This 1958 black and white film “Whale Trainer” is part of the “Danger is My Business” television series produced and hosted by “Mr. Adventure” Lieutenant Colonel John D. Craig. Close-up shots of whales lead to John at Marineland of the Pacific [open 1954-1987] (:07-1:13). The Marineland of the Pacific ship’s captain calls in about a pod of pilot whales (1:14-2:10). The training pool shows “Bubbles”, the first captured pilot whale. [The press surrounding her 2016 death incorrectly attributes her capture to 1966]. Dave Brown, an English marine vet, spreads Zinc Oxide from an ELI Lilly jar on her back (2:11-3:50). A group of men put a mattress-lined cradle into the pool to move her. The whale thrashes about as they administer a syringe to sedate her. A calmer Bubbles is put into the cradle, tied down, hoisted onto the back of a truck, hoisted over to the large pool, and lowered into it (3:51-11:46). At the pool platform, Dave and John discuss that Bubbles won’t eat and a plan to feed her. Dave puts on a diving mask and enters the pool with the whale. Underwater footage shows Dave with tongs and Bubbles angrily swimming around him (11:47-15:00). Dave finally gets his chance to stick squid on the tongs into her mouth. He continues feeding her larger amounts from the tongs. He exits the pool (15:08-16:31). Dave squats on the platform dangling squid above the pool water. Bubbles rises up to take it (16:32-16:55). Bubbles annoys divers feeding fish in the tank (16:56-17:30). Dave crouches on the platform and uses hand signals to tell Bubbles to retrieve a pole with floats on each end and bring it back to him. He rewards her with squid (17:31-18:25). Dave places an innertube on Bubbles’ nose and she lifts it up out of the pool to him. He drops squid in the pilot whale’s mouth. He tosses it and Bubbles plays with it until one day it disappears (18:26-18:54). A diver wearing a hard hat diving suit emerges from the pool, the innertube not found. A hook holds the helmet and the diver ducks out of it (19:05-19:25). In the event the plastic had been swallowed, a jar of mineral oil is shown. The squid bites are thoroughly covered in the oil before feeding it to her. The whale finally burped out the oil and the inner tube, noticed by a sailor (19:26-20:14). A diver retrieves the inner tube and the whale for the first time makes a noise. Dave teaches Bubbles to wear an innertube ‘hat’ (20:15-20:54). The stands are full for Bubble’s performance. She waves with a flipper, spins in the water, ‘speaks’ on Dave’s command, and lifts her hat ring to Dave. She is shown underwater and jumping up out of the water to get squid from Dave. She waves up-close (20:55-23:19). Dave stands on the end of a platform and Bubbles jumps up to get a snack (23:35-24:00). The host, John, ends the film wearing a wetsuit (24:21-24:38).
John D. Craig (1903–1997) was an American businessman, writer, soldier, diver, Hollywood stunt man, film producer, and television host. He worked in the commercial surface-supplied diving industry from the 1930s on, and filmed aerial combat over Europe during World War II. He is best known for using film and television to show the United States public the beauties and dangers of Earth’s underwater worlds
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