The Day of the Dolphin

The Day of the Dolphin is a 1973 American science fiction thriller film directed by Mike Nichols and starring George C. Scott. Adapted by Buck Henry from the 1967 French novel Un animal doué de raison by Robert Merle, the film centers on a scientist whose groundbreaking work teaching dolphins to speak English is co-opted for a sinister political assassination plot. A blend of paranoid conspiracy thriller and animal-bonding drama, the film was a commercial project for Nichols following his acclaimed work on The Graduate and Catch-22, featuring a score by composer Georges Delerue.

Plot

Dr. Jake Terrell, a brilliant but reclusive marine biologist played by George C. Scott, and his wife and research partner, Maggie, portrayed by Trish Van Devere, have successfully taught a dolphin named Alpha to comprehend and speak English at their isolated research facility in the Florida Keys. Their work is funded by the Franklin Foundation, a philanthropic organization run by the wealthy Harold DeMilo. Unbeknownst to the Terrells, DeMilo is collaborating with a covert government faction led by the ruthless operative Curtis Mahoney, who plans to use a second trained dolphin, Beta, to attach a bomb to the yacht of the President of the United States. After Alpha is kidnapped for the plot, Jake Terrell must race against time to thwart the conspiracy, leading to a tense confrontation at sea where he must communicate with Alpha to prevent the assassination.

Production

The film was a major production for AVCO Embassy Pictures, with Mike Nichols hired to direct following his success with The Graduate. Screenwriter Buck Henry, who had collaborated with Nichols on The Graduate, adapted the novel by Robert Merle, shifting its Cold War espionage premise to a more contemporary American context. Principal photography took place primarily at the Seaquarium in Miami and on location in the Bahamas. The production faced significant challenges working with the dolphin actors, requiring extensive training and complex underwater filming techniques supervised by cinematographer William A. Fraker. The film's score was composed by Georges Delerue, known for his work on films like The Conformist.

Cast

* George C. Scott as Dr. Jake Terrell * Trish Van Devere as Maggie Terrell * Paul Sorvino as Curtis Mahoney * Fritz Weaver as Harold DeMilo * Jon Korkes as David * Edward Herrmann as Mike * John Dehner as The Wallingford * Severn Darden as Dr. Schneider * Leslie Charleson as Maryanne * The dolphins Alpha and Beta as themselves

Reception

Upon its release in December 1973, The Day of the Dolphin received largely negative reviews from critics. While the technical aspects, particularly Georges Delerue's score and the dolphin sequences, were noted, the film was widely criticized for its tonal inconsistency, veering between a serious thriller and a sentimental animal story. Reviewers from publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post found the plot implausible and the dialogue lacking. Despite the critical panning, the film was a moderate box office success, capitalizing on a popular interest in dolphin intelligence during the era. The performance of George C. Scott was generally seen as a rare highlight in an otherwise misfired project for director Mike Nichols.

Legacy

Though not considered a success in Mike Nichols's filmography, The Day of the Dolphin has attained a certain cult status as a curious artifact of 1970s cinema. It is often cited in discussions of films featuring intelligent animals or as an example of the paranoid political thrillers that were prevalent in the post-Watergate scandal era. The film's premise has been referenced in popular culture, including a famous parody sketch on Saturday Night Live. It remains a notable, if flawed, entry in the careers of George C. Scott and Buck Henry, and its underlying themes of scientific ethics and weaponized nature have garnered retrospective analysis.

Category:1973 films Category:American science fiction thriller films Category:Films directed by Mike Nichols Category:AVCO Embassy Pictures films