Flipper (franchise)

Last updated
Flipper
Flipper - franchise logo.jpg
Official franchise logo
Based on Flipper by
Arthur Weiss
Ricou Browning
Jack Cowden
Distributed by
Release date
1963–1996
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$26,030,000
(2 films)
Box office>$30,593,313
(3 films)

The Flipper franchise [1] [2] [3] [4] consists of American family-adventure installments including three theatrical films, and two television shows. Based on original an original story created by Arthur Weiss, Ricou Browning and Jack Cowden, the plot centers around a family who becomes friends with a notably intelligent bottlenose dolphin they rescued from injuries, which they name Flipper. Through the events of the franchise, Flipper regularly gives aid to his human friends and selflessly comes to their rescue to return the favor.

Contents

The franchise as a whole was met with mixed critical and financial reception, with each installment faring diversly. The original movie received mild response from critics, [5] with a similar outcome at the box office. Its sequel earned praise from critics and a higher monetary return, [6] with the first television spin-off series receiving warm reception from critics and viewers alike. [7] Though the 1995 continuation show was generally well-received critically, it did not see successful viewership. [8] Conversely, though the 1996 remake film was a financial success, it was poorly received by critics and declared as inferior to the similarly-themed Free Willy franchise. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Films

FilmU.S.
release date		DirectorScreenwriterStory byProducer(s)
"Flipper" August 14, 1963 James B. Clark Arthur Weiss Ricou Browning & Jack Cowden Ivan Tors
Flipper's New Adventure June 24, 1964Leon BensonArt ArthurIvan Tors
Flipper May 10, 1996Alan ShapiroRicou Browning & Jack CowdenJames McNamara and Perry Katz

Flipper (1963)

Sandy Ricks, a young boy living in the Florida Keys, has his world forever changed one day when he discovers an injured bottlenose dolphin. After rescuing the animal and nursing it back to health, he names the dolphin Flipper. The pair form a friendly bond while exploring various areas, and enjoying their adventures together. When his father Porter instructs him to return Flipper to the wild of open sea, Sandy is disheartened and tries to sneak away with his friend from the ocean.

The importance of the pair's friendship is displayed when an encounter with a shark on the hunt becomes a dangerous situation and Flipper's loyalty is shown when he fights to protect the young boy who saved his life. [14] [15] [16]

Flipper's New Adventure (1964)

Through a number of years, Sandy has formed a meaningful friendship with Flipper and their bond strengthened through their adventures. With his wife since deceased, Porter's primary focus has shifted to providing for his son and continues studying to become a park ranger. When plans for construction in the Florida Keys cause some hardship for his father's job as a fisherman, Sandy learns that the family may be moving. Determined to remain close to his animal friend, Sandy leaves for the Bahama Islands with the dolphin.

Before he can make it to his destination, he is forced to stop at a nearby deserted island when he runs out of resources. There he discovers a British family who is being held for ransom. As he tries to devise a plan to help them escape, he secretly befriends their daughter Penny. Becoming romantically interested in her, he finds himself worrying about whether he will see her once they escape their captors. While Sandy works with Flipper to help their new friends, Porter begins a search in all the nearby islands for his lost son. [17] [6] [18]

Flipper (1996)

Sandy Ricks, is a teenager from Chicago who is struggling with adjusting to the divorce of his parents. His mother decides that a vacation may be therapeutic for him. Sending him to the Florida Keys for the summer to stay with his uncle Porter, Sandy becomes resentful for the situation and his uncle.

Though his poor attitude towards the big game fishing proves to be a struggle for Uncle Porter, Sandy's life is changed when he encounters a young bottlenose dolphin who recently escaped the slaughter of his familial pod, which was killed by Porter's rival and enemy, Dirk Moran. Befriending and caring for the orphaned animal and experiencing adventures together, he also becomes familiar with a local girl named Kim Parker and develops a romantic interest in her. As Sandy begins to feel like his life is improving, he and Kim find that Flipper has beached himself and is gravely sick. After nursing him back to health, the friends become aware that toxic waste is being dumped into the ocean by Moran and his crew. Determined to confront the criminal, situation becomes dire when Sandy finds himself in open water being pursued by a large and predatory hammerhead referred to by locals as "Scar". Just when his parents and uncle are too far from him to come to the rescue, the bond he has formed with Flipper may save his life. [7] [19] [20] [21]

Television

SeriesSeason(s)Episode(s)Originally releasedShowrunnersExecutive producer(s)Status
First releasedLast releasedNetwork(s)
Flipper 388September 19, 1964April 15, 1967 NBC Ricou Browning & Jack Cowden Ivan Tors and Ricou BrowningEnded
Flipper: The New Adventures 484October 2, 1995July 1, 2000 Syndication
(Seasons 1–2)
Pax TV
(Seasons 3–4)		E.F. Wallengren, Michael Nankin & Reuben LederJeffrey M. Hayes, E.F., Samuel Goldwyn Jr., Reuben Leder, and Greg Coote

Flipper (1964–1967)

Continuing the plot from the first two films, the series details the continued adventures of the Ricks family and their friend Flipper the bottlenose dolphin. Porter continues his role as a widower father over his two sons Sandy and Keith "Bud" Ricks, while also working as the chief warden and park ranger over the Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in Florida. Sandy continues to grow in his teenage years, while Bud grows a closer friendship with Flipper. Sandy, Budd, and Flipper work together, to confound the conniving plans of criminals in the area. [22] [23] [24]

Flipper: The New Adventures (1995–1997)

Years chronologically after the previous television series, Keith "Budd" Ricks now leads dolphin research Bal Harbour Research Institute in the Florida Keys. Having earned his doctorate in animal science, he works with various others to preserve the natural resources of the area. Through the series, various other main characters also work in the establishment including but not limited to Dr. Pam Blondell, Maya Graham, Dr. Jennifer Daulton, Edward "Cap" Daulton, Dep. Tom Hampton, Lt. Alex Parker, and Courtney Gordon. With the aid of the exceptionally intelligent bottlenose dolphin Flipper, the crew regularly discovers the nefarious plans of local criminals and reports them to local authorities. [8] [25] [26]

Main cast and characters

CharacterFilmTelevision
"Flipper" Flipper's
New Adventure 		Flipper Flipper
(1964–1967)		 Flipper:
The New Adventures
(1995–2000)
Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4
Principal cast
FlipperAppeared
Sandy Ricks Luke Halpin Elijah Wood Luke HalpinReferenced
Porter Ricks Chuck Connors Brian Kelly Brian KellyReferenced
Uncle Porter Ricks Paul Hogan
Martha Ricks Kathleen Maguire ReferencedMary Jo FaraciReferenced
Dr. Keith "Bud" RicksTommy Norden Brian Wimmer Referenced
Dr. Pam Blondell-Ricks Colleen Flynn Referenced
Mike Blondell Payton Haas Referenced
Maya Graham Jessica Alba Referenced
Dr. Jennifer DaultonElizabeth MoreheadReferenced
Dep. Tom Hampton Whip Hubley
Lt. Alex Parker-Hampton Tiffany Lamb
Chris ParkerCraig Marriott
Jackie Parker Laura Donaldson
Courtney GordonSkye Patch
Principal cast
Sandy's sister named Bua RicksAllison Bertolino
Sheriff RogersGeorge ApplewhiteEric Applewhite
Sheriff Buck Cowan Isaac Hayes
Penny Hopewell Pamela Franklin
Sir Halsey Hopewell Tom Helmore
Julia Hopewell Helen Cherry
Gwen Hopewell Francesca Annis
Gil Bates Lloyd Battista
ConvictCourtney Brown
Convict 2William Cooley
Ulla Norstrand Ulla Strömstedt
Ed DennisDan Chandler
Hap Gorman Andy Devine
Cpt. Edward "Cap" Daulton Gus Mercurio
Dean Gregson Scott Michaelson Referenced
Holly Myers Anja Coleby

Additional crew and production details

TitleCrew/Detail
Composer(s)Cinematographer(s)EditorProduction
companies		Distributing
company		Running time
"Flipper" Henry Vars Lamar Boren & Joseph C. Brun Warren BrownIvan Tors Productions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1 hr 30 mins
Flipper's New Adventure Lamar BorenWarren Adams & Charles Craft 1 hr 34 mins
Flipper (The Series)Henry Vars, Samuel Matlovsky, and Ruby RaksinLamar Boren, Howard Winner, Clifford H. Poland Jr., and Edmund GibsonCharles Craft, Stan Gilbert, Erwin Dumbrille, John B. Woelz, Warren Adams, Harold V. McKenzie, John A. Martinelli, and Robert Paltz Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television,
Ivan Tors Productions,
Miami Seaquarium		 National Broadcasting Company (NBC) 44 hrs
(30 mins/episode)
Flipper: The New Adventures John D'Andrea, Cory Lerios, Garry McDonald, Laurie Stone, and Tom HarrimanJohn Fleckenstein, John Stokes, Brandon Apps, Gene Moller, and Geoff CoxDavid Codron, Regis Kimble, Dennis C. Vejar, Michael J. Hagan, Robert Florio, Chip Masamitsu, Rick Tuber, Mark Sadusky, Suzanne Hines, Suzanne Angel, and Paul Booth The Samuel Goldwyn Company,
Universal Television,
Tribune Entertainment,
Village Roadshow Pictures Television 		Syndication
Pax TV 		54 hrs 20 mins
(43 mins/episode)
Flipper Joel McNeely Bill Butler Peck Prior The Bubble Factory,
American Films		 Universal Pictures 1 hr 35 mins

Reception

Box office and financial performance

FilmBox office grossBox office rankingTotal home video salesBudgetWorldwide
Net Income/Loss		Ref.
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll time
North America		All time
worldwide
"Flipper" Information not publicly available—Information not publicly availableInformation not publicly availableInformation not publicly available$2,500,000$500,000≥$2,000,000 [14] [27] [28]
Flipper's New Adventure Information not publicly availableInformation not publicly availableInformation not publicly availableInformation not publicly availableInformation not publicly available$1,600,000Information not publicly available≤$1,600,000 [29]
Flipper $20,080,020$10,513,293$30,593,313#3,793#4,629Information not publicly available$25,530,000$5,063,313 [30] [31]
Totals>$20,080,020>$10,513,293>$30,593,313x̅ #1,264x̅ #1,543$4,100,000>$26,030,000≤$8,663,313

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
"Flipper"50% (6 reviews) [5] ——
Flipper's New Adventure(1 review) [32] ——
Flipper(The Series)— [33] ——
Flipper: The New Adventures— [34] — [35] —
Flipper30% (20 reviews) [36] 43/100 (19 reviews) [37] A− [38]

Other media

In addition to film and television productions, Flipper has appeared in children's books, a limited run comic book in 1966 and 1967, and two video game adaptations, one titled Flipper in 1991, [39] and the other, The Three Worlds of Flipper and Lopaka, in 2000. [40] [41]

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References

  1. ↑ Macdonald, Jessica (February 7, 2015). "The Truth Behind Hollywood's Famous Marine Animals". Scuba Diver Life. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Holbrook, Thom. "Flipper and Flipper (1995)". Thom Holbrook's Crossovers & Spinoffs. Poobala. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ Rangarajan, Sahana (April 22, 2018). "How film caused the rise and fall of dolphin shows". The Daily Californian. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Is Flipper a true story?". Celebrity FM. 2 October 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Flipper". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Winnert, Derek (February 27, 2021). "Flipper's New Adventure *** (1964, Luke Halpin, Pamela Franklin, Helen Cherry, Tom Helmore, Francesca Annis) – Classic Movie Review 10,970". DerekWinnert.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Leydon, Joe (May 6, 1996). "Flipper". Variety. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Paxman, Andrew & Richard Morgan (July 15, 1998). "'Flipper' to resurface with Pax Net splash". Variety. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Tucker, Ken (May 24, 1996). "Flipper". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  10. ↑ Vincent, Mal (May 18, 1996). "Ok, So Flipper is no Willy; Kids Will Enjoy Film Anyway". The Virginia Pilot. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ Howe, Desson (May 17, 1996). "'Flipper' Makes Big-Screen Splash". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Few will flip for the new "Flipper'". Tampa Bay Times.
  13. ↑ Persall, Steve (May 17, 1996). "Few will flip for the new 'Flipper'". Tamba Bay Times. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Lad-and-Pet-Fish Happy Surprise;May Hit $3 Mil". Variety. 20 November 1963. p. 3.
  15. ↑ "Flipper (1963)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Flipper (1963)". Letterboxd. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Flipper's New Adventure". Letterboxd. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Flipper's New Adventure". Turner Classic Movies. Tuner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Flipper". RogerEbert.com. May 17, 1996. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  20. ↑ Thomas, Philip (January 1, 2000). "Flipper - Review". Empire. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  21. ↑ Maslin, Janet (May 17, 1996). "FILM REVIEW;Friendly, Smart And Wet". The New York Times. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Flipper". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ Erickson, Glenn (September 4, 2017). "Flipper Season One". Trailers from Hell. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  24. ↑ Mavis, Paul (June 1, 2021). "'Flipper' (Season 1): '60s Favorite Still Loaded with Family-Friendly Adventure". Drunk TV. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Flipper (1995)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  26. ↑ "The New Adventure of Flipper". Film Affinity. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Top Rental Features of 1963", Variety , 8 January 1964, p. 71.
  28. ↑ "Flipper (1963)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Big Rental Pictures of 1964", Variety, 6 January 1965 p 39.
  30. ↑ "Flipper (1996)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Flipper (1996)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Flipper's New Adventure". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Flipper (1964–1967)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Flipper: The New Adventures (1995-2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Flipper". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Flipper". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Flipper". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  38. ↑ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Flipper". May 1, 1991 – via IMDb.
  40. ↑ Scullion, Chris (2024). "The Game Boy Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Nintendo Game Boy and Game Boy Color". White Owl – via Google Books.
  41. ↑ "The Three Worlds of Flipper and Lopaka". December 15, 2000 – via IMDb.
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