I just wanted to share my feelings about this film I had seen in the 60's growing up with my big sister. Were we ever enchanted by the mermaid story! I had and have hoped to go to Cornwall some day to see the locales. Since that time it has been fun seeing other people from this film in others. I discovered the talented Anne Crawford who was great in serious roles as well. Sadly, she passed away all too soon from Leukemia (before we had ever seen the film).
The story is delightful with the beautiful Miss Johns as the wistful mermaid wanting to meet men and switching places with her lookalike who has inherited a lodging house in Cornwall with a cave underneath.
The prim schoolteacher eventually meets a handsome man Miranda has chosen for her. Of course there is competition along the way, in the form of Anne Crawford's suitor who would turn aside from his engagement to be with Miranda. And of course the dowdy fiancée of Caroline is soon dispensed with.
A lovely and delightful story! Margaret Rutherford is outstanding as the eccentric Nurse Carey tending to her eccentric charge, Miranda. And a delightful whimsical moment - We even have Margaret's husband in a comedic scene as the Vicar who wants Nurse Carey to hang out with the sailors and smoke a pipe. This she endeavors to do with little success.
I can't even mention this wonderful film in the same breath as Splash which I might have liked better had it not been overdone sexual overtones. But I did like the story line of that film too. It's just that the actions and some dialogue were too blatant. Some of Tom Hanks's lines (and I do like Tom Hanks) are overdone.
Not to create a spoiler here - The original film to Mad About Men entitled Miranda is more racy, as we are to conclude that Miranda has had a child by a mortal man. But this is done with class and aplomb when we see the little "Merman" at the end with his mother looking wistfully toward the cave where she first met a married man.
In conclusion, to me Glynis gets the award as the most fetching and beautiful mermaid of all time - some 40 years after first seeing the film. My big sister and I wanted to grow up to look and be just like Glynis.
New info. as of May of 2016 - I recently obtained a copy of the film that is not garish. I know what the reviewer was saying and had a copy where Miranda's hair looked grayish blonde and the darker colors garish. I recall seeing the film in the 60's as a child on TV and it looked great. My new copy is just about as perfect as you can get.
