While diving, a young Greek sponge diver named Phaedra discovers a priceless ancient statue, the "boy on a dolphin" of the title. The plot deals with the efforts of two rival archaeologists, James Calder and Victor Parmalee, to obtain the statue. In order to do so, both need the assistance of Phaedra and her boyfriend Rhif. The two men are very different in personality. The American Calder is an honest man who believes that the statue is the cultural property of the Greek nation and belongs in a museum. Parmalee, whose nationality is never made clear, is an amoral rogue who wants to steal it for his own private collection. A sub-plot deals with the growing romance between Calder and Phaedra. In this area at least, Calder faces no competition from Parmalee, who has no feelings for anyone but himself. (His rather camp manner suggests that he might be gay, but in the fifties film-makers could not be too explicit about such matters).
Surprisingly, Calder does not face much competition from Rhif either, as he turns out to be an unscrupulous bully who cares more for money than he does for Phaedra. If anyone is thinking that "Rhif" is not a Greek name, you are right; he is an illegal immigrant from Albania. This was the first ever Hollywood movie to be shot in Greece, and I wondered if Rhif was made a foreigner to keep on the right side of the Greek authorities, who might not have taken too kindly to the idea of a Greek villain.
I was surprised by the number of ten-star reviews this film has received on here. "Boy on a Dolphin" is an agreeable romance-adventure, the photography of the Greek scenery is good and there is a tuneful theme song. Clifton Webb as Parmalee makes an effective villain. On the other hand, it certainly has its weaknesses, particularly the performance of Alan Ladd, who as Calder makes a singularly uncharismatic hero. He was handicapped by his height, or lack of it; in some scenes he was forced to stand on a box to hide the fact that his leading lady Sophia Loren was considerably taller than he was. (In others she had to stand in a trench). The role, apparently, should have gone to Cary Grant, but he was forced to pull out after his wife was involved in a shipwreck. (Later in the same year Grant and Loren did indeed make a film together, "The Pride and the Passion").
This was Loren's first ever English-language film, and it shows. She never really seems at home in the language, and this is far from being her best performance. I suspect that most of those ten-star reviews were awarded less for the film's intrinsic merits than for the beauty of its leading lady. Beauty alone, however, cannot automatically make a film a masterpiece. 6/10
Surprisingly, Calder does not face much competition from Rhif either, as he turns out to be an unscrupulous bully who cares more for money than he does for Phaedra. If anyone is thinking that "Rhif" is not a Greek name, you are right; he is an illegal immigrant from Albania. This was the first ever Hollywood movie to be shot in Greece, and I wondered if Rhif was made a foreigner to keep on the right side of the Greek authorities, who might not have taken too kindly to the idea of a Greek villain.
I was surprised by the number of ten-star reviews this film has received on here. "Boy on a Dolphin" is an agreeable romance-adventure, the photography of the Greek scenery is good and there is a tuneful theme song. Clifton Webb as Parmalee makes an effective villain. On the other hand, it certainly has its weaknesses, particularly the performance of Alan Ladd, who as Calder makes a singularly uncharismatic hero. He was handicapped by his height, or lack of it; in some scenes he was forced to stand on a box to hide the fact that his leading lady Sophia Loren was considerably taller than he was. (In others she had to stand in a trench). The role, apparently, should have gone to Cary Grant, but he was forced to pull out after his wife was involved in a shipwreck. (Later in the same year Grant and Loren did indeed make a film together, "The Pride and the Passion").
This was Loren's first ever English-language film, and it shows. She never really seems at home in the language, and this is far from being her best performance. I suspect that most of those ten-star reviews were awarded less for the film's intrinsic merits than for the beauty of its leading lady. Beauty alone, however, cannot automatically make a film a masterpiece. 6/10