I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

When an exhausted doctor (Griffith Jones) takes a vacation from office and wife (Googie Withers), he heads out fishing and rather than pulling up the biggest catch of his life, ends up getting pulled in! At the other end of the pole, he finds himself woken up by the most unusual creature he'll ever encounter in his life-a mermaid! British beauty Glynis Johns is the man-crazy half girl/half fish who wants desperately to live amongst the humans, just like Hans Christian Anderson's "Little Mermaid". However, unlike Disney's animated Ariel, Johns' Miranda does not sing. But before you break into a chorus of "Send in the Crabs", consider what Johns does do on earth. With the benefit of some really LONG evening gowns, she comes up to earth and turns the society world of London upside down, disrupting not only Jones and Withers' marriage, but the engagements of their neighbor Sonia Holm and her struggling artist boyfriend John McCallum, as well as maid Yvonne Owen and chauffeur David Tomlinson. Yes, 16 years before they hired a magical nanny for their children in "Mary Poppins", Johns and Tomlinson worked together in a sweet romantic mystical comedy that isn't as American as "Mr. Peabody" or "Splash", but features the old school charm of Great Britain's upper crust.Naturally, a creature as striking as Johns' Miranda would excite the men and upset the women, and Glynis is perfectly charming doing all that. But even as much as the women are upset by her presence, they can't help but like her personally. There's a very funny scene where Johns and Jones attend the opera and during intermission, Johns starts singing the act finale aria. Wherever she goes, she attracts attention, makes special necklaces for all of the men (which includes her hair) and even gets McCallum to paint her portrait which makes his fiancée Holm hopping mad. To add flame to this mermaid's fire, there's also a very funny twist at the end as well as a very clever way of putting in "The End". This also takes on the old mythological thesis about mermaids in the sense that folklore had mystical sea creatures like mermaids attracting lonely sailors and leading them in the sea to their deaths. That doesn't happen here, but Miranda certainly has no shame when it comes to winning the affections of every man she encounters. Lavishly filmed, intelligently written and wonderfully acted, "Miranda" is a delightful light romantic fantasy.

I had the pleasure of finding and watching this gem over the weekend on Netflix and I loved it. Great acting, witty dialogue and just charming characters all around. In fact, I think it was a tad ahead of its time and risqué for the era. I also loved seeing Johns and Tomlinson together so early in their careers (their older versions were the parents on Mary Poppins if you recall), and Tomlinson went on to become a regular character and voice-over for many Disney films from the 1950's-70's. I normally don't like Romantic-comedies because they're often too "schmaltzy" for my taste, but this one is very well done and a true classic. Take some time out of your busy day to watch it. ;o)

Miranda is one of those off-beat, charming , little films that manages to stir up some magic despite a story with little real credibility. Much of the film's success must go to the director Ken Annakin and a great cast of British character actors. But for my money, just seeing the truly lovely Glynis Johns as a fetching, flirtatious mermaid was enough for me. Johns was always a beauty with her bouncy, fresh blonde hair, charismatic, almost devilish smile, winsome personality, and that voice - a husky, breathy voice that could charm any man. It is those characteristics that play largely in this film as Miranda, a mermaid - a fish out of water if you will - is "caught" on a fishing trip by a young doctor who brings her back to his apartment and wife. Miranda then charms her way into the lives of two other men. All three men, attached in some way to other women, fall hopelessly in love with Miranda. Johns does a great job but the entire cast is very solid in this type of light comedy very typical of British films of this period. I really enjoyed Googie Withers in the role of Clare(the wife of Griffith Jones - the man who brings Miranda back home). Withers exudes a sardonic smile throughout as she plays through her husband's infatuation. The grand dame of British comedy herself, Margaret Rutherford, has another fine comedic turn as a rather eccentric nurse. David Tomlinson delivers as an efficient chauffeur caught under Miranda's spell. Look for Rutherford's real-life husband Stringer Davis as a museum attendant. Miranda is not a great film by any definition, but it is so charming and relaxed that it is a great deal of fun nonetheless.

I haven't seen it in a good 25-30 years. Yet I was so captivated by this movie that, all these years later I still remember it. By my definition that's worth giving it a 10. Think of the hundreds of movies you have seen in your life...how many of them do you remember 30 years later, after, perhaps, like me, only seeing it once? How many movies did you see last year, yet can't describe them...or even remember who was in them? Wonderful films don't have to be epics...they just have to touch something in you and that makes them special. If ever comes the day when this cute little film ever comes on video, you'll find me first in line to buy a copy. That's why it's a 10.