Mad About Men

Mad About Men
Mad About Men
Directed by	Ralph Thomas
Written by	Peter Blackmore
Screenplay by	Peter Blackmore
Produced by	Betty E. Box; Earl St. John
Starring	Glynis Johns; Donald Sinden; Anne Crawford; Margaret Rutherford
Cinematography	Ernest Steward
Edited by	Gerald Thomas
Music by	Benjamin Frankel; Ronald Hanmer
Production; company	Group Film Productions
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	16 November 1954;
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

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 which preceded Mad About Men. Johns appears in both films as the mermaid Miranda.^[1] However, Rank Films insisted it was not a sequel.^[2]

The film was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location at Polperro in Cornwall and Long Crendon in Oxfordshire.^[3] Filming also took place in Brighton including at the Palace Pier. The film's sets were designed by the art director George Provis.

Plot

When gymnastics school teacher Caroline goes on holiday at her family's home in Cornwall, she meets her distant mermaid relative Miranda, who looks exactly like her. She agrees to let Miranda trade places with her, while she goes on a bicycling trip with a friend. Caroline feigns an accident, pretending that this requires her to use a wheelchair for a few weeks, thus providing a cover for the fact that Miranda has a fish tail instead of legs. Nurse Carey, who knows about Miranda [and was in the earlier film], is hired to attend Miranda.

Caroline is engaged to Ronald Baker, but when he shows up, Miranda does not like him at all. She decides to make Caroline a better match. She flirts outrageously with two eligible bachelors, Jeff Saunders and Colonel Barclay Sutton, right in front of Ronald. When she discovers that Ronald works in the government sanitation department (and approves of dumping garbage into the ocean), she dumps a tureen of cold soup on his head.

Meanwhile, Barbara Davenport, the colonel's fiancée, takes an understandable dislike to Miranda. While out swimming, she discovers Miranda's secret and arranges for "Caroline" to sing at a charity concert, plotting to reveal her true nature. Caroline reads about the forthcoming concert during her holiday, guesses what Barbara intends, and rushes back to take Miranda's place, foiling Barbara's scheme.

Afterward, Jeff takes Caroline boating. When he tries to kiss her, she resists at first, then willingly gives in, while a somewhat sad Miranda watches.

Cast

Glynis Johns as Caroline Trewella / Miranda Trewella
Donald Sinden as Jeff Saunders
Anne Crawford as Barbara Davenport
Margaret Rutherford as Nurse Carey
Dora Bryan as Berengaria, a mermaid friend of Miranda
Nicholas Phipps as Colonel Barclay Sutton
Peter Martyn as Ronald Baker
Noell Purcell as Percy, a fisherman friend of Jeff
Joan Hickson as Mrs Forster
Judith Furse as Viola
Irene Handl as Mme. Blanche
David Hurst as Signor Mantalini, a musician
Martin Miller as Dr. Fergus, a biologist
Deryck Guyler as Editor
Anthony Oliver as Pawnbroker
Lawrence Ward as Alphonse
Martin Boddey as Marco
Ken Richmond as Zampa
Harry Welchman as Symes
Meredith Edwards as Police Constable
Lucy Griffiths as Dr. Fergus' Secretary
John Horsley as Sports Organiser
Stringer Davis as the Vicar
Henry B. Longhurst as Mayor
Gibb McLaughlin as Ticket Collector
Dandy Nichols as Nurse Carey's Landlady
George Woodbridge as Fisherman Outside Pub
Damaris Hayman as Tall Choral Society Singer

Critical reception

Radio Times called the film "outdated hokum, a cliché-ridden story...this is certainly not the equal of the charming original."^[4]

AllMovie praised it as a "delightful sequel to the saucy British comedy-fantasy Miranda."^[5]

References

^ "Mad about Men (1954) | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ "SPOTLIGHT ON THE STARS". Western Mail. Vol. 69, no. 3, 368. Western Australia. 20 May 1954. p. 28. Retrieved 31 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ A Touch Of The Memoirs by Donald Sinden. Hodder & Stoughton Publ. (1982), pp. 203-4
^ "Mad about Men | Film review and movie reviews". Radio Times. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ "Mad About Men (1954) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 24 June 2014.