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On this day, April 4, 1947, Luke Halpin, "Sandy Ricks" on "Flipper," was born.
Hat tip, somewhere else
Luke Halpin
Luke Halpin, May 1965 {He's the one wearing the shirt with the horizontal stripes.}
Born: Luke Austin Halpin; April 4, 1947 (age 77); Astoria, Queens, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s): Actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver, pilot
Luke Austin Halpin (born April 4, 1947) is a former American actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver and pilot. He became a child actor at the age of eight and is widely known for his role as Sandy Ricks in the feature films Flipper and Flipper's New Adventure, as well as for reprising his role for the NBC television series adaptation, Flipper.
{snip}
Career
Early career
Halpin's career began when a music teacher, impressed by Halpin's "all-American" look, encouraged him to try acting.
{snip}
Flipper
Halpin in the 1963 feature film Flipper
Halpin's most famous role came when at age 15 he was picked to play the 12-year-old Sandy Ricks in producer Ivan Tors' 1963 feature film Flipper (filmed in the Florida Keys and Miami), starring alongside Chuck Connors, who played Sandy's father and fisherman Porter Ricks.
{snip}
After acting
Following an acting career that spanned three decades, Halpin began working as a stuntman, marine coordinator, diver, and speedboat pilot for such feature films as Never Say Never Again, Porky's Revenge!, Flight of the Navigator and Speed 2: Cruise Control as well as for the television series Miami Vice. He also continued to make cameo appearances, most notably, on the television series Key West, Miami Vice and in the 1996 feature film remake, Flipper, starring a 15-year-old Elijah Wood as Sandy Ricks.
Halpin lives on the west coast of Florida with his wife, Deborah. He has three sons, Kyle Austin Halpin (born October 1980), Blair Luke Halpin (born December 1982), and Courtney Luke Halpin (born April 1990).
In 2015, it was reported that Halpin was suffering from Stage IV head and neck cancer. A website to assist in his care has been established. In June 2016, a family friend announced the cancer was in remission but that Halpin was at the time in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
{snip}
Luke Halpin, May 1965 {He's the one wearing the shirt with the horizontal stripes.}
Born: Luke Austin Halpin; April 4, 1947 (age 77); Astoria, Queens, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s): Actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver, pilot
Luke Austin Halpin (born April 4, 1947) is a former American actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver and pilot. He became a child actor at the age of eight and is widely known for his role as Sandy Ricks in the feature films Flipper and Flipper's New Adventure, as well as for reprising his role for the NBC television series adaptation, Flipper.
{snip}
Career
Early career
Halpin's career began when a music teacher, impressed by Halpin's "all-American" look, encouraged him to try acting.
{snip}
Flipper
Halpin in the 1963 feature film Flipper
Halpin's most famous role came when at age 15 he was picked to play the 12-year-old Sandy Ricks in producer Ivan Tors' 1963 feature film Flipper (filmed in the Florida Keys and Miami), starring alongside Chuck Connors, who played Sandy's father and fisherman Porter Ricks.
{snip}
After acting
Following an acting career that spanned three decades, Halpin began working as a stuntman, marine coordinator, diver, and speedboat pilot for such feature films as Never Say Never Again, Porky's Revenge!, Flight of the Navigator and Speed 2: Cruise Control as well as for the television series Miami Vice. He also continued to make cameo appearances, most notably, on the television series Key West, Miami Vice and in the 1996 feature film remake, Flipper, starring a 15-year-old Elijah Wood as Sandy Ricks.
Halpin lives on the west coast of Florida with his wife, Deborah. He has three sons, Kyle Austin Halpin (born October 1980), Blair Luke Halpin (born December 1982), and Courtney Luke Halpin (born April 1990).
In 2015, it was reported that Halpin was suffering from Stage IV head and neck cancer. A website to assist in his care has been established. In June 2016, a family friend announced the cancer was in remission but that Halpin was at the time in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
{snip}
Flipper 1964 - 1967 Opening and Closing Theme (With Snippet)
TeeVees Greatest
183K subscribers
1,165,073 views Feb 18, 2016
Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons Sandy and Bud.
The show has been dubbed an "aquatic Lassie", and a considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run. The television show is an adaptation of the 1963 film Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin as Porter and Sandy Ricks, and its 1964 sequel, Flipper's New Adventure, where Brian Kelly took over the role of Porter.
In adapting the films to a television series, the producers made Porter a single parent and gave him a second son named Bud, played by Tommy Norden. The producers departed yet again from the films in endowing Flipper with an unnatural degree of intelligence and an extraordinary understanding of human motives, behavior, and vocabulary.
TeeVees Greatest
183K subscribers
1,165,073 views Feb 18, 2016
Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons Sandy and Bud.
The show has been dubbed an "aquatic Lassie", and a considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run. The television show is an adaptation of the 1963 film Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin as Porter and Sandy Ricks, and its 1964 sequel, Flipper's New Adventure, where Brian Kelly took over the role of Porter.
In adapting the films to a television series, the producers made Porter a single parent and gave him a second son named Bud, played by Tommy Norden. The producers departed yet again from the films in endowing Flipper with an unnatural degree of intelligence and an extraordinary understanding of human motives, behavior, and vocabulary.
Flipper Saves The Boys From Sharks! | Flipper
MGM Presents
141K subscribers
20,748 views Nov 7, 2022 #Flipper #Adventure #TVRerunClub
The boys (Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden) are trapped underwater, and when Porter doesn't realise, Flipper finds some friends to help!
Season 2, Episode 10
A school of killer sharks keep Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden) trapped in a sunken wreck while Flipper tries to arouse Porter Ricks (Brian Kelly) to come to their aid. Ricks, thinking the boys are in school, pays no heed to Flipper's commotion, so Flipper must find other aid. The boys are in the water searching for a rare specimen for Bud to take to his science class when the sharks surround the sunken wreck. As their air supply dwindles, Flipper returns with a dolphin pack to lead an attack on the sharks.
{snip}
MGM Presents
141K subscribers
20,748 views Nov 7, 2022 #Flipper #Adventure #TVRerunClub
The boys (Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden) are trapped underwater, and when Porter doesn't realise, Flipper finds some friends to help!
Season 2, Episode 10
A school of killer sharks keep Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden) trapped in a sunken wreck while Flipper tries to arouse Porter Ricks (Brian Kelly) to come to their aid. Ricks, thinking the boys are in school, pays no heed to Flipper's commotion, so Flipper must find other aid. The boys are in the water searching for a rare specimen for Bud to take to his science class when the sharks surround the sunken wreck. As their air supply dwindles, Flipper returns with a dolphin pack to lead an attack on the sharks.
{snip}
