Original subtitles

(bright music)

(excited chirping)

- Flipper, you bring that back!

I told you that's mine,

and you're not supposed to play with it

unless I say so!

Flipper, you bring that back, you silly dolphin!

Bring it back!

- What's all the commotion about?

- [Bud] Oh, it's that Flipper!

He stole my inner tube again!

- [Porter] Sometimes I wonder

which one of you is a bigger kid.

Didn't I give you some chores to do this morning?

- Yes, dad.

- Then why aren't you doing them?

- I guess I got side-tracked.

- What, by an inner tube?

You know, today's the day

the congressional delegation is arriving,

and I've tried to impress upon you

how important it is that we put our best foot forward.

- I know.

What's so important about an old congressional delegation?

- If they don't like what they see here,

they could close the park.

- Close the park?

- Could be.

- What would happen to us, dad?

- Well, if we're lucky,

I might get transferred someplace else.

- To where?

- To a place that's gonna look a lot like this place,

unless you start watering it.

Death Valley.

- Death Valley?

(fretful music)

(Pelican squawking)

(excited chirping)

Oh, be quiet, you big...

(excited chirping)

(Pelican squawking)

("Flipper" theme song)

J1 They call him Flipper

J3 Flipper, faster than lightning

J1 No one you see

J1 ls smarter than he

J1 And we know Flipper

J1 Lives in a world full of wonder

J1 Flying there under, under the sea

(excited chirping)

- Hey, watch it, will ya?

.Dad?

What do you say to a congressional delegation?

"Hello, congressional delegation?"

- Yeah, what is the protocol, dad?

- Protocol?

That's quite a word.

I'm impressed.

Just remember, congressmen are just like everybody else,

except a lot of their friends and neighbors decided

they oughta go to Washington to look after their interests.

You dig?

. I dig.

That "Of the people, for the people" jazz, huh?

- That's right.

(boat engine rumbling)

(dramatic music)

(excited chirping)

(excited chirping)

- [Porter] Get off the dock, Bud!

(engine sputtering)

Now what's the idea, Andrews?

I want you to kick this boat out of the park

unless you can be more careful.

You try this one more time, I'll have you--

- I hired him to bring us here, Mister...

- Warden Ricks.

- Warden Ricks.

- And who are you?

- Congresswoman Helen E. Browning.

And this is my secretary, Erna Morley.

- A lady congressman?

- Is that legal?

- Where's the rest of the delegation?

- Delegations cost money, Mr. Ricks.

You have a certain public-spirited citizen

in your community here who wouldn't approve.

He already thinks we're squandering too much

of the taxpayers' money on Coral Key Park.

- Squandering their money?

- You might as well know it now, Mr. Ricks.

We're determined to find out

whether your park is a boondoggle.

Would you please lead the way?

- What's a boondoggle?

- When the government spends money

on something it doesn't really need.

- Is that bad or good?

I mean, for us?

- The worst.

(excited chirping)

(animated chirping)

- Gosh, Hap.

Why do you suppose the congresslady

wants to meet you 'specially?

- Well, my friend the Admiral's

been trying to get Congress to give me

the Medal of Honor for a long time now.

- The Medal of Honor?

What for?

- Oh, that little fracas in the Zulu Sea.

- Little fracras?

What was that, Hap?

- Why, do you mean to tell me that I never told you

about the time that I swam through

a whole fleet of pirate dhows

with a string of Limpet mines in my teeth?

Blew 'em all out of the water.

It was just like firecrackers on the Fourth of July!

(quizzical chirping)

Oh, hush.

Well, they could need me again, too.

- Who? - Why, the CIA!

There ain't every day they can find a man

that's willing to risk his life on a special assignment,

and that he won't talk.

No, sir, not even under torture.

- Torture?

(animated chirping)

Well, here they come.

- Mr. Gorman?

Mr. Hap Gorman?

- Yes, ma'am?

- Congresswoman Helen E. Browning.

It's a pleasure to meet such a public-spirited citizen.

- Public-spirited citizen?

- Well, you're the reason I'm here.

- Well, am I?

- Certainly.

The Congressional committee was very much impressed

with the letter you wrote, especially the part about--

Erna.

"After the hundreds of times

"I risked my life for my country,

"I hardly consider it fair to have my taxes raised

"so that more tourists can litter our beaches

"and blight the beauties of nature."

- Well, you see, ma'am,

I didn't exactly mean that about Coral Key.

- That's alright, Mr. Gorman.

We'll chat some more, after I finish the tour of inspection.

Come along, Erna.

(quizzical chirping)

- Public-spirited traitor!

- Now, don't get mad, old friends.

- After what you did to us?

- I was just trying to get my taxes lowered!

How did I know that somebody was gonna

buck my letter to a, well, to a woman?

- Medal of Honor?

- You know, Bud, you just gave me a good idea.

I'm gonna go right inside there

and write my friend the Admiral a letter,

and remind him that I saved his life.

Yes sir, it was just off the coast of Siberia

that boat sunk, and--

(quizzical chirping)

(snorting water)

Oh, shut up, you old seahorse!

- Our pal.

BOY-

- Oh, yeah.

(loud splash)

(gentle music)

I just don't get it, dad.

We're not any old boondoggle.

- Yeah, what are we gonna do, dad?

Suppose she decides to close the park.

- Well, let's not suppose anything.

We've got a fighting chance.

All we have to do is convince the congresslady

that the park is worth the taxpayers' money.

- Well, we know it is.

Couldn't we just tell her?

- I'm afraid she's gonna have to find that out for herself.

(dramatic music)

(car engine rumbling)

- Take a memo, Erna.

A reminder to Mr. Jed Stanton, Highway Division.

The roads leading to and into the park

are in atrocious condition.

Good morning.

Good morning, Warden Ricks.

- Good morning.

- I trust you're ready for today's tour of inspection?

- Anytime you are, yes.

- Oh, I'm ready.

Erna, you stay here and check the hotel

every half hour for messages from Washington.

- Right.

- Would you like to be seated up here?

- Yes, thank you.

What a beautiful boat.

(dramatic music)

(playful chirping)

(excited chirping)

- You kids really love this place, don't you?

- More than any place.

- Well, I'm rooting for you, you know.

- Thanks.

- Oh, don't be so sad.

Mrs. Browning's bark is a lot worse than her bite.

When she sees what Coral Key Park is really like,

she'll be fair in her decision.

(excited chirping)

Do you know that I have never before seen a trained dolphin?

He's really something!

- Show Miss Morley the trick we taught Flipper yesterday.

. Okay-

(playful chirping)

- Oh, bravo!

Wait 'til Mrs. Browning sees him!

She'll really be delighted!

(excited chirping)

- You know something, Flipper?

I don't think I like Mrs. Browning.

Dad said it's not right not to like people.

He says--

(sharp chirping)

He says, "You oughta try and understand them.

"You'll see there's some good in them."

Maybe she is okay, but,

I wish she'd just go away and leave us alone.

You know something, Flipper?

Hap Gorman says if you rub this lamp enough

and make a wish, it'll come true.

You know that?

Not that I'd ever believe a word Hap Gorman ever says again.

But, (excited chirping)

he did get it in Arabia,

and that's way across on the other side of the world.

And lots of odda things happen

in those foreign countries, let me tell ya.

(agreeable chirping)

If I was gonna make a wish,

what would I wish for?

Oh, I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Mrs. Browning.

Maybe if she just got a little seasick.

(excited chirping)

(dreamy ringing)

(bright music)

(dreamy ringing)

Or a crab or a bird bit her.

(angry squawking)

(angry squawking)

(disastrous music)

I bet you she'd even be scared of

a little 0l' baby alligator.

(dreamy ringing)

Or a skunk.

(skunk squealing)

(excited squealing)

(high-pitched squealing)

(playful chirping)

She might even be scared of you, Flipper, you know that?

Nah.

But what's the use of wishing?

- [Porter] Well, that's about it.

You've seen Coral Key.

Well, except the underwater park,

which is the real Coral Key.

- Well, in all fairness, Mr. Ricks,

I'll see the underwater park tomorrow.

Erna, take a memo.

(playful chirping)

(playful chirping)

Ooh!

Oooh!

Well, Mr. Ricks,

I've seen all I want to see.

And while I'm at it, Erna?

Erna!

Take a wire to Mr. Gregory Chandler.

Sonar Research Project 12, Navy Department.

"Dear Gregory,

"have found a trained dolphin for your experiment

"at no cost to the taxpayers.

"He's already government property."

(apprehensive music)

(excited chirping)

- Sandy, you should have kept your eye on him.

You know how he's taking this business

of closing the park to heart.

- Gee, dad, how was I supposed to know

he was gonna go wherever it is he went?

- Ah, you couldn't know, of course.

Sometimes we forget that Bud's just a little boy.

We expect him to act like a grownup.

- Funny thing is, most of the time, he does.

- Yeah.

- I'll try calling Flipper again.

(dolphin horn)

Flipper?

Flipper?

- Alright, let's take the launch out.

See what we can find.

But first, I want to call that congresswoman

and get a few things straight.

- You think that would be wise, dad?

- I don't know, Sandy.

But sometimes a man has to sacrifice

wisdom for his integrity.

That's no excuse for you to

ride roughshod over us, Mrs. Browning.

I'm a public servant, too.

That's right, I'm as interested as you are

in saving the taxpayers' money.

And if the well-being of even one small boy is threatened,

I say that's more important than the entire federal budget.

All right, Mrs. Browning, thank you.

Come on.

(anxious music)

- So you see, Flipper, this isn't all your fault.

We're in big trouble 'cause of Mrs. Browning.

(excited chirping)

Flipper, we might have to move away from here,

and you and I couldn't be together any more.

(pensive chirping)

But that isn't gonna be half a day before I miss you.

Flipper, I don't know how to tell you this, but...

Mrs. Browning wants to send you to the Navy for experiments!

But, it might not be that bad at all in the Navy.

You know, Flipper, I couldn't let you go.

That's why you're gonna have to hide here

'til the congresslady leaves.

You understand, Flipper.

(animated chirping)

I'll be back for you as soon as she's gone.

I don't care how important you are to the Navy, Flipper.

You're more important to me.

(animated chirping)

I'll just rest here a minute.

(apprehensive music)

(animated chirping)

(anxious music)

(engine sputtering)

(dolphin horn)

(excited chirping)

(dolphin horn)

(dolphin horn)

(excited chirping)

- Where is he, Flipper?

In the cave?

(excited chirping)

- Get the anchor.

(animated chirping)

Let's go.

(animated chirping)

(excited chirping)

Bud?

Bud?

- Dad, where's Flipper?

- It's alright, son, he's right here.

(peppy chirping)

- You mean, they haven't taken him to the Navy?

- Nope, and they're not going to.

We talked to Mrs. Browning, and she promised.

- You sure?

- Well, I wouldn't tell you if I wasn't sure.

- [Sandy] That's one thing you can count on, Bud.

Dad and Flipper will never let us down.

- Let's go home, boys.

(animated chirping)

J1 Everyone loves the king of the sea

J1 Ever so kind and gentle is he

J1 Tricks he will do when children are near

J1 And how they laugh when he's near

J1 They call him Flipper

J3 Flipper, faster than lightning

J1 No one you see

J1 ls smarter than he

J1 And we know Flipper

J1 Lives in a world full of wonder

J1 Flying there under, under the sea

(loud roar)