Gainsborough Pictures
Starring: Glynis Johns, Googie Withers, Griffith Jones, John McCallum, Margaret Rutherford
Directed by: Ken Annakin

Synopsis: A charming tale about a maid with a tail.  When Dr. Paul Martin (Griffith Jones) takes a solo vacation to go fishing off the coast of Cornwall, he is pulled overboard by a mischevious mermaid named Miranda (Glynis Johns) who convinces the man to take her back to London with him so she can experience life on land.  Disguising her true identity by explaining to everyone that she is an invalid, Miranda manages to charm many of the men she meets, leaving the women in their lives, including Paul’s wife Clare (Googie Withers) a little more than put out.

Kitty Cameos: During the course of the movie two cats appear but only briefly, which defies all logic when either one could have been used to great comedic effect.  The first is a beautiful white cat which is seen sitting on a chair near the dining table when Dr. Martin and his wife are having breakfast.  Even though a major part of the movie takes place in the Martins’ apartment, this is the only time we have any inkling of them owning a cat, and the feline is mysteriously absent in every other scene even with the presence of a large quantity of raw fish.

The other cat appears outside Nigel (John McCallum), the artist’s, apartment.  The stray tabby approaches Miranda’s wheelchair and sniffs it, undoubtedly lured by the fishy scent.  It would have seemed inevitable that at some point a cat would have started sniffing around Miranda’s tail but alas it was not to be.

Final Mewsings: Cats are better at ignoring fish than we thought!

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