In my opinion (for what it's worth),one of the greatest actors of the second half of the 20th century was George C. Scott. Despite not being a handsome man, he managed to establish himself as a first-rate actor...and Oscar-winning one at that. Well, "The Day of the Dolphin" is proof that even a great actor can make a terrible film...and it really is pretty terrible.

The plot is insane if you think about it. A scientist (Scott) has been training dolphins and has even taught them to talk and think. This might be seen as a wonderful thing...but the folks funding the research plan on using his dolphins for evil So it's up to the remaining dolphin and the scientist to try to stop this.

An evil plot to use dolphins as assassins. Doesn't this pretty much say it all?! A dumb film and one which wastes a great actor's talents. Good for a laugh....but not much else.

With some generous financial backing marine biologist George C. Scott has trained two dolphins to actually speak some rudimentary English. The dolphins are Alpha and Beta and they refer to Scott and wife Trish Van Devere as Ma and Pa. To all intents and purposes they are parents of the porpoises.

Pure scientist Scott as he describes himself has never given a thought as to his backers and their generous financial backing. But when he and Van Devere are lured off the island they work on and Alpha and Beta are taken, it's up to Scott to find them as he considers them as like his children.

Scott usually the most intense of actors is rather subdued in his part here. He has trouble comprehending why anyone would want to put such creatures in harm's way. Make no mistake it's in harm's way they are going.

I couldn't quite figure out Paul Sorvino's role in this film. He's first with the bad guys and then defects and gives Scott a voice of common sense that he desperately needs.

The dolphins are the real show, the true innocents in a corrupt world. To an extent they mirror their ma and pa.

The Day Of The Dolphin got Oscar nominations for sound and for the music score. It's an interesting and absorbing film even today.

Jake Terrell (George C. Scott) and his wife Maggie are trying to train their dolphin Alpha "Fa" to communicate in English. They bring in a female dolphin for companionship. The problem is that the foundation funding the research has different objectives for the dolphins.

Despite the weirdness of talking broken English with a dolphin, I try to take this movie seriously on its own level. It is certainly sincere in creating this world and its people. I appreciate the ultimate message. The problem is that I don't get why the foundation is funding the dolphin to talk English. It makes no sense. They don't need to discuss philosophy with the dolphins. They just need it to carry stuff. Ultimately, the movie does not make sense in its central premise.