Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) watch online HD

Some postmodernists have suggested this is a dramatic film. It is a satire--the sort of film where the hero cannot fail because of his/her values, ideas and ethical self-command. The central character in this well-loved feature is an man (William Powell) who has reached the age of fifty. He has a lovely wife (Irene Hervey) but he is restless; he has lost the sense of adventure in his life, and his wife is treating him as if he were "old". Then on a fishing trip, he catches a mermaid (Ann Blyth). She cannot talk, she has a tale and lives beneath the sea; but she does not think he is old, she finds him kind, fascinating and absorbing. Of course this fabulous find upsets his staid routine and disrupts all his relationships. He has to keep the lovely young mermaid a secret; He takes her home, where she takes a bubble bath. Andrea King all-but-steals the film; she is gorgeous, on the make for him, and suspicious that he is hiding something. A highlight of the film comes when she dons a bathing suit (she is a champion swimmer and gorgeous) and investigates the mermaid tale underwater, where Blyth bites her on the leg. Clinton Sundberg, one of the best line-readers on planet, plays a man who is giving up smoking with whom Powell has droll conversations. Art Smith plays the psychiatrist to whom he confesses his find; he is also older, and has had a fantasy of his own. Ever the practical sort, Powell tries to buy half a bathing suit, with hilarious results; he also eventually has to explain the goings on to his wife; this is a character-based adult script by Nunnally Johnson adapted from Guy and Constance Jones' novel "Peabody's Mermaid"; and it makes, by my lights, an unforgettable, charming and beautiful made film. Irving Pichel directed with verve and intelligence. others in the cast include Lumsden Hare, Fred Clark, James Logan, Mary Field, Beatrice Roberts, Mary Sommerville and many more in smaller roles. The film boasts fine underwater cinematography by David Horsley and Russell Mettey's usual very fine work. Original music was composed by Robert Emmet Dolan with art direction supplied by Bernard Herzbrun and Boris Leven; the difficult set decorations were supplied by talented Russell A. Gausman and Ruby R. Leavitt with costumes designed by Grace Houston. Carmen Dirigo is credited with the film's challenging hair stylings and Bud Westmore with the makeup for Lenore the mermaid and the rest of this talented and beautifully-chosen cast (a hallmark, I suggest of Nunnally Johnsons' films, since he co-produced as well as writing the script). This is not a film about someone being old; it is a wistful and intelligent look at being human, using the fantasy of a mermaid who is decidedly real as a symbol of youth itself--Mr. Peabody's youth--in which others believe or do not depending on their attitude to selfhood and individual desert. I find this film a touching and memorable screen achievement, thanks to all concerned.

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 , 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.

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.

This film was passed over by the critics when it came out. Many of them perceived it as empty and without humor.

The film is actually both funny and touching. It depicts the desire of Mr. Peabody to find that he is still alive and has a reason for living. The enchantment which the beautiful young mermaid brings to him fulfills this desire. She affirms that he is still a man who can be loved and needed.

If you wish to be charmed not only by the lovely little mermaid but also by an interesting psychological study of aging and life itself, see this film. And you will also end up believing in mermaids -- as I do.

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

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.

Slightly bizarre little '40's comedy about a middle-aged married man's mid-life crisis solved by the discovery of a young mermaid while fishing in the Caribbean.

William Powell (The Thin Man series) carries the picture on his charm alone and Ann Blyth (Veda in Mildred Pierce) makes a very cute and seductive sea creature. Some droll set pieces -Peabody's attempt to purchase a swim top for his catch, the various encounters with the busy-body's who come to snoop- work quite nicely and Powell actually creates some genuine moments of heartfelt desire but it runs out of steam before long, turns dark, then ends with a thud.

Regardless, the film is a harmless little buried treasure and more than worth a look.

I have wanted to see this film for many years now and have been awaiting its release on DVD. It is a funny and whimsical film and I have seen it many times growing up. Mr. Peabody and The Mermaid is a film that was shown quite often as I was growing up, but I haven't seen it for years. Very funny movie and I can't wait until someone gets it out on DVD. This film was any young boys dream come true, to go out and catch a beautiful mermaid and to bring her home was such a wonderful fantasy. I rate this as one of my all time favorite films and can't wait until its long over due release on DVD. I have often tried to find a VHS copy and have not been able to do so. Perhaps it will appear soon.

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.

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.

There are lots of charming moments in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. I especially enjoyed the scene in which William Powell tries to buy only the top half of a women's two-piece swim suit for the mermaid (I don't know the name of the actress who plays the salesperson, but she perfectly captures the weariness and irritation that lies behind the professional salesperson's smile and memorized patter). It's interesting to see the old Male Menopause plot line done a little differently. Instead of turning 50, feeling old, and so chasing younger women to prove himself still virile, William Powell's Mr. Peabody turns 50 and loses himself in a little innocent romance. I enjoyed this film.

I'm not normally a fan of old movies, especially the B&W variety, but being a lover and collector of mermaids, I decided to check this movie out on AMC.

I found the story absolutely delightful. Wm. Powell is so gentle and earnest in the role of Mr. Peabody, and almost as sweet as the lovely young mermaid, Lenore.

I found the set at the Peabody home with the fish pond and underwater grotoe where the mermaid lived to be much like the enchanted world I'd love to live in as my mermaid alter-ego, Sirena.

I found myself wishing for a colorized version of the movie.

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)

There could have been some real pathos here in the device of a man facing his mid-life crisis also happening upon a beautiful and very young mermaid. But instead the movie is just plain funny and fun. It's a good movie, and a deliberately limited one, the events taking place mostly in a little resort-seeming set where the lead man, Mr. Peabody (the wonderful William Powell), fights with the meaning of a mermaid who has fallen in love with him.

I say pathos right away because what the movie needs is some edge, and it's almost there. It's not at all as silly as it sounds. The mermaid, played by Ann Blyth (who was nineteen when it was filmed, next to Powell's 56), is certainly a coy and apparently enticing thing. Peabody is both taken with her, but (if you know Powell at all from the "Thin Man" or "My Man Godfrey") Peabody plays it cool and never quite falls for her, even if he would like to. He does however seem to abandon his wife at one point (or she abandons him, and he lets her), so the complications are echoes of the most ordinary situations in post-war America: an older man finds a younger woman and makes a mistake, or what the movie portrays as a mistake.

There are psychological and social depths here that are only hinted at, as would be the mode of the era, but in a way that's enough to make it a "delight," which is no demeaning word. Powell is great, finally done with his Thin Man series (the last was 1945), and he still has that elegant but odd charm about him that is utterly unique. The rest of the cast is played by types--the beautiful good wife with a little spunk, the beautiful temptress woman at the resort with a little too much spunk for the wife's taste, and a host of less characters. And the mermaid? None other than the daughter from "Mildred Pierce."

Scuba fans and underwater types will love all the really good footage of Blyth (the mermaid) doing a great job swimming and being a bit randy, as any good mermaid would who hadn't met a man for who knows how long. A highlight? When Powell shows her how to kiss. Check it out!

That scene in the women's wear shop is a hilarious gem of scripting and acting. The relentless saleslady (Field) won't give poor addled Peabody (Powell) a break as he tries oh-so-tactfully to buy half of a swim suit for his uncovered half-woman half- fish (Blythe). Note how he doesn't even mention the pertinent word 'brassiere', a sign, I suppose, of Code-enforced times.

Powell's superb in this whimsical fantasy of replacing your ordinary pet goldfish with a lovely pet mermaid who can trill a siren's song. Trouble is Peabody's got an edgy wife (Hervey) who keeps nosing in at the wrong time, plus an amorous female acquaintance (King) who can't seem to keep her dress on. Naturally, all this produces a series of amusing situations, made more so by the expert cast, including Blythe who only needs to look silently alluring.

My one complaint is the undersea climax. It looks like the screenplay wanted it both ways, happiness with both the mermaid and the wife. But the underwater climax makes no sense and gets only a half-hearted explanation (an air pocket) as if writer Johnson is flummoxed too (maybe by the demands of a meddlesome producer).

Nonetheless, the movie remains an amusing slice of fantasy served up in Powell's inimitable style.

Rather mediocre comic fantasy has married William Powell consulting a psychiatrist after having an encounter with a mermaid (seems the Mrs. is the jealous type, and Powell's mermaid is interfering with their marriage!). Made back in the day when psychiatrists themselves were kooky gag-characters and Powell's uptight "Thin Man" panache was a surefire laugh-getter. Seen today, the film simply doesn't hold up, not even as '40s nostalgia. Talky and surprisingly unimaginative; the cast does try its best, however the colorless script just about sinks the actors in a sea of silly chatter. Production design is handsome, but film could have used more wit and more magic. ** from ****

I often like actors as they age, and I really liked William Powell during his prime. So I expected I would really enjoy this film. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it.

It sounds like a fun movie -- a man in his 50-ish life crisis meeting a mermaid...and everyone else thinking he might be loony. I found it boring and -- although I can't put my finger on exactly why -- I think it really missed the mark.

The cast is uninspiring -- not a name you'll recognize (except, perhaps, a mute Ann Blyth). Powell is...well, Powell. Usually that would be enough to carry a film, but here it's not enough to save the picture.

Perhaps it's worth watching once. Perhaps.

When William Powell was lent out to Warner Brothers for Life With Father it marked for him a transition to roles more suited for his age. In her memoirs Esther Williams noted that Powell felt very ridiculous trying to play a convincing love scene with Esther. MGM lent him out to Universal for Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid and while the film is not a classic like Life With Father, it is still a charming fantasy that holds up well after over 60 years.

The film is told in flashback by Powell narrating his involvement with a mermaid to a sympathetic psychiatrist Art Smith. Powell is on vacation in the Caribbean with wife Irene Hervey and he's finding it hard to admit he's reaching that crucial age of 50. In real life Powell was 56 when he made Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid.

Hugh French who's a vacationing lizard and would be gigolo puts the moves on Irene. Powell gets to do some deep sea fishing and catches a mermaid by hooking her tail. The mermaid is Ann Blyth who is absolutely enchanting as she steals the film without a word of dialog. Her facial expressions are priceless signifying wonder and terror and both at the same time.

Blyth gets a temporary home in the resort aquarium and Hervey suspects Powell of trying to romance vacationing Broadway singer Andrea King. King in fact gets to meet Blyth and she's not quite the same after that.

This fantasy had elements of it in the Ron Howard film Splash, but Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid will still delight audiences even today. I only wish Universal Studios had invested in some color cinematography.

When you sift through old Hollywood material you are occasionally surprised to see expressionistic style films that were once passed off as realism to audiences that otherwise would have ignored the effort. "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" (1948) is a particularly noteworthy example. 1948 was the year of film mermaids as it also featured Glynis Johns in "Miranda", a comedy much closer to "Splash" (1984) in style and tone. "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" is a much darker film, with a mute mermaid (wonderfully played by a perfectly cast Ann Blyth), the manifestation of the protagonist's mid-life crisis fueled imagination.

The hope that William Powell's "Thin Man" popularity would translate into a box office bonanza led to his unfortunate casting as the title character. Powell's actual performance is fine as is Irving Pichel's acting for the camera direction, but Powell brings way too much baggage with him to effectively sell this complex character. And the problem is exacerbated by a screenplay deviating from the source novel to create a "Thin Man" tone for much of the film. Imagine 30 minutes of Nick, Nora, and Asta renting a vacation villa on a Caribbean beach; with the standard light comedy and mildly eccentric supporting cast. Suddenly Nick hears the song of a mermaid and trips out on his personal "Peter Pan" exploration of the mysteries of middle age male discontent. While both styles work fine on their own, their lack of unity makes the film far less powerful than it might otherwise have been (insert source novel here).

The 5' 2" Blyth was 19 when this was filmed while Powell was 56 and in poor health, which made him look a bit older and make their scenes together even more surreal. In the source novel: "Peabody baited and put out his line ... Close to the boat his quarry struggled weakly and succumbed. He pulled it in.... It was incredible but there it was, his catch, from the waist up, was a woman! Her little b.... ts were pointed and rosy tipped. On a small scale, she was maturely voluptuous!" The little mermaid revives when Peabody brings her back to the villa. She is mute and enjoys kissing him. He names her Lenore (Min in the book) and keeps her in a fish-pool beside his villa. Misunderstandings result when he tries to keep Lenore hidden from his wife. The island police believe that he has murdered someone after he returns Lenore to the sea.

The comedy in the source novel came mostly from its satire of the tendency of mid-life crisis men to seek out unspoiled girls half their age (behavioral traits that once had significant genetic and evolutionary advantages) and land them. Some of this satire is in the film but one has to look hard to see it. Unlike the Jones' novel, the film is book-ended by Peabody's visit to his hometown psychiatrist, with his mermaid story told as a flashback story. And the film goes out with Peabody giving Lenore's comb to his wife, signifying that his crisis has passed, he has surrendered and is moving on with his life. The book's ending is less tidy.

Oddly, just two years after this expressionistic effort Pichel would direct "Destination Moon", perhaps the most extreme example of Hollywood realism. You would be hard pressed to find a director who can boast effective examples of two such contrasting film styles.

The underwater scenes were filmed at Weeki Wachee Springs Florida, now a state park. There has been a roadside attraction mermaid show there since the mid-1940's; in which mermaids perform synchronized ballet moves underwater while breathing through air hoses hidden in the scenery (like the film's undersea castle). These are still being held so stop by if you are ever in the area, it is an especially fun attraction if you have seen this film.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

If any old b&w film is perfect for a remake, this is one. Perfect for Gere, Harris, Ford, a number of terrific men who are approaching or 'around' 50. If a director could stick close to the wonderful simplicity of the script they'd have a winner. William Powell and Anne Blythe are just wonderful, as is the entire cast. The idea behind the film is timeless. Might even be a great idea to remake it as MRS. Peabody and the MERMAN. Hey, if anyone takes my idea I want my cut.

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.

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.

I wasn't expecting much from this rather obscure comedy, so I was surprised by how funny it was. The script sparkles at times, making this an under-the-radar gem. If you're curious and have 90 minutes to spare, check it out. You might be in for a treat.

The vacationing Mr. Peabody (William Powell), struggling with middle age, takes in an enchanting young mermaid and finds himself in the middle of misunderstandings with his wife, his fellow residents, and the police. Powell is always great and he's joined by a very capable cast of lesser-known actors and actresses. Clinton Sundberg makes an impression as the dry-witted, cigarette-starved fellow American and Lumsden Hare is a hoot as a British soldier of the old school. Irene Hervey plays Powell's attractive wife, who never gives him the chance to set straight her mistaken notions. Ann Blyth (MILDRED PIERCE) is adorable with a tail fin.

I watched this movie on TV in the 50s, always hoping it would come back again; back then you never knew when that might be. At that age it was romantic, fantastical, funny and sometimes touching. As an adult, I find it the same. So nice to find this little treasure again. Fully delightful performances by William Powell and Ann Blyth.

I now find it came out at the same time as Miranda, another mermaid movie. Different cast, British rather than American, but delightful none the less. However, for me, there was something more compelling, charming, magical, and funnier about Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. See which one you like best.

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.

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!