The Day of the Dolphin
The Day of the Dolphin
| 19 December 1973 (USA)
The Day of the Dolphin Trailers

Dr. Jake Terrell, who has been training a pair of dolphins for many years, has had a breakthrough. He has taught his dolphins to speak and understand English, although they do have a limited vocabulary. When the dolphins are stolen, he discovers they're to be used in an assassination attempt. Now he is in a race to discover who is the target, and where the dolphins are, before the attempt is carried out.

Reviews
Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Cody One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
JasparLamarCrabb It's hard to call this a terrible movie as it's so well made, but that's exactly what it is. Zero thrills and zero laughs add up to nothing. George C. Scott is a scientist who teaches a dolphin to speak. A shady group of men decides to exploit this and use the dolphin to assassinate the US president. The movie lumbers along for quite some time before that plot is exposed, making for a really boring time. Scott is fine and the supporting cast includes Paul Sorvino & Fritz Weaver. The stunning cinematography is by William A. Fraker. It's impossible to determine if this is meant to be a thriller or a satire. The script by Buck Henry is devoid of anything interesting at all. It's difficult to believe that Mike Nichols directed this.
amosduncan_2000 And given the quality of this movie, no, I don't feel guilty about that joke. Apparently Roman Polanski had been working on this project years before, if only the studios had just let it die. It's terrible and tough to sit through, but interesting as a major car wreck. Mike Nichols seemed to be attempting a more simple and direct approach than in his flashy, counter culture hits- but the film is flat, the timing is off on just about everything. The music is terrible. It's just a wildly misguided project. Mike Nichols would have hits, but his days as an interesting director (and counter culture hero) were over. Scott would never give a great performance (as in "The Hospital") again and basically returned to TV.
screenman Here's a creature feature from the early 1970's. George C Scott plays Dr Jake Terrell, a marine biologist who has taught a couple of dolphins to speak and understand English. It's a child's vocabulary with a pidgin dialect to suit their peculiar enunciation. Much of the movie entails his developing relationship with the animals and their slowly-dawning grasp of what is being asked. It's a bit like 'My Fair Lady', but with fins instead of songs. Soon the wrong kind of people hear about their achievements. It's 1973, so we're still talking cold-war spies and subterfuge, here. The good doctor realises that the animals are destined to pass from his custody. Very likely they'll be used as living torpedoes or something. There's only one option: to let them go. This movie ran the risk of being an absolute howl, but was saved from disaster by George C Scott. Yep; that's the same GCS who blew the silver screen to atoms with his towering portrayal of General Patton in 'Lust For Glory'. Here he is, with his face looking like it's been ground from granite, and a voice that sounds like the machine used for the task. To observe him betray moments of stricken regret is truly touching to see, all the more so for his typical appearance of such unshakable gravitas. He carries this movie on his shoulders. Which is just as well, because it couldn't otherwise stand on its own feet.Pretty Trish Van Der Vere plays his young 'trophy' wife, and brings nothing to the movie than the obvious. And the dolphins are, of course, as believable as you want them to be. The script is surprisingly intelligent. There's a memorable sentimental/romantic theme. And although there's no tiresome kids, it's the sort of feature they'll enjoy. Happily, there's also no bad language, no explicit sex and no graphic violence, making it great family viewing.The final parting is about as sad as any you will see in a movie, made all the more so by Scott's excellent portrayal of suppressed grief and the animals' incomprehension. You may laugh, but you'll feel guilty at the same time.Not much in the way of a sci-fi movie, hokum from the standpoint of wildlife and environment, but still a worthy vehicle for George C Scott's amazing talent. Recommended for that if for no other reason.
ivo-marjak 'Just was memorizing my favorite films from childhood and was not sure I could find this one here. I was about 13, when I saw it and went to see it three times. Never has such happened again! Sure, details are blurred (may-be for tears!), but from memories point of view it does not matter that much, I rate it best movie ever seen, if You catch my drift. As was said here already. To have it? For children, certainly; to see it again? May-be not, may spoil beautiful memories...