Flipper's New Adventure

It is largely due to the participation of handsome Luke Halpin that this film drew my attention. Although Flipper the dolphin is well trained and does a good job it's also nice to see "Sandy Ricks" appear in a movie again.

Filmed in colour in Florida and the Bahamas by veteran cinematographer Lamar Boren, despite being a sequel to that most American of kidflicks, 'Flipper's New Adventure' largely has a cast of Britons unfamiliar to Hollywood.

Of the damsels in distress, the nice sensible one is played by Pamela Franklin, while Francesca Annis draws the booby prize in the form of the thankless role of the whiny elder sibling.

To the cineliterate the biggest surprise comes in the presence as the girls' father of Tom Helmore, who brings to the proceedings all the dubious connotations you'd expect from the actor best known as the two-timing Gavin Elster in 'Vertigo'.

For Flipper's New Adventure the writers at MGM came together and mixed the plots of The Admirable Crichton and The Desperate Hours and came up with a story that is cute and entertaining, but also for juveniles. I don't think any adults would buy it. A little bit of Bomba the Jungle Boy thrown in as well.

One phone call to his father who was studying to be a Park Ranger after giving up his career as a fisherman from the first Flipper movie might have eased Luke Halpin's concern for his pet. But he hears some folks from the Miami Seaquarium are going to take Flipper and so he runs away and finds a nice island off the Florida coast to live or at least until the Seaquarium folks go away.

Of course if Luke had made that phone call to Brian Kelly playing his father for the first time, he and Flipper would not have been around to help Tom Helmore's family who are stranded on the same island. He's been kidnapped for the use of his boat by three escaped convicts and they strand Helen Cherry and daughters Francesca Annis and Pamela Franklin on the island Luke took refuge on.

Here's where it gets really dumb. These three are fugitives being hunted by law enforcement and they hit upon the brilliant scheme of holding Helmore and family for a getaway insurance. So they go back to that island and take them all save Halpin whom they don't know about. Absolutely brilliant, these clowns would have killed Helmore and kept on going with that cabin cruiser of his in real life. No wonder a kid and a dolphin take them.

A bit unbelievable for adults, strictly for kids is Flipper's New Adventure.

I only saw about the last 45 minutes of this movie or thereabouts. I only came to the review page to express my wonderment that the great British actress, Francesca Annis, played in this at the age of 19! I didn't even recognize her as the sister Gwen, until I caught a glance at the credits. I had no idea she started out so young, which I learned by looking at her page. And Pamela Franklin! it just seems like she pops up in everything during this time period. Her resume is not that packed, but the movies she was in were so high profile and also starred some of the great stars of the screen. Bette Davis...Deborah Kerr...Maggie Smith... Michael Redgrave...William Holden...Marlon Brando...Dirk Bogarde. She was also in one of my favorite Disney movies, The Horse Without a Head. As she got older she guest-starred in many American TV series back in the day when there were only 3 channels so she would come to my attention time after time. What a memorable presence she was in everything! A great actress indeed. If she ever writes an autobiography, I'd definitely read it. I think she's is long retired now from the antiquarian book business, so that is probably not on the horizon.

Luke Halpin (as Sandy Ricks) is home alone when he's informed said home is going to be taken away by the state of Florida; apparently, the state has let the land to the Ricks family, and they need it back. Mr. Halpin's father Brian Kelly (as Porter Ricks) is away, and mother Martha has passed away since the original "Flipper" (1963). Halpin is majorly concerned, because losing the home means losing the shore where he lives with pet dolphin Flipper.

Halpin and Flipper run away from home; incredibly, they find an isolated island nearby, and take up residence. AND, wouldn't you know it? - kidnappers are also nearby; they snag a British father, and let his wife Helen Perry (as Julia) and daughters Pamela Franklin (as Penny) & Francesca Annis (as Gwen) drift to Halpin's island paradise. Ms. Franklin performs well as Halpin's emerging co-star. Halpin's performance is touching; he and Flipper carry the film.

With all of the newness and nuances gone, this sequel is certainly not up to the original. The story is so wildly implausible, Flipper should have shouted, "RE-WRITE!" Just for starters, Ms. Perry and "Gwen" must have very poor vision, hearing, and critical thinking skills not to figure out about Halpin. And, the songs are awfully lush. The ending holds some excitement, if you last. Halpin is still cute - older by a few years, due to the first "Flipper" being on the shelf for a few years. Flipper is still cute, too; and, TV father Brian Kelly is on board, replacing Chuck Connors as father Ricks.

**** Flipper's New Adventure (6/24/64) Leon Benson ~ Luke Halpin, Pamela Franklin, Brian Kelly