150 Word Review: 'Day of the Dolphin' (1973)
Three days of the flipper
It’s rare when Hollywood assembles so much talent for a premise as silly as Day of the Dolphin. Mike Nichols directs a screenplay by Buck Henry, starring Oscar-winning rage machine George C. Scott as a marine biologist whose research catches the attention of a cabal of capitalists. Their plan? To kidnap one of Scott’s talking dolphins and train them to assassinate the president. Is this movie a comedy? No. It is a very serious, very paranoid ‘70s sci-fi slow burner with an overly sentimental ending.
Jon Korkes, one of the great ‘that guy’ character actors, stands out as a friendly dolphin wrangler. He was an actor of disarming gentleness and wit, with mournful eyes and a wide, mischievous, muppety smile. Jon passed away a few weeks ago. He was a friend of mine. A kind, funny man. In Day of the Dolphin, he is young and strong and sly, forever.
What a beautiful tribute wrapped in a film review. The way you describe Jon Korkes really brings him to life. Its interesting how '70s cinema could take such an absurd premise and treat it seriously tbh. I wonder if modern audiences would accept a talking-dolphin-assassination plot without irony anymore. I had a professor in animal cognition who always said the real ethical questions around intelligent animals were way wierder than fiction ever captured.
Oh, I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. I'm glad this film captured a little of his spirit. (? It sounds like? I haven't seen it.)