Flipper

When a young boy named Sandy rescues a dolphin that has been injured by a spear, he nurses the animal back to health and names it Flipper. Sandy grows attached to his new companion, but his father, Porter, a fisherman, insists that the dolphin be returned to the sea. The bond between boy and dolphin proves lasting, and Flipper eventually repays Sandy's kindness when the boy faces danger from sharks. The story sets up the friendship that would carry into later adventures.

James B. Clark directed this 1963 release, the first of two features he made in successive years, ahead of Island of the Blue Dolphins. Chuck Connors plays Porter Ricks and Luke Halpin plays Sandy, with Connie Scott, Jane Rose, Joe Higgins and Robertson White in supporting roles. The screenplay is by Arthur Weiss, and Ivan Tors produced for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Ivan Tors Productions.

Running 90 minutes, the film is a family-oriented adventure drama from the United States. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.1 from roughly 2,100 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.8 from a much smaller base of 64 votes. Audience response has therefore been moderate.