Ann Blyth and Superman

 As part of the publicity for Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), Ann Blyth--or rather, her cartoon image--joined Superman in Action Comics for an adventure.  From my book, Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

In a creative bit of publicity for this movie, Ann Blyth—as the mermaid—made a guest appearance with Superman in Action Comics #130, March 1949.  She is shown on the cover flying away in Superman’s strong arms while a jealous Lois Lane glowers below them.  Their brief adventure, “Superman and the Mermaid,” involves real-life actress Ann Blyth in her mermaid costume on set running afoul of pirates.  She is nearly drowned, and taken captive by them.  Ann shows real grit in poking around the pirates’ cave and trying to discover their shenanigans.  Superman is, of course, required to save the day. 

You can have a look at a few of the actual pages of the comic book here at this link from an article on the CBR website by Brian Cronin.

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Looking for a gift a classic film fan?Have a look at my book -- Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.

eBook edition (Amazon)

print edition available at Amazon and also my Etsy shop.

audiobook edition

Also available in eBook at:

Kobo

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Apple iBooks

...and a variety of other online shops!

For more on my other books and plays, please see my website: JacquelineTLynch.com  

"Lynch’s book is organized and well-written – and has plenty of amusing observations – but when it comes to describing Blyth’s movies, Lynch’s writing sparkles." - Ruth Kerr, Silver Screenings

"Jacqueline T. Lynch creates a poignant and thoroughly-researched mosaic of memories of a fine, upstanding human being who also happens to be a legendary entertainer." - Deborah Thomas, Java's Journey

"One of the great strengths of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is that Lynch not only gives an excellent overview of Blyth's career -- she offers detailed analyses of each of Blyth's roles -- but she puts them in the context of the larger issues of the day."- Amanda Garrett, Old Hollywood Films

"Jacqueline's book will hopefully cause many more people to take a look at this multitalented woman whose career encompassed just about every possible aspect of 20th Century entertainment." - Laura Grieve, Laura's Miscellaneous Musings''

"Jacqueline T. Lynch’s Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is an extremely well researched undertaking that is a must for all Blyth fans." - Annette Bochenek, Hometowns to Hollywood

Ann's Mermaid Swim

Ann Blyth in an underwater shot publicity photo as Lenore the Mermaid in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948).  The warmer days have many of us wishing to go swimming, but perhaps not like the conditions under which Ann went for this swim in the studio set pool.  From my book, Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

Lead weights were placed in the bottom of the tail by her feet—some references say thirty pounds, some say fifty pounds—to keep the rubber tail, and the person wearing it, from floating to the surface of the water.  Sounds as ominous as stories of mobsters fitting their victims with “cement shoes.” 

...[Co-star Andrea] King recalled that though the tank was supposed to be heated, the water heater malfunctioned and the water was quite cold in the tank.  “So we tried anyway for about half an hour, but Annie and I just went numb.  I think she got terribly sick after that.”

If you have the good luck to go swimming soon, leave the fish tail at home and don't forget the sunscreen.

Ann and Mr. Powell, or Mr. Peabody, go for a sail...

Here is mermaid Ann Blyth sailing with William Powell in a delightful publicity shot from Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948).  This is not part of the Turner Classic Movies library and doesn't seem to get much play on the retro channels, but happily the VHS version is still available and this movie came out on DVD in 2014.  Many of Ann Blyth's movies are not shown on TCM - as most were from Universal and a certain legal quagmire has kept them from us - but bit by bit, more of her films are slowly being released on DVD.  If you haven't seen this one, I hope you can soon.

From my book, Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star:

It was a pinnacle of a kind, and the beginning of new trail. After a string of six heavy dramas that gave her intense roles to prove herself a major up and coming actress, her last film before Red Canyon, Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, was a complete change that charmed the public and clued-in the studio that Ann was also athletic, and that her beauty was as much an asset to selling a film as her acting skill. Her trim body, also, could lend itself to more than posing in a crisp noir wardrobe.

It also reminded the studio that she was young. In those dramas, from Mildred Pierce through Another Part of the Forest, Ann’s characters were increasingly poised, knowing, sophisticated, and wore a mantle of worldly experience even though in real life she was still some years away from being old enough to vote. Her characters were restless, mean, sad, tragic.

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, because of her fanciful character and its exotic costuming, her silent communication through her expressive face, and the joyful silliness of the plot, actually managed to re-set the clock on her screen sophistication. She was suddenly much younger again.

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid - a summertime sail

A leisurely summertime sail with Ann Blyth as the mermaid and William Powell as Mr. Peabody in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948).  Powell plays a man facing a mid-life crisis who catches the lovely mermaid while fishing, and so begins his ethereal, and hilarious, adventure.

From my book Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

William Powell is so entertaining and so sweet in his role, which is basically comic, but lends it such skillful depth and poignancy.  Ann Blyth’s work here is luminous and captivating.  It is a non-speaking role, but there is remarkable and touching eloquence in the way her eyes roam over his face, as if trying to read him, trying to understand his words and his facial expression.  Middle-aged Mr. Peabody is wondrous and fascinating to her, and her unlikely crush for him alone adds another level to the comedy, and the poignancy.  We can see why he might take a fancy to her, but her radiant and achingly silent adoration of him is charming.

Fortunately, the movie is apparently now available on DVD from Olive Films, but you can see it here on YouTube at the moment.

Red Canyon location still

The publicity still from Red Canyon (1949) shows Ann Blyth and costar Howard Duff on location in what was Ann's first color film (even though the publicity still is black and white), and only feature western.  We discussed her work in this film on my Another Old Movie Blog:

She was 19 years old and had hit her stride.

It was a pinnacle of a kind, and the beginning of new trail.  After a string of six heavy dramas that gave her intense roles to prove herself a major up and coming actress, her last film before Red Canyon, Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, was a complete change that charmed the public and clued-in the studio that Ann was also athletic, and that her beauty was as much an asset to selling a film as her acting skill.  Her trim body, also, could lend itself to more than posing in a crisp Noir wardrobe. 

It also reminded the studio that she was young.  In those dramas, from Mildred Pierce through Another Part of the Forest, Ann’s characters were increasingly poised, knowing, sophisticated, and wore a mantle of worldly experience even though in real life she was still some years away from being old enough to vote.  Her characters were restless, mean, sad, tragic.

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, because of her fanciful character and its exotic costuming, her silent communication through her expressive face, and the joyful silliness of the plot, actually managed to re-set the clock on her screen sophistication.  She was suddenly much younger again.  For the next several films she would play more innocent ingénues, most of them in comedies, and this one western...

For more, head on over to this post at Another Old Movie Blog.

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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.

Also in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

Also in paperback from CreateSpace, and from my Etsy shop: LynchTwinsPublishing.

Ann Blyth Paper Dolls

Today we have a fun and a different sort of collection of Ann Blyth images: a book of paper dolls.  Once a mainstay of playtime for little girls, paper dolls are still popular with collectors, especially from Hollywood's golden age.  Ann Blyth received the paper doll treatment in the early 1950s as her career was booming.  Here from my book, Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

...the peak of her popularity surely typified by the book of paper dolls published by Merrill Publishing. According to American Paper Doll from an article by David Wolfe, it was “…one of the most beautiful paper doll books ever produced by Merrill Publishing.”

This paper doll book has actually been re-issued as a reproduction of the original.  While not as valuable to collectors, it is still an interesting piece of movie memorabilia, and is much more affordable, of course, than an original item.  Above we have the two doll figures to dress.  The other smaller illustrations of Ann on the page you will probably recognize from various publicity photos.

 You'll recognize as well the costumes from Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1949) and from her role as the princess in The Golden Horde (1951).  Since this book of paper dolls came out before her MGM musicals, we unfortunately don't have any representations of Rose Marie or The Student Prince, or Kismet, but most of the outfits were chosen with the idea in mind that the girls would like to imagine playing the life of the famous young actress, and not necessarily the characters she played.

To that end, there are a lot of selections of dresses and accessories that fit the part of a busy young starlet.

And the glamorous world of Hollywood society.

Including skiing, evidently.

What adventures did the paper wardrobe inspire in the children who matched each accessory by number?

And how many girls' interest in clothes was first inspired by a shoebox full of paper doll outfits?

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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.

Also in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

The Mermaid and the Monster

While Ann Blyth was filming Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), Glenn Strange was busy on another soundstage filming Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.  He was the monster.  At the time of this photo, the Monster came to visit the Mermaid.  Maybe he was taking her to lunch.  Maybe she was lunch.

We discuss Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid in this post on my Another Old Movie Blog, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein here at this post.

Both creatures were created by Universal-International makeup department head Bud Westmore.  Universal, of course, was famous for its monster movies.  From the Monster and the Mermaid--Happy Halloween!

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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.

Also in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

Makeup by the Westmores

Here's a magazine photo clipping of Wally Westmore touching up Ann Blyth's makeup on Top O' the Morning (1949).

Mr. Westmore, of course, was one of the famous band of six Westmore brothers who all had important careers in the field of motion picture makeup. They all worked in different studios. Wally was at Paramount, which produced Top O' the Morning.

Bud Westmore, of Universal, was responsible for Ann's resplendent fish tail in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), and in most of her films, as the bulk of her career took place at Universal.  (See Chapter 13 of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. for photos of the mermaid-creation process.)

Twin brothers Perc and Ern were at Warner Bros. Perc, who rose to head the makeup department there, worked on Mildred Pierce (1945).

Introduced to the business by their father, the entire Westmore makeup clan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.