Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)

As told to a psychiatrist: Mr. Peabody, middle-aged Bostonian on vacation with his wife in the Caribbean, hears mysterious, wordless singing on an uninhabited rock in the bay. Fishing in ... See full summary »

Director:

Irving Pichel

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay), Guy Jones (novel),

Stars:

William Powell, Ann Blyth, Irene Hervey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Powell	...	Mr. Arthur Peabody
Ann Blyth	...	Mermaid
Irene Hervey	...	Mrs. Polly Peabody
Andrea King	...	Cathy Livingston
Clinton Sundberg	...	Mike Fitzgerald
Art Smith	...	Dr. Harvey
Hugh French	...	Major Hadley
Lumsden Hare	...	Col. Mandrake
Frederick Clarke	...	Basil (as Fred Clark)
James Logan	...	Lieutenant
Mary Field	...	Wee Shop Clerk
Beatrice Roberts	...	Mother
Cynthia Corley	...	Nurse
Tom Stevenson	...	Charlie - Waiter
Mary Somerville	...	Lady Trebshaw

Storyline

As told to a psychiatrist: Mr. Peabody, 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 thing in the bathtub is anything but a large fish. Predictable complications follow in rather tame fashion.

---

Plot Keywords:

love | vacation | fishing | mermaid | period in title | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 1949 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Sereia dos Meus Sonhos

Filming Locations:

Weeki Wachee Springs - 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nunnally Johnson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an article in "Look" magazine that came out at the time the film was released Ann Blyth said that the hardest part of making the movie was trying to learn to swim while wearing the mermaid tail. She said that she practiced for more than a week before she felt comfortable with not being able to kick her legs to help her swim.

---

Goofs

In the underwater fight scene, one shot shows that the fishtail costume had clearly separated from Lenore's back.

---

Connections

Referenced in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

---

Soundtracks

"THE CARIBEES"
Written by Robert Emmett Dolan, lyrics Johnny Mercer
Sung by Andrea King

User Reviews

After 56 years....

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