Flipper

Flipper is a 1963 American adventure film written by Arthur Weiss based upon a story by Ricou Browning and Jack Cowden. Produced by Ivan Tors and directed by James B. Clark, the film centers on a 12-year-old boy living with his parents in the Florida Keys who befriends an injured wild dolphin. The boy and the dolphin become inseparable, eventually overcoming the misgivings of the boy's fisherman father. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on August 14, 1963, the film introduced the popular song Flipper by Dunham and Henry Vars. It was a surprise hit at the box office and inspired the subsequent television series of the same name (1964–1967) and film sequels. The original dolphin was a female named Mitzi, and was owned by an older couple in Little Torch Key. Mitsy performed all the tricks in the original movie. It took five different dolphins to "replace" her in the sequel film.