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.

Silly, kids movie that is not even close to realistic. A young runaway boy trying to save his dolphin friend witnesses pirates stealing a yacht off the coast of Florida and forcing a mother and her two children in a small boat. The pirates kidnap the father and sail off while the women row to a small, nearby island. Trying to remain hidden, has the dolphin assist the women to the island. More concerned about saving his dolphin than reporting the crime. The young boy tries to help the 3 women without their knowledge. Later the pirates return to the island, kidnap the women and try to shoot the dolphin. The premise of the movie is beyond ignorant.

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.

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.

Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin) is losing his Florida home and fears separation from his beloved Flipper. He decides to run away with the dolphin and finds refuge on an island. Only their isolation is pierced by three escaped convicts and a very dumb British family.

I can see Sandy taking down the convicts but they really can't have guns. The guns raise the danger level too high. It stretches reason beyond its limit and it contravenes its light family fun premise. Then there is the British family. Dad knows that these could be the escaped convicts and yet he goes right up to them. A reasonable man would radio the authorities and keep his distance. Once on the island, it gets even dumber. Here's the thing. The movie has to choose. It can be dumb or it can be dangerously thrilling. A Flipper movie should probably dial back the danger. It can survive being a silly family film.