Flipper (1963)

40% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
42% of users liked it
(25,794 ratings)

The surprise hit of the summer of 1963, Flipper is a thoroughly captivating outdoor adventure from the Ivan Tors factory. Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin), the young son of Florida fisherman Porter Ricks (Chuck Connors), nurses a wounded dolphin back to health. His father would prefer that Sandy allow the… More The surprise hit of the summer of 1963, Flipper is a thoroughly captivating outdoor adventure from the Ivan Tors factory. Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin), the young son of Florida fisherman Porter Ricks (Chuck Connors), nurses a wounded dolphin back to health. His father would prefer that Sandy allow the dolphin to return to its natural habitat, but Sandy has other ideas. After "Flipper" rescues Sandy from a shark, however, the boy grants the dolphin his freedom. Ideally suited for audiences of all ages, Flipper was fully deserving of its success; within a year, it had spawned a theatrical sequel and a long-running TV series, which, like the film, cast Suzy the Dolphin as the "hero" Flipper. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: James B. Clark
Written By: Arthur Weiss
Genres: Action & Adventure, Television, Kids & Family, Classics

In Theaters: Aug 14, 1963 Wide
On DVD: Aug 24, 2004
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Good family movie is not just another fish story...or maybe it is.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
a sunny windswept antidote to endless helpings of frantic Japanimation

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jason O

What can I say? Love Flipper, watched reruns of the show religiously for years, and will watch any Flipper movies. I grew up watching the Flipper TV series and it was always one of my favorites, so I couldn't wait to see the original movie that's humbly called… More
What can I say? Love Flipper, watched reruns of the show religiously for years, and will watch any Flipper movies. I grew up watching the Flipper TV series and it was always one of my favorites, so I couldn't wait to see the original movie that's humbly called "Flipper." It shows how Flipper earned his name and how he met his best friend named Sandy. I liked this movie, but I don't like it as much as I like "Flipper's New Adventure." You won't see Flipper make any rescues this first time around, and he doesn't have the same 'voice' as he has in the series, but you will see the smart dolphin do plenty of tricks and show that he had a huge brain even in his first outing. If you've ever liked the TV series or even if you haven't ever seen it, but you like dolphins or just good movies, I recommend getting "Flipper." It'd probably be especially good for kids of any age to watch, and possibly a good family movie. To make it short, it'd be a good buy. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. "Flipper's New Adventure" is the best Flipper movie ever. This one is the worst.
Film C

ive seen a flipper starring elijah wood and i thought it was a very warm hearted and interesting film very good