Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
Rijndri
Load of rubbish!!
Contentar
Best movie of this year hands down!
Anthony Rauscher
Gently bumbling, and ticklingly aloof. Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid is an innocent, fun, light, casual, and leisurely film. A sort of romance film geared perhaps just for men, with a bit of a matured playful Ferris Bueller's Day Off kind of feeling!Much like the characters in the movie, we are whisked away on a quaintly picturesque cozy little retreat by the film itself. The great characters carry the story along very well, with dashes of charming pleasant comedy thrown about here and there, though there's not much "depth" to characters, or story here. But that's not the point. What we have here is an appreciation of the subtley fantastical things that make life good, nice, and enjoyable! A mermaid, with a beautiful smile, ready to kiss! Makes for a very nice comfy weekend watch!
Stephen Abell
While taking a vacation in the Caribbean, Mr Peabody (Powell) hears a strange and hauntingly beautiful singing. To his best judgement, he believes it to be coming from the quay opposite the villa. On his investigation, he hears splashing water and finds a bejewelled hair slide so he returns home. The next day, the slide has gone and the singing has stopped. Upset at not finding the owner of the beautiful voice he contents himself with fishing... and what a catch he reels in. A beautiful mute mermaid who he decides to take home. This is when the comedy excels.Powell is brilliant as Mr Peabody and is adept at delivering the comedic lines deadpan, which adds more to their power. It also helps that the whole thing is brilliantly written especially the narrative. Add to this, the excellent chemistry between Powell and Irene Hervey, who plays his wife Polly. Clinton Sundberg has the best character in the film; Mike Fitzgerald is a man going through changes after seeing his quack of a doctor. On the Doc's advice, he's given up smoking. His reaction to anybody who lights up is great. I really loved the beach scene. It had me laughing out loud. He even has his own style of speech which adds a more comedic aspect to the mix.Even though Ann Blyth has no lines in the film, she still has a presence. Besides, who needs a voice when your face can speak volumes(?) And the swimming sections are well choreographed and filmed. She works well in the water.When I watch this film it makes the majority of today's comedy flicks appear even more infantile than they are. This is a comedy film with class, wit, and good writing. I wish there were more like this being made today. Therefore, I recommend this to anybody who wants a good laugh.
writers_reign
Back in 1948 moviegoers who were into mermaids were spoilt for choice between Glynis Johns in Miranda (UK) and Ann Blyth as Lenore in Mr.Peabody And The Mermaid. Unless or until Miranda is released on DVD, screened by some outfit like the NFT/AFT or televised by TCM or Talking Pictures (as Mr. Peabody was recently) we have no way of comparing and/or contrasting them which leaves us only Mr. Peabody to discuss. The biggest thing in its favour is William Powell as the eponymous character and if Powell has ever turned in a bad performance I have yet to see it. I've never really cared for Ann Blyth but here she weighs in with a half decent performance possibly because she doesn't speak. It's gossamer of course but with a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and a leading man like William Powell it's Industrial strength gossamer and will reward the average viewer.
johno-21
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.
