Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)
As told to a psychiatrist: Mr. Peabody, a middle-aged Bostonian on vacation with his wife in the Caribbean, hears mysterious, wordless singing on an uninhabited rock in the bay. Fishing in the vicinity, he catches...a mermaid. He takes her home and, though she has no spoken language, falls in love with her. Of course, his wife won't believe that the thing in the bathtub is anything but a large fish.
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I often like actors as they age, and I really liked William Powell during his prime. So I expected I would really enjoy this film. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it.It sounds like a fun movie -- a man in his 50-ish life crisis meeting a mermaid...and everyone else thinking he might be loony. I found it boring and -- although I can't put my finger on exactly why -- I think it really missed the mark.The cast is uninspiring -- not a name you'll recognize (except, perhaps, a mute Ann Blyth). Powell is...well, Powell. Usually that would be enough to carry a film, but here it's not enough to save the picture.Perhaps it's worth watching once. Perhaps.
I watched this movie on TV in the 50s, always hoping it would come back again; back then you never knew when that might be. At that age it was romantic, fantastical, funny and sometimes touching. As an adult, I find it the same. So nice to find this little treasure again. Fully delightful performances by William Powell and Ann Blyth.I now find it came out at the same time as Miranda, another mermaid movie. Different cast, British rather than American, but delightful none the less. However, for me, there was something more compelling, charming, magical, and funnier about Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. See which one you like best.
As a girl of 9 I saw Mr Peabody and the Mermaid and was blown away by it. It stayed in my memory as a mysterious and haunting film, with her song still ringing in my ears 56 years later.Luckily I found out that my TV/video is compatible with the NTSC system.(There is no DVD made as far as I know.) So through the magic of E-bay I bought the video from someone in America, who posted it to me in Australia. Tonight I played it. I saw that the humor of it went over my head as a child, but I still enjoyed it immensely. How divine and delightful is Anne Blythe! Loved her also in Rose Marie and The Student Prince. Leonie
Funny. Thoughtful. Great script. Incredible dialog. Wonderfully cast.You might guess that I like this film. William Powell has never been as warm and funny. Ann Blyth is every man's unattainable beauty. And Nunnally Johnson has never written a better script. This is high comedy with a heart.I cannot imagine a more perfect cast. Even the minor roles hold their own.There are many movies we see when young that don't hold up as well as we get older. This one gets even better. If you can't find a copy of it, then petition AMC or TCM to broadcast it. You won't be sorry you did.