Original subtitles

(lighthearted music)

(Flipper squeaking)

- Young man, what are you doing?

- Playing with Flipper.

(Flipper squeaking)

- Flipper?

- Yeah, he's a dolphin.

My Det.

. Pet?

- Sure!

- You made that beautiful, free-swimming soul into a pet?

- Is there anything the matter?

- Well, nothing, I guess.

As long as you don't keep him confined.

- He stays in his pen once in a while, when I ask him.

- He does?

- Sure!

He does most anything I ask him.

That's what makes him such a wonderful pet.

(Flipper squeaking)

- Oh, you, young man, you're like all the rest.

You think everything that lives

was put on this Earth just to be made into pets

for your own pleasure.

And then you give them ridiculous names, like--

- Flipper?

- Flipper!

You pamper them.

You buy their friendship by feeding them

til they no longer have any self-respect,

and then they die.

That stately sea rover was not put on this Earth

to be your pet!

And furthermore, I'm gonna see

that something is done about it.

(dramatic music)

(cheerful music)

J1 They call him Flipper

J1 Flipper

J1 Faster than lightning

J1 No one you see

J1 ls smarter than he

J1 And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder

J1 Lying there under

I! Under the sea

(Flipper squeaking)

(playful music)

- Hey, who are you?

You know, you look just like Bandit.

Oh, you couldn't be Bandit, though.

Dad made me give him to Shorty Myers

when I was doing bad in school.

But you could be a relative, couldn't ya?

You know, you look pretty hungry.

I've got some nice fresh fruit

at the house if you want some.

Come on!

But I can't keep you.

'Cause you see, I have a pet skunk named Stinky,

and dad would make me give him away if I had to keep you.

But I don't think dad would mind too much

if you came to the house for a square meal.

Hey Flipper, look!

We've got a new visitor!

Come on!

(playful music)

(Flipper squeaking)

(Flipper squeaking)

Sure were hungry, weren't you?

(Flipper squeaking)

- Bud. - Yeah, dad?

- Bud, there's somebody I want you to meet.

Where did you get that raccoon?

- Oh, I found him in the woods.

He looked so hungry, I figured I'd take him home

for a nice, square meal.

- I told you not to bring any more animals into this house.

Now, after he's fed, I want you to send him

right on his way.

- I guess you're right, dad.

I knew you wouldn't want him to go hungry.

I'm so glad you're not like that old grouch who--

- This is the gentlemen I wanted you to meet, Bud.

This is the new inspector for parks and recreation,

Mr. John W. Gorden.

That's my son, Bud.

- Hi. - Hello, Bud,

I think we've met. - Yes, sir.

- Mr. Garden's gonna be staying with us as a house guest.

- For how long? - A couple days,

he's down here to inspect the park!

He's here to see that everything is a-okay in the park,

and if it isn't, well, he'll transfer me

to some place like, what, Central Park in New York City?

- Oh, I'm sorry about what I said today, inspector.

- Alright, Bud. - As you can see,

Bud's rather fond of animals.

In fact, if I don't keep my eye on him,

the house would be full of 'em!

- What about that dolphin, Flipper?

- Oh, Flipper, well, that's something else.

Flipper is really sort of a member of the family.

- Hi!

- That's my other son, Sandy.

- Hi.

(pelican screeches)

What's that?

- Oh, that's Pete.

He's our pet pelican.

- Mr. Ricks, what are you running here,

a park, or the corner pet shop?

- Look inspector, this isn't the city, it's a park,

and there are a lot of animals around here.

Now, I think it's a good idea for my son to have pets,

but maybe you're right, I think you can carry

a good thing too far.

Sandy, I want you to take Pete outside

and then fix the screen door like I told you,

and Bud, take that raccoon out in the woods where he belongs

and them come back and wash up for dinner.

Go on!

(playful music)

(Flipper squeaking)

- Listen Flipper, me and you are gotta have a talk.

(Flipper squeaking)

We have this new visitor named Inspector Gorden,

and he doesn't like pets!

In fact, if I don't take this raccoon back to the woods,

he'll fire dad and send me to reform school!

So we just gotta play it cool for a couple days.

If you could, like, maybe yourself scarce?

Just for a few days, Flipper.

Please, try to understand.

(Flipper squeaking)

Good boy.

(playful music)

There you go, boy.

- I hope the inspector enjoys eating out as much as we do.

- I think it's a great idea to have

a picnic lunch out today, dad.

- Well, I hope so, Sandy.

At least to give him a chance to get out

and take a look around the park.

- He even went for a walk!

(Gorden yells)

- Help, help!

Help!

- Dad? - Come on.

- Help!

Help!

- What is it, Bud? - I didn't do anything,

honest, dad! - Help!

Help!

Oh!

- Sandy, get Pete and get him out in the park, right now.

Inspector, I'm sorry about this.

Pelicans usually aren't aggressive,

he must've been frightened or something.

(playful music)

(splashing)

Now look, we're preparing a picnic lunch,

and we'll take you out in the park,

and maybe you'll get a better idea

of what we're doing here, alright?

Meet us down at the beach.

Come on, Bud.

- Oh, no!

- Bud, look at this mess!

- [Gorden] Come and get me!

- Gosh, Inspector, I guess I forgot

to tell you about Stinky!

- Stinky? - It's alright, inspector.

It's a pet.

(raccoon chirps)

(slap)

(light music)

- What are we gonna do about Inspector Gorden, dad?

- What?

- Yeah, dad.

It isn't our fault the raccoon keeps coming back.

- Oh, try and explain that to Inspector Gorden!

Where is he, anyway?

- He went out fishing at dawn.

- Dad, how many more days

are we gonna have to walk on eggshells?

(chuckles) - Sandy,

two more days, and stop worrying.

- You're worried, aren't ya?

- No, not really.

- He could have you and all of us

transferred away from here.

- Yes.

Chief Inspector can have any ranger transferred

he doesn't think is doing a good job.

- He could even have you fired, couldn't he?

- He could do that too.

- All because of us and our pets.

Flipper.

Stinky.

Pete.

Even the raccoon.

They wanna be our pets!

If it wasn't for you, that pelican with the broken wing,

he'd be dead by now.

- That's right, dad. - How's a pelican

with one wing gonna make a living, I ask?

Well, if you ask me, that inspector, he's just mean.

He doesn't love animals, he's just a big grump to us kids.

- Now look, Bud.

The reason he doesn't love animals

is that he doesn't understand them.

Now, I told you, he's just been appointed.

And he is a bachelor, and never having had any boys,

he doesn't understand them either, okay?

(claps) End of speech,

now come on, I've got a full day's work here, let's go.

(dramatic music)

(Flipper squeaking)

- Flipper!

Is that who you are?

(Flipper squeaking)

I suppose you're trying to thank me

for setting you free!

Trying to make a pet out of a wild animal like that.

Some people.

- There's Flipper!

- There's Inspector Gorden!

And it looks like he's inside the park!

- Inside the park!?

Wouldn't that be neat if we could get something on him?

- No, that's not very likely.

You can bet he's anchored outside the park.

- Can't we just have a look anyway?

- We'll go over and say good morning,

it'll give you a good chance to apologize, Bud.

- Apologize, for what?

What did I do?

- It's not what you did, it's what you didn't do,

like not keeping that raccoon away from the house.

- But dad--! - Shh.

(engine idling)

- Good morning, inspector!

- [Gorden] Good morning, Mr. Ricks!

Bud, Sandy.

- Catch anything? - I got three jacks.

- Good!

- We got some whitefish, but they got away.

Not sure I got the right hooks here.

- Well, I'll take a look at it for you.

Bud has something he wants to tell you, inspector.

Bud?

Bud!

What's the matter with you?

- I don't know, I guess I was thinking.

- Thinking?

What brought that on?

- Bud, the inspector's waiting.

- Waiting?

For what?

- You were gonna tell him something, remember?

- Oh, you mean about the raccoon that followed me home

because he needed a friend?

- In other words, you're not sorry at all.

- Mm.

- Mr. Ricks, if you can't control your own son,

maybe this job is too big for ya.

Perhaps you should be in a small park in a big city,

where all you have to do is watch the grass grow!

- Look inspector, I can take care of my boys,

and as far as this park is concerned,

the record speaks for itself.

If you wanna continue fishing,

I'll take a look at those hooks for you.

- Come here, Flipper, come here!

Now listen, I want you to take that anchor,

and put it in the park, okay?

.Bud!

- Shh!

(dramatic music)

.Bud!

- There you are, inspector!

That ought to catch you some whitefish.

- Dad. - Yeah?

- How come you're letting the inspector

fish illegally in the park when you're so strict

about other people breaking the rules?

- [Porter] what are you talking about, Bud?

- [Gorden] Illegally?

Now, young man, I think I've had enough of you

that I can take!

- Well, look, look!

- But that's ridiculous.

Now, that anchor must've drifted.

- I'm sorry, inspector, there's not enough current

to drag that anchor.

I know I should've looked, but,

I thought you, you of all people would've checked the rules.

- Maybe I'm the one they should send

to that small park in a big city.

I could've sworn I checked that anchor.

- Dad. - Hm?

- Never mind.

- Sorry, inspector!

(dramatic music)

(Flipper squeaking)

(playful music)

(Flipper squeaking)

(Flipper squeaking) - Oh listen,

I've been looking all over the place for you!

- [Porter] And I've been looking for you!

- [Bud] Oh m, dad.

I'm sorry I'm late for dinner.

I was helping Rusty Hart with his math.

Sure hope he doesn't flunk this term.

- Dinner isn't for two hours, Bud,

and if I recall correctly, Rusty Hart

was helping you with your math!

- Well, that was last year.

Wait, Flipper now, will you stop?

- We'll talk about your failing memory later.

Right now, I want you to march right into that house

and tell the inspector that you're sorry

that you moved that anchor.

And this time, I mean really sorry.

- You snitched, eh, Sandy?

- Look, if Sandy hadn't told me and I'd found out,

I would've been a very unhappy father, Bud.

This way, I know at least I have one honest son.

- But dad, how am I gonna explain it to the inspector?

- It's up to you.

(Flipper squeaking)

- Alright.

- Maybe I should've told you that he meant well.

- Look Sandy, Bud knew what he was doing was wrong.

It's just about time that he learned

that he can't have things his own way.

(sad music)

(knocking on door)

- Come in if you must.

- I've come to say I'm sorry.

- Like you were sorry about the raccoon, I suppose.

And then you turned around and perpetrated

a much more serious misdemeanor!

- Well, I wasn't really sorry about the raccoon,

but I am about telling Flipper to take your anchor.

- Well, the damage is done in any case.

I have it all down in my report.

- Mr. Gorden, I'm sure you know all about park rules

and laws, and you may have even written an encyclopedia,

but you don't know beans about kids or pets.

- Well!

- Dad said, "Try to understand the inspector.

"He hasn't got any kids or anything."

Sure, I tried, but you didn't give me an even shake.

- Go on!

- Well, take Flipper.

He wants to be our pet.

That's why he obeyed me when I told him

to move your anchor!

Or Pete the pelican.

He came here because he wanted us to fix that wing of his.

And the skunk.

He was half starved when I found him.

And the raccoon!

He followed me because he likes me,

and he needed a friend!

- Bud, I never thought of it that way.

- Hey!

Maybe you could get a pet too!

Like a dog or a cat, and work your way up from there!

- Hey!

Maybe you've got something there.

You think an animal would take to me?

- Sure!

- I'll try it, Bud.

And you know something?

I think you've helped me to understand boys a lot better.

- Yeah?

- Yes.

Some of them are born con artists.

(playful music)

(Gorden laughs)

(light music) (Flipper squeaking)

- Sandy, Bud, come on up here.

(Flipper squeaking)

Inspector's leaving.

- So long, boys.

It's been a, (clears throat) a most enlightening visit.

- Hurry back!

- With my schedule, I probably won't make it

for a year or so.

- That's alright, see you then!

- About those animals, subconsciously,

I may have had it in for them.

- Oh, why?

- I may have had a grudge against them.

You see, in college one gave me a cheerleader's knee.

- Cheerleader's knee?

- I was leading a cheer for the Terrapins,

and I stumbled over the mascot.

I threw out my knee and, well, until today, anyhow,

with animals, I've always had problems, you know?

(Stinky squeaking)

Hey, hey Stinky!

- No, no, that's not Stinky!

(Gorden yelps)

You alright? - No, my knee,

it went out again.

- [Porter] Here, let me get you into the car.

- No, no, no, you better carry me back into the house.

- The house, what for?

- It usually takes me a week to get over one of these.

Meanwhile, I'm completely incapacitated.

(light music)

Let's go, take it easy.

(Flipper squeaking)

Wouldn't you know it?

Of all the luck!

I guess you're right, Flipper.

The inspector isn't really such a bad guy.

But alls he need is a little talking-to once in a while.

(Flipper squeaking)

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

J1 Flipper

J1 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 Lying there under

I! Under the sea

(roaring)