Mad About Men

Mad About Men is a 1954 movie, sequel to Miranda.

Plot
Caroline Trewella is a teacher in high school, and a swimmer, who has won a 100 yard swimming race three times in row. She has inherited a house, Smuggler’s Rest, in Cornwall. The house has a basement that leads to the sea, and is used by Miranda and Berengaria, who is a bit simple because her mother was scared by a octopus, when she carried her. The mermaids are heard by Caroline, who comes to investigate. Miranda reveals that they share a Trewella bloodline, only that she was born in the sea.

Miranda asks to take Caroline’s place for two weeks, and she agrees to it, saying that she did promise to go on a cycling tour with a friend. Miranda tells Caroline of Nurse Carey, who helped her last time she was on land. Caroline has to sell the Cornwall house, due to financial problems, and her fiancé, Ronald Baker, also works in London, so they wouldn’t be able to move to Cornwall anyway.

Miranda starts off by selling her old Spanish coin she has found under the sea, to have some cash to buy new clothes, since Caroline’s were a bit conservative. She then went on the town, charming several men, and bumping into Jeff Saunders. Miranda thinks that Caroline’s current fiancé is a poor choice for her and is determined to use her charms to find her a proper man. Miranda spends an evening with Barclay Sutton and his fiancé Barbara Davenport. At the same time Berengaria spent time with Nurse Carey. Berengaria put on the nightgown that Nurse Carey was sewing for herself, and swam unto sea with it. Afterwards Barbara started having misgivings about Caroline’s behaviors. Caroline’s fiancé also arrives to Cornwall with an intent on selling the house, and not at all happy with the new Caroline. The next day Miranda went to fish with Jeff and they kissed on the boat, which was seen by Ronald. Miranda learned that Ronald was in sanitary business and was one of the people responsible for dumping the waste into oceans, she didn’t take that very well, and boiled a pot of cold fish soup on his head. That was enough to break off the engagement between Caroline and Ronald. Next thing Miranda did was with Barclay, who took her horseback riding. Afterwards, Barclay professed his love for her and wanted her to stay in Cornwall, Miranda cleverly mentioned that she needs time to think and gave her answer date on the day Caroline would be back herself. Miranda continued to court Jeff, and wanted to spend a morning fishing again, but he had promised to the fishers to go with them to bring luck, since they had a poor catch lately. Miranda suggested them a good fishing spot, which resulted in a record catch in the morning. Percy told Barbara of the luck, and Caroline’s involvement in catching the fish. He hinted that the Trewella family was known for fish luck and even catching a mermaid. It resulted in Barbara swimming to the caves near the Smuggler’s Rest and seeing Miranda as a mermaid on the rocks. Meanwhile Berengaria stole Barbara’s clothes from the beach and tried them on, resulting on Barbara needing to go home just with her swimsuit on. Barbara then hatched a plan to reveal the mermaid to the world during her concert, and asked Caroline to perform there. Barbara informed the news and the zoological society of a mermaid presence being revealed and trapped Caroline in her room, until her show. The real Caroline read about the show in newspapers though, and was alarmed of the wording that the special “item” is Caroline Trewella. So she opted to end her trip and switch back with Miranda earlier than planned. When real Caroline went on the stage, Miranda used the wheelchair to escape, she also released couple of performing seals, which were near the show, before returning to the sea. Nurse Carey organizes Miranda to have a microphone to draw out the switch-back as long as possible, since Caroline couldn’t sing. During the song Berengaria interfered and grab the microphone and started singing, something she wanted to do for a while but no one wanted to hear her. It forced Barbara to spring her trap, and she announced that Caroline is truly a mermaid. Caroline then revealed her legs and started dancing on the stage. Barclay was thrown back by the reveal of her not being injured, and sided witch his fiancé Barbara, and left, while Jeff took Caroline onto his arms and took his leave as well. The next day, Jeff and Caroline are on sea kissing, at first Caroline is hesitant, but Miranda in secret encourages her. Miranda then swims away.

Links
Mad About Men page on IMDB