Several animals have been authentic protagonists of the celluloid. Actors and actresses, throughout the history of cinema, have shared scenes with dogs, cats, pigs, bears, lions or monkeys. Some have even been present at the Oscar Awards gala, As Messi did last year. But without a doubt an animal that delighted the spectators was the Dolphin Flipper.
Both in a film and in the successful television series, several dolphins made Flipper, an idea that the filmmaker Ricou Browning had. But to carry out this idea, that a dolphin was the protagonist of a series, Browning needed a dolphin coach. And that was Richard O’Barry. What many people do not know is that O’Barry went from training them to defend themsince an activist was made against captivity and favor of the well -being of all animals, not just dolphins.
Mitzi, Suzy, Patty, Scotty, Squirt and Kathy were the six dolphins that went in front of the Browning Chamber. But finally the dolphin that acted most was Kathy, who began to accumulate hours of work and numerous scenes. So many that, in the end, it went from being a cheerful dolphin to a sad and depressed one. Unable to endure the work pace, The dolphin came to sink at the bottom of a pond, refused to breathe and died In Miami Seaquiarium in 1968. And he did it in the presence of his coach.
From coach to activist
The series was already shot. But that tragic end was the reason why O’Barry decided to undertake the course of activism for animals. The endearing and famous Flipper had died and fighting for the freedom of the dolphins in captivity was, for his coach, the best tribute he could do, after death in the same waters in which he had spent so many hours training and acting.
From that activism the entity was born The Dolphin Project, an organization that created O’Barry himself to demand the release of every animal that is in captivity. And not just that. The one who was coach of the deceased Kathy also made A documentary, entitled The Cove, with which he tried to denounce the hunting of emigration on the Japanese coast of Taiji.
The tricks, jumps and adventures of Flipper continued to appear on the screen, thanks to the successive repositions of the series. But without the collaboration or approval of what had been the coach of the specimen that rolled the most scenes with the rest of the protagonists of the series. The one who was named “most famous dolphin in the world” had a sad story behind Despite the ability he had to entertain large and young.
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