Flipper (1964–1967): Season 3, Episode 23 - The Firing Line: Part 1 - full transcript

- I know I can count on you boys

to take care of things while I'm gone.

- We'll be fine dad.

- Sandy I had the radio
removed from its fittings

in the launch, I want you to take it over

and give it to Abner and have him fix it.

I've already called him about it, OK?

- OK.

- And if any important
mail comes you can open it.

Well I guess I'm all set.

Flipper!



I want you to take good care
of the boys while I'm gone!

There was nothing to worry about.

I had to leave for a while but,

I knew the boys could take
care of themselves all right.

Besides they had plenty of work to do

getting their diving gear in shape.

I was going to the Marine Testing Lab

Well I guess I'm all set.

it was the one that I'd helped them catch.

After that I was to survey
a newly acquired section

of the park which we were setting aside

as a bird sanctuary.

- Dad said I should open his mail.

- Dad said we should open the mail.



- Well you could open
it and I could open it.

- Seems kinda funny opening
dad's mail doesn't it?

- Yeah.

Bills.
- More bills.

- What's this?

- Careful with that Bud,
it's a government check.

That's what you use to pay these bills.

- No, no, this.

- That's a computer card.

Government uses them
for official business.

- Really official, important stuff?

'Cause look what's stamped on it.

- Termination pay.

- Doesn't that mean like
the last, the ending?

This is dad's last
paycheck, he's been fired!

- Fired?

♫ 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

- Yes, that's what
the government card said,

termination pay, which
is official for fired.

Of course, I wasn't there to see it.

Bud and Sandy faced the news alone.

- Boy.

Quiet Flipper, this is awful.

- Will we really have to leave here?

- Sure looks that way.

- But we can't!

This is where we live,
all our friends are here.

We'd have to leave Flipper!

We will have to leave won't we?

Can't you say anything?

- Be quiet Bud, I'm trying to think!

- What good's that gonna do?

- Maybe if I got a job.

- I could get my old paper route back!

- We could make enough money to stay here.

'Cept for one thing.

We could never earn enough
money to pay bills like these.

- I never knew we were so expensive.

Think we ought to call dad
and tell him he's been fired?

- I guess so.

Wait a minute.

I know what let's do.

We'll get dad another job, a new job.

So that when he comes back he won't have

anything to worry about
and we won't have to leave!

- Do you mean not call him and tell him?

- Wouldn't you rather get
him a job and surprise him?

- Sure!

- Then what are we waiting here for?

Let go to town, come on.

- Don't forget the radio.

- Now this next test'll be to determine

the dolphin's sonar ability.

We're sure now that dolphins
have a built-in sonar system

much better than anything
humans have developed.

- Yeah they're pretty
fantastic aren't they?

Well let's see how he does.

- All right.

- Now we'll put these blindfolds on

to see how good his
underwater sense really is.

You know these dolphins are amazing.

They can hear five times
as much as a person.

They send off a high-pitched call

and they can tell by
the way it bounces back

from an object, the size, the shape,

and even how far off it is.

- Well let's see how he does.

- Right through everything.
- Good.

- Well we've made photos and tapes.

Now maybe in time humans
can develop something

just as good as dolphins have right now.

- Well I hope so.

- Well that about does it.

- If you ever need any
help from Flipper or myself

don't hesitate to call.

Well I've gotta fly over to Aligator Key,

there's been some trouble over there.

See you later.

Good job, good job yes.

Howdy boys!

- Hi Mr Finch.

- Brought the radio our
dad talked to you about.

- Good!

- Mr Finch, we've got a very
good friend who needs a job.

- On?

- He's great around
boats, you don't know him.

But whoever hires this
man, they'd be real lucky.

- Yeah he knows these
waters better than anybody!

- Is that right?

- Everybody likes him, and he's an expert

on just about everything.

- He's the best in the world!

- He sounds like a mighty good man!

Your daddy know him?

- Sort of.

- But we can't tell you who he is.

- Yeah so don't ask.

- Oh no.

No, I wouldn't want you to tell me who.

- Mm hmm.

- Let me see.

Hey!

Why don't we go over
and talk to this fella

on the construction barge?

Come on!
- Great.

- So you can see from
what these boys tell me,

he's one of the best men in these parts.

- The best.

- Well if he's all you say he is,

a construction crew like ours
can always handle a good man.

He's hired.
- That's great!

- That's fine!

- As a matter of fact, you boys came just

in the nick of time, we're
finishing up our work

in Coconut Key, as of tomorrow
we're moving down the coast.

- How far are you moving?

- A couple of days away.

- Away from Coral Key?

- He wouldn't like that.

- No, he's gotta stay right here.

- Thanks anyway mister.

- This friend of yours,
he's gotta stay here

in Coral Key, right?

- It's very important.

- That's the reason why he wants a job

so he could stay right here.

- Wait, I think I got it.

- You do?

- You see that old boat?

Well the widow McGuire who owns it

aint as spry as she used to be.

Now maybe she could use
a man aboard to help out.

- You think so?

- 'Course she's a crusty old barnacle.

And if you boys don't mind,

I'd rather you saw her by yourself!

- Thanks a lot.

- Thanks.

- That you Jane?

Uh huh, wait till you
hear what just happened.

You promise not to tell a soul?

Porter Ricks has just been fired.

Uh huh, fired!

- This was our new
bird and wildlife sanctuary.

And as I flew over this newly acquired

portion of the park, and
watched the quiet beauty

of the scene below, I
should've had the most

peaceful feeling in the world.

But for some unexplained
reason, I felt uneasy.

- Ah here you go Flipper!

OK lads.

Now that the socializin's out of the way,

to what do I owe this visit?

Surely not just to hear about this

seagoing wonder you
claim's a friend of yours.

- Well he's a real marine
expert Mrs McGuire.

- You see Mrs McGuire,
now that everyone says

you're getting old, you might need someone

to help out with your boat.

- Old? Huh.

Who the tarnation says I'm old?

You tell everybody I'm not so old

I can't manage my own
boat, thank you very much.

- Then you don't need a good
man help you out with the boat?

- He's half the expert you
make him out to be well,

why doesn't he go see the
boys over at the Navy Station?

- Good idea, the commander
of the base'll wanna know

about this expert.

I'll tell ya what.

That's not exactly my department but,

I'll write an introduction
on this card for him.

You boys know where the base is?

- Yes sir, it's just
across the gunnery range.

- Right.

You take the road down to
Long Key and turn left.

Even though today's Saturday,

the commander will be there till five.

- Thank you sir.
- That's all right.

You tell your friend if he hurries

he might be able to reach him in time.

- Thank you, thank all of you very much.

- Come on Flipper!

Listen Sandy, we're never
gonna find dad in time.

- I know, we'll go see
the commander ourselves!

We can tell him anything he needs to know!

- Sure!

We're never gonna get
there in time if we take

the way the lieutenant said.

- Well we'll cut across.

. The gunnery range?

Look Sandy, Flipper doesn't
want us to cross it.

- It's OK Flipper, the Navy
never fires on Saturday.

- I flew back to
Coral Key to pick up the truck.

I was on my way to help Dennis Blake,

a young ranger who'd
reported a strange problem

at the far end of Coral Key Park.

- Well this is as far as I went Porter.

But it's out here where the trouble is.

If it wasn't for regulations
I'd have gone in myself.

- Well I'm sure you can
handle it alone Dennis.

I guess I'm just along for the ride,

but I'm glad you called.

- On.

- Now just what is the trouble?

- I don't know.

But up to a couple of weeks ago,

this whole area was filled with wildlife.

Now everything's moving away.

- Let's try and find out why,

all right?
- Right.

- You cut in here Dennis
and I'll go the other way.

If you see anything, call me all right?

- Right.
- OK, and Dennis,

- Yeah?

- Let's go carefully all right?

- Right.

- When I saw the
bones in the dried up bog,

I realized what had happened
to the animals in the area,

they'd been trapped in the
treacherous pits and died.

- Hold on fella.

Porter!

Porter Ricks!

Porter!

Porter!

My gun, it's gotta...

Hold on.

Hold on fella.

Porter!

- Dennis!

Dennis don't panic.

Be as still as you can.

All right I'm coming out to you now.

Stay as still as you can!

- Porter where are you?

Where are you Porter?
- Right above you Dennis.

Try and give me your hand.

OK, now, up to the limb.

A little more!

Almost.
- Got it, got it!

Take the bear.
- Let me have it.

Give it to me.

Come on baby.

Come on.

Got you boy, come on up.

That'sa boy, I got him.

OK, move along the limb.

You OK Dennis?

You OK?
- Yeah I guess so.

- I gotcha, come on,
let's get out of here.

Come on.

- Did you happen to

Porter Ricks what

Terrible thing

- This is Porter Ricks,
I read you go ahead.

- Hey Porter how about some coffee?

- This is Porter Ricks,
I read you go ahead!

- Hey they're talking about you.

- I know, and I can't get through to them.

I'm gonna have to go back
to Coral Key right away.

See ya later.
- Hey Porter.

- Yeah.
- I owe you

a lot of thanks for today.

- Let's just
say we owe the guys

that made up the regulations a thanks.

I knew something was wrong
but I didn't know what.

Sandy and Bud were trying to find me a job

and were cutting right across
the Naval Gunnery Range.

Convinced that they were safe,

but little did they know that the Navy

was preparing to fire.

♫ 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