't you going to
introduce us to the lady?

- Well, I suppose I have to, don't I?

Ulla, this is Mac Newton and Len Dollings.

Your pilot and your co-pilot.

Gentleman, this is miss Ulla Norstrand.

Miss Norstrand's an oceanographer.

- Oceanographer?

The only oceanographer I
ever knew wore a beard.

- I've been thinking of growing one.

Might make me more impressive.

- Don't, you make a fine impression now.

What's the drill, Porter?

- Well, we wanna get the
dolphin back in the water

at the marine biology lab in Bonita

as soon as possible.

Now, miss Norstrand will
go along with Flipper.

- Sure wish I was going with him.

- Oh, couldn't he go
instead of me, Porter?

It will give me some extra time

to make more photographs
before I go to the lab.

Or that is if you wouldn't mind

sailing with me tomorrow to Bonita
and picking Sandy up.

- Can I go, dad?

- Alright, Sandy.

That is if it's alright with Mac.

Mac?

- Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.

. Okay-

- Come on, Sandy.

- Thanks, dad.

Bye dad.

. Bye, Sandy.

- You're not worried, are you?

- What?

No, no, no.

Well, Bud's away visiting his grandmother,

and I'll miss him, that's all.

- It would be nice to think

that you would be thinking of me

for the rest of the day.

- Well, that won't be too hard to do.

Shall we?

- Ulla, look at that.

Isn't that beautiful?

Oh, take a picture of that.

Good.

They should be landing in Bonita by now.

- Barely, Porter.

You are worried about
something, aren't you?

- Not really.

It's just a feeling I have.

I can't explain it.

- Oh, you don't have to explain it.

You take your responsibility as a father

very seriously, don't you?

- I guess so.

- I admire that.

- Well, we better get back up topside.

- Oh, stop complaining, Flipper.

You wanted to go on this trip, didn't you?

Just think, you may be the
only dolphin in the world

to ever fly in an airplane.

Oh alright.

Look at it this way.

If you don't care about becoming famous,

think of Bud and me.

I can write an essay on it for school.

Maybe get it published in a magazine.

I might even win a prize.

You know something.

Just between you and me,

I don't care if I never become famous.

Just as long as Bud and dad

and you and I can always be together.

- Let's go back and check
on our friends, will ya?

' AV a)!' Skipper.

Well, how are things going back here?

- Fine, thanks.

- I didn't know a fish could live

out of water like this.

- Flipper's not a fish.

Dolphins are mammals.

They breathe air.

That's why I have to keep
his blowhole uncovered.

- He must be pretty bright, huh?

- Must be.

That's why Flipper's being
taken to the Bonita Lab.

They wanna do some research on him,

and see if they can get him to talk.

- Talk?

- That's right.

There's lots of work being done.

Trying to establish some sort of language

of communication between
dolphins and people.

Of course Bud, that's my brother, and me,

we've gotten Flipper
to talk to us in a way.

We can understand by the
different sounds he makes.

- Oh you mean he can make
more than one sound, huh?

- Lots of them.

Here, listen.

- What does that mean?

- Ulla Norstrand, she's been making

recordings of dolphin
language for the Bonita Lab.

Do you wanna hear some?

- Sure.

What sound's that supposed to mean?

- Well, that's sort of a call for help.

That's when he's trying
to attract attention.

We're not sure what this one means yet.

My brother Bud says it means
that Flipper wants his supper.

Right now, he says he wants out.

Just think of it as an
experience,Flipper

- Hey, would you be interested
in touring the cockpit?

- You mean it?

- Included with no extra charge.

- But I have to stay
here to keep Flipper wet.

- Oh, I'll take over here, you go ahead.

- Thanks.

- You couldn't have gone
if you had been invited.

- How high are we?

- Oh, pretty high, Sandy.

There's some thunder clouds
between here and Bonita,

so we changed our course and altitude

trying to get around them or over them.

- Neat.

Tell me, what's the little gizmo

that looks like a toy airplane.

- That's the artificial horizon.

Tells us whether we're
banging to the right

or banging to the left.

- Boy! You think you could teach me

to fly one of these things?

- Sure! Let's give it a few years, huh?

- Don't worry boy, we'll
be there almost any minute.

How'd you like our little aircraft?

- Boy! I'm gonna be a pilot
as soon as I'm old enough.

- We'll be happy to
welcome you in the club.

- Hey, Len, look!

We're in the middle of
a whole flock of them!

I'll try to get over them.

- It's alright, Flipper.

We just hit an air pocket or something.

I'll go take a look.

- They hit the port engine.

They bent the prop.

Pull the mixture back!

The cargo must've shifted.

I can't hold her.

We're losing altitude.

We may have to ditch, Len.

- It's alright, Flipper.

It's alright.

- Emergency! Emergency!

Bonita Tower, this is
Oceanic Airways Flight 17.

We're on our last leg into Bonita Island.

Bonita Tower!

Bonita Tower, come in please!

- Listen to this will ya!

Buzz Gorman hit a homer
in the third, and then...

- Bonita Tower, this
is Bonita Tower, over.

- Bonita Tower, Bonita Tower,

come in please.

- This is Bonita Tower, come in please.

- Bonita Tower, come in please.

- Something's happened.

- Who was it?

- Oceanic Flight 17, I think.

Their signal was barely audible,

and then it went off completely.

- Hey wasn't that the plane
bringing that dolphin over here

for experiments at the lab?

- Bonita Tower, Bonita Tower!

Emergency! Emergency!

We are ditching!

Ditching in ocean
approximately 80 miles south

southeast of Miami.

Do you read me?

Over.

- KMPO297,

KMPO297,

this is Bonita Tower.

- The radio's gone.

Those birds must have
knocked the antenna loose.

- It's alright, Flipper!

Don't worry, Flipper, it's alright!

- Oceanic Flight 17, come in please.

Oceanic Flight 17, can you hear me?

- Go back and prepare
that boy for ditching.

I can't hold this thing
in the air much longer.

- What?

- I didn't say anything.

- I'm sorry.

- Well, what is it, Porter?

You were talking and
then you stopped suddenly

right in the middle of a sentence.

- Hand me that radio phone.

They should have called me back by now.

Coral Key Operations,
this is Porter Ricks,

come in please.

- Next time, take the plane.

- What?

- Catch me inviting myself on
a boat ride with you again.

- Coral Key Airport
Operations, go ahead.

- You were gonna call me

when you had word on Oceanic Airlines.

- The plane is overdue

and contact with it was
lost 30 minutes ago.

- Oh no! No!

- The Coastguard's
organizing a search

and you are going to be part of it.

Stand by, one.

- Porter, I am so sorry.

- It's not your fault, Ulla.

Whatever happens, it's not your fault.

♫ 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

♫ ls smarter than he

♫ And we know Flipper

♫ Lives in a world full of wonder

♫ Lying there under

♫ Under the sea