''Miranda'' is a 1948 black and white British

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

, directed by

Ken Annakin Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an English film director. His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 2002, and in the 1960s he was noticed by critics with large-scale adventu ...

and written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the play of the same name from which the film was adapted. The film stars

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

Googie Withers Georgette Lizette Withers, CBE, AO (12 March 191715 July 2011), known professionally as Googie Withers, was an English entertainer who was a dancer and actress with a lengthy career spanning some nine decades in theatre, film, and television. ...

, Griffith Jones, Margaret Rutherford,

John McCallum John McCallum (born 9 April 1950) is a Canadian politician, economist, diplomat and former university professor. A former Liberal Member of Parliament ( MP), McCallum was the Canadian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019. He was asked for h ...

and David Tomlinson. Denis Waldock provided additional dialogue. Music for the film was played by the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, conducted by Muir Mathieson. The sound director was B. C. Sewell. The film is a light comedy fantasy about a beautiful and playful

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 ...

Miranda and her effect on the men and women she meets, as she outrageously flirts with and flatters every man she meets. Glynis Johns and Margaret Rutherford reprised their roles in the 1954 colour sequel, ''

Mad About Men ''Mad About Men'' is a 1954 British Technicolor comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Glynis Johns, Donald Sinden, Anne Crawford and Margaret Rutherford. It was written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the 1948 film '' Miranda'' w ...

''.

Plot summary

As his wife is uninterested in fishing, Dr. Paul Martin goes on a holiday on the

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

coast without her. There, Miranda, a mermaid, catches him by pulling on his fishing line and making him fall in the water. She drags him down to her underwater cavern where she keeps him prisoner for a week and only lets him go after he agrees to show her

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, where he lives. Having ordered several extra long dresses from his wife's London couturier to cover her tail, he disguises her as an invalid patient in a

bath chair A bath chair—or Bath chair—was a rolling chaise or light carriage for one person with a folding hood, which could be open or closed. Used especially by disabled persons, it was mounted on three or four wheels and drawn or pushed by hand. I ...

and takes her to his home, initially for a three weeks stay. Martin's wife Clare reluctantly agrees to the arrangement, but insists he hire someone to look after the "patient". He selects Nurse Carey for her eccentric nature and takes her into his confidence. To Paul's relief, Carey is delighted to be working for a mermaid as she has always believed they exist. Miranda's seductive nature earns her the admiration of not only Paul, but also his chauffeur Charles, as well as Nigel, the fiancé of Clare's friend and neighbour Isobel, arousing the jealousy of the women. Nigel even breaks off his engagement, but when he and Charles discover that Miranda has been flirting with both of them, they come to their senses. With Clare strongly suspecting that Miranda is a mermaid, she makes Martin admit it. But when Miranda overhears Clare telling Paul that the public must be told, Miranda wheels herself down to the Thames and makes her escape into the water. She had previously told them she would go to

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...

for a visit. In the final scene, Miranda is shown on a rock, holding a merbaby on her lap.

Cast

as Miranda Trewella *

as Clare Martin * Griffith Jones as Dr Paul Martin *

as Nigel * Margaret Rutherford as Nurse Carey * David Tomlinson as Charles * Yvonne Owen as Betty, the Martins' other servant and Charles's girlfriend *

Sonia Holm Sonia Holm (24 February 1922 – 2 July 1974) was an English film actress. She trained at the Rank Organisation's "charm school". Filmography * ''The Loves of Joanna Godden'' (1947) * '' When the Bough Breaks'' (1947) * '' Miranda'' (1948) * ''B ...

as Isobel *

Brian Oulton Brian Oulton (11 February 1908 – 13 April 1992) was an English character actor. Biography Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Oulton made his acting debut in 1939 as a lead actor. During the Second World War he served in the British Army, and retu ...

as Manell *

Zena Marshall Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, who was born in Kenya. Early years Marshall was of English, Irish and (on her mother's side) French descent. Though born in Kenya, after her ...

as Secretary * Lyn Evans as Inn Landlady * Stringer Davis as Museum Attendant *

Hal Osmond Hal Osmond (27 May 1903 – December 1959) was a British stage, film and television actor. He played Anselm in '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' episode "Errand of Mercy" (1956). Selected filmography * '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) * '' Vote for ...

as Railway Carman * Maurice Denham as Cockle Vendor

Original Play

The film was based on a play by Peter Blackmore. He says he was inspired to write it after reading a scientific article about mermaids. In the play on which the film is based, Miranda eventually has to return to Cornwall to spawn, much to the displeasure of Martin's wife. The play was a hit in London – starring Genine Graham – and had a run in New York with Diana Lynn.

Production

The film was put into production hurriedly in order to beat '' Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' to the screen. The end credits include the line "Tail by Dunlop". All underwater scenes were shot with a stunt double. Joan Hebden wore the tail by Dunlop. Glynis Johns stated in later interviews that the rubber tail was very buoyant, which caused problems as it tended to keep her head under the water. The initial director was Michael Chorlton. He was replaced during filming by Ken Annakin.Andrew Spicer, "The Apple of Mr. Rank's Mercatorial Eye’: Managing Director of Gainsborough Pictures
/ref> There was location filming in London and Cornwall.

Reception

Box Office

The film was one of the most popular movies at the British box office in 1948. According to ''Kinematograph Weekly'' the 'biggest winner' at the box office in 1948 Britain was ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' with ''Spring in Park Lane'' being the best British film and 'runners up' being ''It Always Rains on Sunday'', ''My Brother Jonathan'', ''Road to Rio'', ''Miranda'', ''An Ideal Husband'', ''Naked City'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''Green Dolphin Street'', ''Forever Amber'', ''Life with Father'', ''The Weaker Sex'', ''Oliver Twist'', ''The Fallen Idol'' and ''The Winslow Boy''. It recorded a profit of £5,600.

DVD release

The film was released on home video for the first time in North America on DVD on 5 July 2011 from VCI Entertainment.

References

External links

* * *
''Miranda''
at

BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and telev ...

Review of film
at ''Variety'' * {{Gainsborough Pictures 1948 romantic comedy films 1948 films British romantic comedy films British fantasy comedy films Gainsborough Pictures films Films set in Cornwall British films based on plays Films directed by Ken Annakin Films about mermaids Films produced by Betty Box 1940s fantasy comedy films 1940s romantic fantasy films British black-and-white films 1940s British films