''Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' is a 1948 American romantic

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

starring

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

and

Ann Blyth Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928) is an American retired actress and singer. For her performance as Veda in the 1945 Michael Curtiz film ''Mildred Pierce'', Blyth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is one of ...

in the title roles. The film was based on the 1945 novel ''Peabody's Mermaid'' by Guy and Constance Jones. Sequences were shot at the

Weeki Wachee Springs Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring ...

in Florida.

Plot

Much of the story is shown in flashback as Arthur Peabody tells a skeptical doctor about the source of his malaise. After a bad bout of

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

, Peabody had gone on vacation with his wife Polly to the fictional Caribbean resort of St Hilda. While there, he hears singing coming from a rocky

cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...

offshore and sails his boat to investigate and do a little fishing. To his embarrassment, he reels in a beautiful

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 asso ...

whom he names Lenore. Although mute, she is mischievous and childlike and more than a little alluring – so much so that before long Peabody has taught her to kiss. Meanwhile, he hides Lenore in the resort’s deep fish pond. Confusion ensues as Peabody's wife Polly, who is herself attracted to suave Englishman Mike Fitzgerald, suspects her husband of infidelity with a vacationing singer. Things get more complicated after Polly storms off home without Peabody and police suspect him of murder. A search party pursues him to the cay, where Lenore nearly drowns Peabody by trying to conceal him underwater. Back at home in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, as snow is falling, Peabody is talked into consulting Dr. Harvey and telling his story. In the end, Peabody seems to be persuaded by the doctor that he was hallucinating while undergoing a

midlife crisis A midlife crisis is a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle age, middle-aged individuals, typically 40 to 60 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a pe ...

on the approach of his 50th birthday. There is only Lenore’s comb left to prove the reality of his adventure and this he gives to his wife as a homecoming gift.

Cast

as Mr. Arthur Peabody *

as Mermaid *

Irene Hervey Irene Hervey (born Beulah Irene Herwick; July 11, 1909December 20, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress who appeared in over fifty films and numerous television series spanning her five-decade career. A native of Los Angeles ...

as Mrs. Polly Peabody *

Andrea King Andrea King (born Georgette André Barry; February 1, 1919 – April 22, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress, sometimes billed as Georgette McKee. Early life Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry on February 1, 1919, ...

as Cathy Livingston *

Clinton Sundberg Clinton Charles Sundberg (December 7, 1903 (some sources say 1906) – December 14, 1987) was an American character actor in film and stage. Early years Sundberg was born in Appleton, Minnesota. He graduated from Hamline University in St. Pau ...

as Mike Fitzgerald * Art Smith as Dr. Harvey * Hugh French as Major Hadley *

Lumsden Hare Francis Lumsden Hare (17 October 1874 – 28 August 1964) was an Irish-born film and theatre actor. He was also a theatre director and theatrical producer. Early years Hare studied at St. Dunstan's College in London. Career Hare appeared ...

as Col. Mandrake * Frederick Clarke as Basil * James Logan as Lieutenant *

Mary Field Mary Field (born Olivia Rockefeller; June 10, 1909 – June 12, 1996) was an American film actress who primarily appeared in supporting roles. Early life She was born in New York City. As a child, she never knew her biological parents; ...

as Wee Shop Clerk *

Beatrice Roberts Alice Beatrice Roberts (March 7, 1905 – July 24, 1970) was an American film actress. Early years Roberts was born on March 7, 1905, in New York City. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Colin M. Roberts, and she attended Winthrop High ...

as Mother * Cynthia Corley as Nurse * Tom Stevenson as Charlie - Waiter * Mary Somerville as Lady Trebshaw * Dick Ryan Waiter (as Richard Ryan) * Robert Hyatt as Little Boy (Bobby Hyatt) * Ivan Browning as Sidney (as Ivan H. Browning)

Home media

The film was initially released by on DVD by ATI Corp, and was re-released by Olive Films (under license from

Paramount Home Media Distribution Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainm ...

) on DVD and Blu-ray on July 8, 2014.

Reception

The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

in these lists: * 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated * 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10: ** Nominated Fantasy Film

References

External links