Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid

This little-known film is a delightfully whimsical fable about male menopause, although the term didn't exist when it was made. William Powell, unwilling to face the encroachment of old age, receives the gift of a visitation from an altogether fetching mermaid, who sparks the diminishing flames of his youthful ardor. Powell is simply wonderful in the role, as he is in anything, as Maltin so rightly observes. This is a charming, touching, and, in the end, poignant tale.

The man is William Powell, reaching the age of 50 [supposedly a land mark in a man's life] and feeling in low spirits with still such an attractive wife, played by the attractive Irene Hervey, snags a beautiful mermaid while out on a fishing spree. Of course, he is all in a dither to have caught this delectable sea creature, played with such lovely and simple sincerity by Ann Blyth, that he proceeds to bring her home, placing her in the bath tub, where she takes a bubble bath.

Mr. Powell is wonderful in these type of semi-comedy films where he can show his sensitive side as well as his impeccable timing of high class comedy. He steals the film, along with Miss Blyth, fresh from her scene stealing scenes as the bad girl in MILDRED PIERCE, who never speaks a word, but does some very intricate underwater swimming, including a water ballet that would make Esther Williams jealous. However, Miss Blyth had a fish tail attached to her.

Other cast members include Andrea King as a delicious woman out on the make [yes, she swims and sings] Clinton Sundberg cast in a very funny role of a man trying to give up smoking and Art Smith as the psychiatrist who examines Powell for possible lunacy in having met a mermaid only to reveal later that he, himself, had visions of a small ice skater who proceeded to skate across the window shade. Hmmmmm! Watch for another funny scene in a ladies' apparel shop when our hero requests from the saleslady, played wonderfully by Mary Field, for half a bathing suit.

This is a first rate small film, directed by Irving Pichel and written by Nunnally Johnson, made in the 40s, when films were an escape. And that's exactly what it does. Charms the tail right off of you.

William Powell stars as Mr. Peabody, a married man and on the verge of 50, and Ann Blyth as a mermaid he snags on his fishing rod one fanciful day, and ultimately falling for her. Usually I don't read other reviewers, but I did happen to scan over a few and found most of them liked this film. You can't help but like anything that William Powell is in; he gives anything he's in charm and a high regard it may not possess without him.

Having said that, this movie suffers mostly from a weak script and an awkward feel to it due to its staginess and the use of a flashback, in the form of telling the story to a psychiatrist. I can't help feeling it would have been more effective in the present day, as it was happening right now. It does a mystical feel to it and I can see how someone would have fond feelings for it having seen it as a child and therefore see past its technical flaws.

Ann Blyth is good and quite striking as the mermaid, who rightly doesn't speak a word, unlike Glynis Johns in "Miranda." With Glynis Johns' "Miranda" being made in 1948 also, I get the feeling that this was made to capitalize on "Miranda"'s success. It may not have the magic and humor that "Miranda" has, but, if you like William Powell and like his usual quirky approach to life's dilemmas, you'll be pleased for 90 minutes.

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

I've only seen this movie a couple of times as it seems it was hardly ever shown on television and I don't know why it was so overlooked. It's not a big film and is a typical escapism fantasy fun film that were so popular in the 1940's but it's well done and deserves a look. William Powell whose days as a leading man were waning plays a man who is turning 50 and going into a mid-life crisis (Powell was in reality 56) so while on a seaside vacation with his wife away, he snags a mermaid while out fishing. A beautiful mermaid, played by the 20 year old Ann Blyth who in 1948 was breaking away from teen roles with this film and two others released that year, A Woman's Vengeance and Another Part of the Forest. This is adapted from the Constance and Guy Jones novel Peabody's Mermaid by noted screenplay writer Nunnaly Johnson who wrote The Grapes of Wrath, Tobacco Road and The Three Faces of Eve. Versitle director Irving Pichel who worked in comedy, drama, film noir, westerns and sci-fi and did such films as The Most Dangerous Game, Tomorrow is Forever, They Won't Believe Me and had just come off the sentimental The Miracle of the Bells, directs. Proliffic cinematographer Russell Metty photographs with underwater sequences filmed by respected visual effects photographer David S. Horsley. Irene Hervey and Andrea King are also in the cast. Ann Blyth looks beautiful and makes one of the best on screen mermaids ever in an unusual role. I would give this an 8.0 out of 10.