I'm not sure whether Mr. Peabody's(William Powell) tale of falling in love with a singing mermaid is simply a bizarre manifestation of a midlife crisis, or perhaps the result of a bout of schizophrenia, or maybe the result of taking a psychoactive drug. In any case, his tale clearly was disturbing to those he told it to. Clinton Sundberg's character was so disturbed that he resumed drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes: 4 at a time! Strangely, no one else saw what he saw, only a big fish. For the most part, I found the film boring. Perhaps it was meant mostly to entertain children, in the manner of "The Little Mermaid". It might have been made more palatable if Lenore(Peabody's name for Ann Blyth's mermaid) was given the capacity to talk as well sing eerily. She seemed to understand English, so why couldn't she talk, thus providing some insight into her past and life? His wife(Polly) confused his ardor for Lenore with an interaction with Cathy(Andrea King): a casual acquaintance, who seemed to take a liking to him. Polly got mad and left Peabody for home. Incidentally, Irene Hervey , who played Polly, looked a good deal like Myrna Loy, Powell's frequent costar, as in "The Thin Man "series. See it, if you wish, at YouTube.

NOTES: Marjorie Fowler is Nunnally Johnson's daughter, Gene Fowler, Jr. is his son-in-law. Guy and Constance Jones also wrote There Was A Little Man, filmed in the same year it was published - 1948 - as Luck of the Irish. Fred Clark who plays Basil was not a professional actor but a real-life butler - for Humphrey Bogart.SYNOPSIS: Not a clone of "Miranda" at all. In any event, "Miranda" was not published in the U.S. until 1948, two years after the Jones' book. In this one, the mermaid is a device - a charming device - to circumvent the Hays Office. It's a sadly wistful little sex "comedy" of youth and old age, beautifully summed up in William Powell's line, murmured with an off-hand sadness, an almost casual regret: "Fifty - the old age of youth; the youth of old age."COMMENT: A much under-rated and misunderstood film. I blame myself too. First time I saw it, I found it a complete mystery that such a slight piece of whimsy could have been adapted from a novel of no less than 242 pages. Did Johnson throw all the novel's amusing characters and incidents away, I wondered, to concentrate on the one-joke mermaid? Ah, youth! Actually, the mermaid doesn't come in for thirty minutes - charmingly introduced in what would have been Irving Pichel's one really inspired piece of direction, were it not undermined by Mrs Fowler's intercutting a banal reaction shot of William Powell. But even daughters cannot ruin Johnson's delightful idea of making the mermaid silent. What a contrast to the garrulous Miranda! True, Miranda sings, but off-camera, a siren song deftly blended by the voices of Winifred Harris and Lydia Bilbrook. Miss Blyth herself is not one of my favorites, but Russell Metty's soft, flattering photography lends her face an endearingly perfect vulnerability. Her appeal to Powell is from the very start, protective.Powell's performance is one of the most skillful of his career. He and Johnson manage to balance between creating an involving, amusing and sympathetic character without toppling into farce, disdain or outright unbelievability. The support players and characters are a big assist here. Clinton Sundberg is most amusing, yet totally credible, and makes the most of his richly witty lines. Lumsden Hare is a more familiar type - the stage Englishman - but who could fail to respond to his irritated running gag and the perversely named "Flying Squad" which is passed by everything on the road?This film was obviously made on a tight "A" budget. The sets are both artistic yet dramatically functional. All the same, obvious backdrops and special effects reveal to the trained eye that the film was entirely lensed in the studio. Even the underwater location sequences in Florida were made by a second unit with an extremely-difficult-to-detect double for Miss Blyth (who does her own swimming in the close-ups). Pichel's direction, alas, is somewhat ponderous and heavy-handed, altogether too emphatic, although players like William Powell most of the time and Clinton Sundberg all the time are able to deliver their lines with just the right touch of casual off-handedness that embellishes dry wit.Metty's superlative photography has already been commented upon. It only remains to laud the delightful music which contributes so much to both pace and atmosphere; and the technical wizardry of the mermaid itself.

I first saw this film when I was 10 years old and I am now pushing 60's. I have only seen it a couple of times since then. It is one of those little known "GEMS" which is hidden away in time. This magical film takes you to a place where mermaids are real and childhood dreams do come true. William Powell,plays a man in his 50's who finds a beautiful mermaid and decides to take her home with him. Ann Bythe plays the mermaid, who will steal your heart. I hope more people ask about this incredible fantasy so maybe it will come out on DVD. If you believe in fairies,magic and mermaids, this is the movie for you. And if you don't, then you really need to see this film. Please, Great"God of the DVD'S" release your powers and grant us this wonderful film on DVD.

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.