''Miranda'' is a 1948 black and white British

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

, directed by

Ken Annakin Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an English film director. His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 2002, and in the 1960s he was noticed by critics with large-scale adventu ...

and written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the play of the same name from which the film was adapted. The film stars

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

, Googie Withers, Griffith Jones,

Margaret Rutherford Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford, (11 May 1892 – 22 May 1972) was an English actress of stage, television and film. She came to national attention following World War II in the film adaptations of Noël Coward's ''Blithe Spirit'', and Oscar ...

John McCallum John McCallum (born 9 April 1950) is a Canadian politician, economist, diplomat and former university professor. A former Liberal Member of Parliament ( MP), McCallum was the Canadian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019. He was asked for ...

and

David Tomlinson David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson (7 May 1917 – 24 June 2000) was an English stage, film, and television actor and comedian. Having been described as both a leading man and a character actor, he is primarily remembered for his roles as authorit ...

. Denis Waldock provided additional dialogue. Music for the film was played by the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, conducted by

Muir Mathieson James Muir Mathieson, OBE (24 January 19112 August 1975) was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on many British films. Career Mathieson was born in Stirling, Scotland, in 1911. A ...

. The sound director was B. C. Sewell. The film is a light comedy fantasy about a beautiful and playful

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes ass ...

Miranda and her effect on the men and women she meets, as she outrageously flirts with and flatters every man she meets. Glynis Johns and Margaret Rutherford reprised their roles in the 1954 colour sequel, ''

Mad About Men ''Mad About Men'' is a 1954 British Technicolor comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Glynis Johns, Donald Sinden, Anne Crawford and Margaret Rutherford. It was written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the 1948 film '' Miranda'' w ...

''.

Plot summary

As his wife is uninterested in fishing, Dr. Paul Martin goes on a holiday on the

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

coast without her. There, Miranda, a mermaid, catches him by pulling on his fishing line and making him fall in the water. She drags him down to her underwater cavern where she keeps him prisoner for a week and only lets him go after he agrees to show her

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, where he lives. Having ordered several extra long dresses from his wife's London

couturier ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became the ...

to cover her tail, he disguises her as an invalid patient in a

bath chair A bath chair—or Bath chair—was a rolling chaise or light carriage for one person with a folding hood, which could be open or closed. Used especially by disabled persons, it was mounted on three or four wheels and drawn or pushed by hand. I ...

and takes her to his home, initially for a three weeks stay. Martin's wife Clare reluctantly agrees to the arrangement, but insists he hire someone to look after the "patient". He selects Nurse Carey for her eccentric nature and takes her into his confidence. To Paul's relief, Carey is delighted to be working for a mermaid as she has always believed they exist. Miranda's seductive nature earns her the admiration of not only Paul, but also his chauffeur Charles, as well as Nigel, the fiancé of Clare's friend and neighbour Isobel, arousing the jealousy of the women. Nigel even breaks off his engagement, but when he and Charles discover that Miranda has been flirting with both of them, they come to their senses. With Clare strongly suspecting that Miranda is a mermaid, she makes Martin admit it. But when Miranda overhears Clare telling Paul that the public must be told, Miranda wheels herself down to the Thames and makes her escape into the water. She had previously told them she would go to Majorca for a visit. In the final scene, Miranda is shown on a rock, holding a merbaby on her lap.

Cast

as Miranda Trewella * Googie Withers as Clare Martin * Griffith Jones as Dr Paul Martin *

as Nigel *

as Nurse Carey *

as Charles *

Yvonne Owen Maire Yvonne Owen (28 July 1923 – December 1990) was a British stage and film actress. Life and career Born in London in 1923, she was married to Alan Badel for 40 years; they had a daughter Sarah. In 1946 she appeared in the West End mel ...

as Betty, the Martins' other servant and Charles's girlfriend *

Sonia Holm Sonia Holm (24 February 1922 – 2 July 1974) was an English film actress. She trained at the Rank Organisation's "charm school". Filmography * ''The Loves of Joanna Godden'' (1947) * '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) * '' Miranda'' (1948) * ''B ...

as Isobel * Brian Oulton as Manell *

Zena Marshall Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, who was born in Kenya. Early years Marshall was of English, Irish and (on her mother's side) French descent. Though born in Kenya, after her ...

as Secretary * Lyn Evans as Inn Landlady *

Stringer Davis James Buckley Stringer Davis, generally known as Stringer Davis (4 June 1899 – 29 August 1973), was an English character actor on the stage and in films, and a British army officer who served in both world wars. He was married to actress Mar ...

as Museum Attendant * Hal Osmond as Railway Carman *

Maurice Denham William Maurice Denham OBE (23 December 1909 – 24 July 2002) was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 films and television programmes in his long career. Family Denham was born on 23 December 1909 in Beckenham, Kent, the son ...

as Cockle Vendor

Original Play

The film was based on a play by Peter Blackmore. He says he was inspired to write it after reading a scientific article about mermaids. In the play on which the film is based, Miranda eventually has to return to Cornwall to spawn, much to the displeasure of Martin's wife. The play was a hit in London – starring Genine Graham – and had a run in New York with

Diana Lynn Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. Early years Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loe ...

Production

The film was put into production hurriedly in order to beat ''

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid ''Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' is a 1948 American romantic fantasy film directed by Irving Pichel starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. The film was based on the 1945 novel ''Peabody's Mermaid'' by Guy and Constance Jones. ...

'' to the screen. The end credits include the line "Tail by Dunlop". All underwater scenes were shot with a stunt double. Joan Hebden wore the tail by Dunlop. Glynis Johns stated in later interviews that the rubber tail was very buoyant, which caused problems as it tended to keep her head under the water. The initial director was Michael Chorlton. He was replaced during filming by Ken Annakin.Andrew Spicer, "The Apple of Mr. Rank's Mercatorial Eye’: Managing Director of Gainsborough Pictures
/ref> There was location filming in London and Cornwall.

Reception

Box Office

The film was one of the most popular movies at the British box office in 1948. According to ''Kinematograph Weekly'' the 'biggest winner' at the box office in 1948 Britain was ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' with ''Spring in Park Lane'' being the best British film and 'runners up' being ''It Always Rains on Sunday'', ''My Brother Jonathan'', ''Road to Rio'', ''Miranda'', ''An Ideal Husband'', ''Naked City'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''Green Dolphin Street'', ''Forever Amber'', ''Life with Father'', ''The Weaker Sex'', ''Oliver Twist'', ''The Fallen Idol'' and ''The Winslow Boy''. It recorded a profit of £5,600.

DVD release

The film was released on home video for the first time in North America on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

on 5 July 2011 from VCI Entertainment.

References

External links

* * *
''Miranda''
at BFI Screenonline
Review of film
at ''Variety'' * {{Gainsborough Pictures 1948 romantic comedy films 1948 films British romantic comedy films British fantasy comedy films Gainsborough Pictures films Films set in Cornwall British films based on plays Films directed by Ken Annakin Films about mermaids Films produced by Betty Box 1940s fantasy comedy films 1940s romantic fantasy films British black-and-white films 1940s British films