Flipper (dolphin)

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Flipper is the name of the main character in several American films and television series by Ivan Tors , which are about the fictional experiences of a dolphin . After the movie adaptation in 1963 with the female dolphin Mitzi (* 1958; † 1972) as pinball, the television series was first broadcast on NBC from 1964 to 1967 . From January 1, 1966, the series was shown in a German dubbed version on ZDF . The title role was played by a total of five female bottlenose dolphins . The front fins of dolphins and whales are called " flippers " .

Two of the performing dolphins, Suzy and Cathy, lost their daily task and speech after the shooting and died shortly afterwards of various illnesses. Her trainer at the time, Ric O'Barry , later spoke out against the training of dolphins as film stars, as it meant considerable stress for the animals, and has since been committed to the captivity and hunting of dolphins; In his documentary thriller The Bay (2009) he turned against the Japanese dolphin hunt.

Similar to other animal series stars, such as B. Rin Tin Tin , Lassie and Fury , Flipper is given a human-like intelligence and a mostly superhuman moral integrity (the ability to distinguish good and bad and to follow honorable motives), which makes him a perfect protector and crime fighter in the films .

Movies and series

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Iris Hellmuth: TV series "Flipper": Tragedy in the bottlenose dolphin. In: Spiegel Online . October 1, 2009, accessed December 19, 2014 .
  2. ANIMAL GUARDIAN RIC O´BARRY Flippers curse fr-online.de