Boy on a Dolphin is an action-adventure drama. It is produced by Samuel G. Engel (My Darling Clementine, Stowaway). The film stars Sophia Loren, Alan Ladd, and Clifton Webb. It is based on the novel written by David Divine (Dunkirk).

Phaedra (Sophia Loren) is a underwater diver who discovers a majestic and beautiful treasure on one of her dives into the ocean. What is the mysterious treasure discovered? A statue of a boy on a dolphin.

The statue is considered a rare find and is believed to possess the ability to grant the wishes of its owner. Upon finding it, Phaedra becomes conflicted between giving the statue to Dr. James Calder (Alan Ladd), a archeologist whose goal is to return the statue to Greece and Victor Parmalee (Clifton Webb), who wishes to sell it as a treasured work of art. Romance and adventure ensues as Phaedra must decided what she wants to do with the treasure.

The film features a fun music score by Hugo Friedhofer (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood). Friedhofer delivers an energetic sound that is well suited to the material. Costumes designed by Charles Le Maire (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Miracle on 34th Street) are appropriate for the characters and the time-period.

The cinematography by Milton R. Krasner (All About Eve, An Affair to Remember) is exquisite and breathtaking. This film has stunning photography with great use of color and lighting. Its outdoor scenes are remarkable. Even the underwater sequences are impressive.

The screenplay was written by Ivan Moffat (Giant, Black Sunday) and Dwight Taylor (Top Hat, The Gay Divorcee). The story for the film is somewhat simplistic but the performances by the actors help keep the film entertaining and engaging. Sophia Loren takes the spotlight as the undeniable star of the film and delivers an energetic and memorable performance. She has tremendous charisma and elevates the material.  

Directed by Jean Negulesco (How to Marry a Millionaire, Johnny Belinda), Boy on a Dolphin is a visually inventive production which manages to keep the story engaging. This is a old school adventure film with some dashes of romantic-drama mixed in. Negulesco brings forth good performances from the cast and shapes a film that is well worth its own discovery.

The Blu-ray:

Video:

Boy on a Dolphin is presented on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. This 1080p high definition MPEG-4 AVC encode presents a stunning new 4K restoration of the film. The colors are rich and vibrant. The print is near flawless and features exceptional detail, clarity, and depth. It's one of the best presentations I have seen on home media this year. A wonderful restoration effort was made on this feature.

Audio:

The audio is presented in lossless 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master Audio. This is a pleasing audio presentation. Dialogue is crisp and clean. The audio is vibrant and impressive and sounds lovingly restored. The music score sounds beautiful as well. This is a great effort by Kino.

Extras:

There are no extras on this release.

Final Thoughts:

Boy on a Dolphin is a fun and whimsical adventure-drama which features a great performance by the legendary Sophia Loren. The film is a joy and one which is sure to delight classic film fans. Kino's exceptional Blu-ray release features stellar video and audio. Though the release lacks supplements, this edition is absolutely worth owning for fans of the film.

Highly Recommended.

Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.