THE WHALE THAT BECAME A STAR
Sign in to track this film in your collection or want list.
Year Published: 1960
Creator: Castle Films
Format: 16mm
Description: Castle Films presents "The Whale that Became a Star" (:09-:16), a souvenir documentary produced in 1960 by Castle Films at the Marineland of the Pacific. The film features Bubbles the pilot whale, who died in 2016 at Sea World, which was her home after Marineland closed. Pilot whales, which have rounded heads and mouthlines that curve upward to resemble a smile, are part of the dolphin family and are smaller than orcas, or killer whales. Pilots live in pods of 20 or 90 animals, and are about as intelligent as dolphins. Weighing roughly 3,000 pounds (1,360kg) and measuring 15 feet (5m) long, Bubbles was considered the "grande dame" of SeaWorld. She was known for her ability to jump out of the water and spin at great speed. Her death in her mid-1950s, roughly ten years short of the average lifespan of a similar whale in the wild, rekindled calls by animal rights activists for Sea World to stop holding whales and other sea creatures in captivity. Film begins at Marineland with a dolphin show. A dolphin jumps through hoops and into the air. People watch the festivities. A dog is in a boat with a tiny life jacket. Fish such as eels are examined by spectators through glass. Seahorses, stingrays, sea turtles, small sharks (:17-1:50). A fishing boat from the Marineland fleet is shown out at sea, hoping to "capture whale for their circus". Dolphins are spotted at sea. A pilot whale pod is found. The men on the boat try and catch a whale in a net. They fail. They try again and this time it works, the net has caught a whale (1:51-3:08). A rubber raft is unrolled to create a floating dry dock. The boat heads back to the dock with the whale. Whale is covered with a wet blanket to prevent sunburn. The whale is placed into a tank at Marineland. The whale swims but doesn't eat since it was moved from the sea (3:09-5:03). A diver goes into the water to tempt the whale with bits of squid. Children watch. After many days, the whale finally eats squid. A man blows a whistle and feeds the whale. The whale's name is Bubbles. Bubbles is fed. People watch the show. Dolphins make noises. Dolphins play basketball. Bubbles debut. Children clap (5:04-7:15). Dolphins do high jumps. Bubbles does jumps and a barbell trick, she is becoming a star. She leaps high into the air to retrieve food, a big splash for Bubbles. Two other whales join Bubbles. Children wave at the whales and the whales wave their fins back (7:16-8:25). End credits (8:26-8:29). Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. Opening one year before Disneyland, many considered it California's first major theme park. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Marineland operated from 1954 until 1987, when it was purchased by the owners of SeaWorld San Diego. The new owners moved the popular killer whales and other animals to their San Diego facility and abruptly closed Marineland. Much of the infrastructure was left abandoned for nearly 20 years before the Terranea Resort was built on the site.
Complete Record:
Transcription
[Music] through the ages the circus has been a source of excitement and thrills for young and old today we have a new kind of circus a circus that recruits its stars from the deep seas stars like the mischievous porpoise on the clown [Music] who needs a hose you can't even light a match within range of smoking their bag of stunts and laughs is almost bottomless what's a circus without a sideshow performers from every depth of the sea like the deadly flesh-eating piranhas the sideshow has horses to see horses [Music] Big Fish Little Fish and cite you've never seen before all together it's a whale of a show whale what an idea why not but how do you catch a whale alive plans are made and operation catch a whale goes into action after days of fruitless search of whale is sighted it's a 60-foot barnacled veteran gray whale much too big for our circus [Music] a sign of good luck to come a school of porpoises tag along as the search continues at last pilot whales this is it a throne that is used with it they hope to capture a whale without injury mess they scour the seas before another school is sighted the flow is successful the whale tries to sound as the nylon rope runs out a 14-foot Beauty the seventeen hundred pound whale begins to tire tie loops are gently placed around the prize as the first step of operation catch a whale is completed then a rubber raft is unrolled inflated under the whale forming a floating dry dock raph must be bailed out for the air-breathing mammals with drown in a few inches of water from now on it'll be handled like a delicate piece of Dresden China the good news is relayed back to the base so that everything will be in readiness on arrival Marineland swings into action following carefully laid plans the whale is covered with a wet blanket to prevent it from getting of all things sunburned a giant crane is maneuvered into position to swing the newcomer into its new home [Music] but now comes the anxious period of watchful waiting will she like her new home for days she refuses to eat she may die of starvation [Music] so a skin diver goes down to tempt her with tidbits of squid [Music] it takes patient cocco Singh after many days she takes it the first morsel breaks her fast with a vengeance in the next 72 hours our heroine consumes 210 pounds of squid you so far so good but has she the intelligence to be trained the first step teach her to associate the whistle with food each time she responds there's a reward she minds her manners two bubbles for that's her name now waits patiently for the squid now her appetite is more dainty sixty pounds a day is enough when in training weeks after moving into her new home bubbles learns to retreat [Music] [Applause] [Music] now for the big show the brainy Globetrotters a tisket a tasket like the pros they make the basket this is the day of bubbles gala debut with a seasoned clowns the porpoises showoff bubbles accepts the challenge she punches that bag all the class of the heavyweight she is this is becoming a two-ring circus [Music] remember the barbell trick bubbles has it down pat a headliner the whale becomes a star [Music] the new star leaps her full 14 feet out of the pool she's jumping for joy [Music] because two new playmates bimbo and squirt have joined bubbles the whale who made history the hefty is trio in circus circle so long bubbles we had a whale of a time [Music] [Applause]
1 user has this film:
Periscope Film
Related films:
- Fascinating Yosemite (1940) · Castle Films
- News parade of the year 1941 (1941) · Castle Films
- News parade of the year 1940 (1940) · Castle Films
- A DOG GONE STORY (1955) · Castle Films
- Sahara (1940s) · Castle Films
- Bombs Rock Italy! (1943) (1943) · Castle Films
- Britain's Commandos in Action! (1940s) · Castle Films
- Hawaiian Rhythm (1939) · Castle Films
Original permalink · Record added: 2025-01-23 16:38:00