Mad About Men ** (1954, Glynis Johns, Donald Sinden, Anne Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 9367

Director Ralph Thomas’s amiable 1954 Technicolor fantasy comedy Mad about Men again stars Glynis Johns, who revisits her mermaid tale for this sequel to 1948’s hit Miranda, in which flirty mermaid Miranda and stuffy gymnastics teacher Caroline Trewella, the fishy one and a lookalike schoolteacher, change places.

Caroline inherits a house on the Cornwall coast discovers mermaid Miranda in the basement, which was a smuggler’s cave, she (Glynis Johns). While Miranda has fun taking Caroline’s place when  is off on a cycling tour. But then Miranda falls for a human being…

Mad about Men is a pretty obvious, thinly scripted but even so generally shallowly amusing romantic fantasy, with favourite British eccentric actresses Margaret Rutherford, Irene Handl, Joan Hickson, Dandy Nichols and Dora Bryan helping to keep the comedy swimming along.

It is pleasant enough, but Johns just seems to be dipping her toe lightly in the water this time, and the magic of Miranda doesn’t happen twice.

Rutherford plays Miranda’s friend Nurse Carey and Rutherford’s real-life husband, Stringer Davis, plays the vicar.

Peter Blackmore again writes the story and screenplay.

Also in the cast are Anne Crawford, Dora Bryan, Nicholas Phipps, Irene Handl, Peter Martyn, Noel Purcell, Joan Hickson, Judith Furse, David Hurst, Martin Miller, Deryck Guyler, Anthony Oliver, Stringer Davis, Martin Boddey, Meredith Edwards, John Horsley, Douglas Ives, Henry B Longhurst, Dandy Nichols, Ken Richmond, Marianne Stone, Harry Welchman and George Woodbridge.

Mad about Men is directed by Ralph Thomas, runs 90 minutes, is made by Group Film Productions and Rank, is released by General Film Distributors, is written by Peter Blackmore (story and screenplay), is shot in Technicolor by Ernest Steward, is produced by Earl St John (executive producer) and Betty E Box (producer), is scored by Benjamin Frankel and is designed by George Provis.

Hickson and Rutherford both played Miss Marple.

Deryck Guyler would definitely be one of the great Dereks if he had spelled his name properly. The great Dereks include Derek Jarman, Derek Fowlds, Derek Thompson, Derek Bond, Derek Griffiths, Derek Nimmo, Derek Francis, Derek Newark, Derek Godfrey, John Derek and Bo Derek.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9367

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