Mr Peabody and the Mermaid ** (1948, William Powell, Ann Blyth, Irene Hervey) – Classic Movie Review 12,661

Universal Pictures’ 1948 American romantic fantasy comedy film Mr Peabody and the Mermaid stars William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. Mr Peabody goes fishing and catches an alluring mermaid.

Director Irving Pichel’s 1948 Universal Pictures’ American romantic fantasy comedy film Mr Peabody and the Mermaid stars William Powell and Ann Blyth, along with Irene Hervey, Clinton Sundberg and Andrea King.

William Powell stars as Mr Peabody, who goes on holiday with his wife Polly (Irene Hervey) to the fictional Caribbean resort of St Hilda. He sails his boat and goes fishing and finds an alluring mermaid (Ann Blyth), like you do.

Mr Peabody and the Mermaid is a very gentle comedy, with an underpowered script, made just about palatable by the two appealing stars.

The screenplay is written by the film’s producer Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1945 novel Peabody’s Mermaid by Guy Jones and Constance Jones. But the talented scripter Johnson cannot manage quite enough charm for an hour and a half, so the smiles often dry on your lips.

Alas, it isn’t in the class of the similar, simultaneously filmed British movie Miranda, and certainly not in the Splash! class.

Some sequences were shot at the Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida.

Nancy Tribble and Mary Ann Ziegler were Ann Blyth’s swimming doubles.

Release date: August 11, 1948 (US).

Gainsborough Pictures rushed Miranda into production to beat Mr Peabody and the Mermaid into cinemas, and was the more popular of the two films in the UK. But the success in America was Mr Peabody and the Mermaid, whose makers threatened to sue Gainsborough for copyright infringement but had to back down because Miranda was based on a well-known hit play.

The cast are William Powell as Mr Arthur Peabody, Ann Blyth as Mermaid, Irene Hervey as Mrs Polly Peabody, Andrea King as Cathy Livingston, Clinton Sundberg as Mike Fitzgerald, Art Smith as Dr Harvey, Hugh French as Major Hadley, Lumsden Hare as Col. Mandrake, Frederick Clarke as Basil, James Logan as Lieutenant, Mary Field as Wee Shop Clerk, Beatrice Roberts as Mother, Cynthia Corley as Nurse, Tom Stevenson as Waiter Charlie, Mary Somerville as Lady Trebshaw, Dick Ryan [Richard Ryan] as Waiter, Robert Hyatt [Bobby Hyatt] as Little Boy, and Ivan Browning as Sidney.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,661

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