Dripper

Dripper
Details
Show	The Flintstones
Season	6
Episode number	164
Production number	P-164
Original airdate	March 18, 1966 (ABC)
Recording Date	October 1, 1965
Crew
Animated by	Ed Barge Jerry Hathcock Ed Parks
Layout	Dick Bickenbach Lance Nolley Brad Case Morris Gollub
Background	Fernando Montealegre (known as F. Montealegre) Fernando Arce Rene Garcia
Written by	Barry E. Blitzer
Chronology
Previous	"Jealousy"
Next	"My Fair Freddy"

"Dripper" is the twenty-fourth episode of the sixth season and the one hundred and sixty-fourth overall episode of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on March 18, 1966.

Synopsis

Dripper the sealasaurus follows the Flintstones home while his trainer is attempting to kidnap him.

Plot

The Flintstones and Rubbles go in Fred's car to the Bedrock aquarium, Oceanrock, to watch the performance- of trumpets and dance to piano music- of Dripper, a popular, trained sealasaurus, which is targeted for theft by a criminal group led by a mysterious Mrs. Big. Mrs. Big's two hires are Muscles (a tall, gruff thug) and Blinky (a bespectacled, nevertheless poorly sighted, little oaf), and the two criminal stooges pursue Dripper after the affectionate sealasaurus befriends Barney and jumps on the back of the departing Flintstone car.

The trainer at the aquarium discovers that Dripper is missing and calls the police, and Fred and Barney first realize that they have a sealasaurus visitor when they are at home, snorkeling in their shared swimming pool. Barney's snorkel suit resembles Dripper's carcass, and the poor-visioned criminal, mistaking Barney for Dripper, throws a sack over Barney, and he and his crooked colleague bring the still-sacked Barney to Mrs. Big.

When the thieves discover that they filched the wrong article, Barney is tied to a rock pillar and left alone by the nefarious and notorious group. Fortunately, Dripper witnessed the kidnapping and followed the thugs. He provides a telephone for the tied Barney to contact police, and Dripper writes the address of the criminals' hideout for Barney to relay to the constable-on-duty. Dripper, however, is caught, as well and tied up with Barney. Police arrive and surround the place, Fred rescues Barney and Dripper, and Mrs. Big, attempting to flee after Blinky and Muscles were arrested, is de-cloaked and un-wigged to reveal Dripper's trainer, who is jealous of the sealasaurus' fame and plotted the theft to remove Dripper from the limelight.

After the trainer and his two henchmen are arrested, Dripper is returned to the aquarium and Fred throws a peanut to an octopus. The octopus decides to follow Fred home and is last seen hanging on the back of Fred's car and saying "Well, folks, here we go again!"

Characters

• Fred Flintstone
• Wilma Flintstone
• Barney Rubble
• Betty Rubble
• Pebbles Flintstone
• Bamm-Bamm Rubble
• Air Traffic Watch Reporter (only appearance)
• Dripper (only appearance)
• Dripper's trainer (only appearance, disguised as Mrs. Big)
• Octopus (only appearance)
• Blinky (only appearance)
• Muscles (only appearance)
• Mamie the Mermaid (only appearance)
• Loan Shark (only appearance)
• Swordfish (only appearance)
• Police Chief Rockschnozzle (only appearance)
• Officer Keystone (only appearance)

Locations

Bedrock

• Flintstone home
• Bedrock Freeway
• Oceanrock Aquarium (only appearance)
• Bedrock Police Station (only appearance)
• Mrs. Big's hideout (only appearance)

Objects

• Dripper's ball (only appearance)
• Rock Bell Phone

Animals

• Monkeysaurus
• Sealasaurus
• Octopusaurus
• Swordfish
• Sharkasaurus

Vehicles

• Flintmobile
• Muscles' car (only appearance)
• Air Traffic Watch helicopter (only appearance)

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone Pebbles Flintstone Mrs. Big
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Swordfish
Gerry Johnson	Betty Rubble Lady in Ticket Office Mamie the Mermaid
Henry Corden	Muscles
Don Messick	Bamm-Bamm Rubble Traffic Reporter
Doug Young	Police Chief Rockschnozzle

Notes/Trivia

• Although Dripper is a seal not a dolphin, this episode was obviously an allusion and a spoof of the 1964 TV show, Flipper which also features an extremely intelligent and helpful aquatic mammal.
• The label on the side of a pink van named H&B Prod's., was a nod to Hanna-Barbera.
• The music playing on the radio as the Flintstones and Rubbles (and Dripper) drive from the aquarium is an instrumental version of "I Don't Believe," a song by The Guilloteens that had been released as a single on Hanna-Barbera's HBR record label in the summer of 1965.
• A September 2, 1966 repeat of "Dripper" was the last broadcast of The Flintstones on ABC in primetime. It was replaced by The Green Hornet.

Errors

• The loudspeaker on top of the police station disappears.