6/21/2023 0 Comments True autumn dramatic classic 2017Peabody and the Mermaid, this 1961 picture keeps audiences guessing about the existence of its mythical figure. It was the debut feature from New Queer Cinema auteur Curtis Harrington, provided the first starring role for a young Dennis Hopper, and - according to the latter, anyway - ground zero for American independent cinema: The lack of a union logo meant it took two years to receive a general release.Īs was the case with Mr. Night Tide was a pivotal film in many ways. But the dreamlike cinematography and sense of mystery - conversations with a cynical doctor fail to confirm whether the interspecies love story occurred for real or was simply a figment of the imagination - means this still intrigues 75 years on. There is something slightly icky about Arthur giving Lenore a kissing lesson within moments of their offshore meet-cute, for example. Sure, certain parts of the story haven’t aged particularly well. But despite not uttering a word or leaving the confines of the fictional island’s fishpond, it’s Ann Blyth’s mermaid, Lenore, who steals the show. Peabody and the Mermaid is largely told from the perspective of William Powell’s Arthur, a recovering flu victim whose Caribbean vacation, marriage, and entire life get upended by a mischievous and mute human-fish hybrid. Based on Constance and Guy Jones’s novel Peabody’s Mermaid, the fantastical romance is also far more dramatic, throwing in a suspected murder subplot, accidental near drowning, and existential crisis into the mix. There were actually two mermaid movies in 1948 and while Miranda may have been first out of the blocks, this similarly themed post-war picture was by far the starrier effort, boasting two Academy Award nominees as its leads. (See, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler? Neither of you were first!) Johns, a delight as the (half-) fish out of water who seduces every man she meets, ensnared both audiences ( Miranda was one of the year’s biggest box-office hits) and director Ken Annakin with the pair going on to work together six more times. Hilarity ensues as Johns attempts to disguise the fact he’s brought home a finned stranger via various ridiculously elaborate dresses and a wheelchair. Her only demand is a trip to see the sights of his London hometown. Luckily for her married captive, Miranda agrees to set him free, albeit after seven days of trapping him in an underwater cave on the Cornish coast. Having established the parameters, let’s dive into the ten best mermaid movies and see if it really is better down where it’s wetter.Īdapted by Peter Blackmore from his own stage play, the lighthearted comedy stars future Tony Award winner Glynis Johns as the titular mermaid who turns the tables on a fisherman and reels him in. And despite its title, Mermaids, the 1990 comedy in which Cher briefly dresses up as one, doesn’t fit the bill either. With the release of the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid this week, what better time to compile their most alluring movies ever? To keep things strictly mermaid, our list doesn’t contain any selkies (no The Secret of Roan Inish or Ondine), any mermen (no Luca or The Shape of Water), or any films in which the mermaids don’t drive the narrative ( The Lighthouse, Peter Pan). Yet the modern mermaid also typically possesses a strong feminist streak, with their attempts to break free from, and often bring down the fall of, the patriarchy making them an ideal cinematic heroine. Of course, there’s no getting away from the fact they have an inherent sex appeal, too, their luscious flowing locks and forever beach-ready bodies presenting Tinseltown’s picture perfect vision of femininity. And they offer a glimpse into a visually appealing underworld of possibilities which unless you’re a regular scuba diver remains strictly out of bounds. Ignore everything below the waist and they look just like us mere mortals. But whether they’re the damsel-in-distress or the wicked temptress, they’re a far more relatable presence than any other mythical figure. Mermaids have a fluidity that can lend itself to everything from fantasy adventures ( Mermaids of Tiburon), to slasher horrors ( Nymph), to teen rom-coms ( Aquamarine). It makes sense that there are plenty of half-fish in the cinematic seas. These half-human–half-fish have been enticing moviegoers for more than a century, first appearing onscreen in The Mermaid, a silent short by pioneering filmmaker Georges Méliès, way back in 1904. Renowned for their ethereal beauty, magical powers, and uncanny ability to cause chaos whichever direction they flap their tail toward, mermaids are some of the most Hollywood-friendly creatures in mythology.
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