1961's "The Mermaids of Tiburon" aired on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater on Sept 5 1964 (the final 4:00 PM broadcast, the Sunday night co-feature being 1931's "Svengali"), and no doubt was shown in black and white. Today available on a DVD double bill with 1957's "Cry of the Bewitched" (both in glorious color) in the original fullscreen version, and the later letterboxed version, featuring new footage of topless models acting like mermaids. It's nice to have the 'nude' version, but the star of the original, the luminous Diane Webber, is almost completely cut out, and the story arc revolves around our hero's innocent pursuit of this untouchable goddess of the sea (there are glimpses of other mermaids but Diane reigns supreme). All of the topless models are missing the fins worn by the originals, looking like normal women out for some vigorous underwater exercise. Director John Lamb's photography brings this world to life, even including a scene with Diane swimming alongside a (possibly fake) shark. Timothy Carey's gratuitous villain spearguns a topless mermaid, and strips another of her lone seaweed garment, neither of which appear in the original. His intrusive presence disrupts the film's charming narrative, which is left unresolved as the hero vows to return someday. Until a better mermaid film comes along, this one manages to enter their world better than any other. Diane Webber would again don the fiberglass fin for a 1967 episode of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (after Marta Kristen got her shot in 1965's "Beach Blanket Bingo").
9 Reviews
Added footage added nothing the audience ain't seen before.
mark.waltz9 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's obvious that the topless women added to a re-release of this film we're not mermaids, and there was no explanation as to why they had visible human legs while the one lead mermaid was apparently genuine. It was nothing but an excuse to add some female breasts into the film, and for the most part while it's done tastefully (outside of a few gratuitous group shots), scientifically, it made no sense. But nonetheless, this is a fun adventure fantasy film where George Rowe encounters these creatures while in Baja California searching for giant pearls, threatened by the presence of Timothy carey, an evil man who wants him dead so he can get all the pearls himself.
This was the biggest role I've seen for Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a very likable Mexican-American actor and comic, playing the owner of the fisherman boat that Carey leases. As usual, he steals every scene that he's in, only rivaled by his pet mina bird. Great shots of the natural resources of the real island of Tiburon makes the film exciting cinematically with great underwater shots, and that's what makes this film unique.
But Carey's villain is so horrid (one thing that he does truly upset me) that after a while, he's not even fun to watch while you wait for him to get his comeuppance. While it is indicated that this film was made cheaply, the photography indicates otherwise. Lots to really like about it, a certain minor elements prevented me from giving it a higher mark. It helps to know about the real island of Tiburon before watching this which I did not know about. That itself would make a fantastic movie.
This was the biggest role I've seen for Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a very likable Mexican-American actor and comic, playing the owner of the fisherman boat that Carey leases. As usual, he steals every scene that he's in, only rivaled by his pet mina bird. Great shots of the natural resources of the real island of Tiburon makes the film exciting cinematically with great underwater shots, and that's what makes this film unique.
But Carey's villain is so horrid (one thing that he does truly upset me) that after a while, he's not even fun to watch while you wait for him to get his comeuppance. While it is indicated that this film was made cheaply, the photography indicates otherwise. Lots to really like about it, a certain minor elements prevented me from giving it a higher mark. It helps to know about the real island of Tiburon before watching this which I did not know about. That itself would make a fantastic movie.
The Mermaids Of Tedium ...er, Tiburon
melvelvit-116 March 2014
As soon as I saw the thank-you's to Marineland & Mexico in the opening credits, I had a feeling I'd be in for some road show Jacques Cousteau sure to bore the pants off me and I was right. Filmed by a noted underwater photographer, it's certainly nice-looking but still, it's an hour-and-a-half of watching lead mermaid (the aptly named Diane Webber, a former Playboy Playmate) swim around and around -and around- as a marine biologist and a slimy villain search for giant pearls off the coast of Tiburon, an uninhabited Mexican island. On the plus side, it was in color, the three mermaids weren't cheesy, and the bad guy was played by the great Tim Carey but even he couldn't keep me from occasionally nodding off. This was the original version -actually a "DVD extra"- since the film was butchered and re-released with topless mermaids inserted and the waterlogged plot changed ...to what, I don't know because I have no intention of sitting through it again.
An appealing little fantasy tale.
Hey_Sweden22 July 2013
"Mermaids of Tiburon" has a wonderful, otherworldly quality about it, thanks to the efforts of writer / director John Lamb, who's best known as a top notch underwater photographer. It has a sedate pace, not much of a story, and not a whole lot of action, so it won't be for all tastes, but cult movie lovers who love the surreal are sure to find it quite engaging. Given Lambs' background, it's not surprising that the visuals are so strong. The underwater scenes in this thing are just gorgeous - and, naturally, the women are all gorgeous too. It may take a viewer out of the story to some degree seeing that not all of the mermaids have fins, but the film remains a interesting and erotic experience.
George Rowe, in his only acting gig, plays Samuel Jamison, a marine biologist with Marineland who accepts a gig offered to him by elderly gentleman Ernst Steinhauer (John Mylong of "Robot Monster"): travel to the waters around Tiburon, an island off the coast of Mexico, in search of pearls. Well, George finds something else entirely: a grouping of exquisite mermaids who fascinate him. The real world also intrudes harshly, as a greedy fellow pearl hunter, Milo Sangster (played by the legendary screen psycho Timothy Carey) shows up using unscrupulous methods in the search for treasure.
Not a lot may happen in "Mermaids of Tiburon", yet it just pulls a viewer right in with its ambiance, enhanced by a beautiful music score courtesy of Richard LaSalle. Rowe never speaks on camera; instead his dialogue is entirely expressed in voice over narration. He does a decent job, and Carey is great malevolent fun as one could expect. The physical charms of the mermaid performers are impossible to resist, with Playboy Playmate Diane Webber (who would again play a mermaid on an episode of the series 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea') and Gaby Martone placed front and centre.
This has an agreeable midnight movie feel to it at all times, and it's sure to appeal to lovers of obscure B pictures. Clocking in at a mere 77 minutes, it's always watchable.
Seven out of 10.
George Rowe, in his only acting gig, plays Samuel Jamison, a marine biologist with Marineland who accepts a gig offered to him by elderly gentleman Ernst Steinhauer (John Mylong of "Robot Monster"): travel to the waters around Tiburon, an island off the coast of Mexico, in search of pearls. Well, George finds something else entirely: a grouping of exquisite mermaids who fascinate him. The real world also intrudes harshly, as a greedy fellow pearl hunter, Milo Sangster (played by the legendary screen psycho Timothy Carey) shows up using unscrupulous methods in the search for treasure.
Not a lot may happen in "Mermaids of Tiburon", yet it just pulls a viewer right in with its ambiance, enhanced by a beautiful music score courtesy of Richard LaSalle. Rowe never speaks on camera; instead his dialogue is entirely expressed in voice over narration. He does a decent job, and Carey is great malevolent fun as one could expect. The physical charms of the mermaid performers are impossible to resist, with Playboy Playmate Diane Webber (who would again play a mermaid on an episode of the series 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea') and Gaby Martone placed front and centre.
This has an agreeable midnight movie feel to it at all times, and it's sure to appeal to lovers of obscure B pictures. Clocking in at a mere 77 minutes, it's always watchable.
Seven out of 10.
An adventure in enchantment
mermatt30 July 1998
This is one of those films that gets passed off as a silly fantasy or sci-fi flick. It isn't either of those things. It is a bittersweet story of man's desire for something beyond the ordinary.
Like the film on which the mermaid costumes in this film are modeled (namely, MR. PEABODY & THE MERMAID), the story is about a man who meets a mermaid (in fact, a whole pod of mermaids) and thus learns that there is something in life that is invisible but valuable beyond sunken treasure. He learns that there really is a touch of magic and beauty in the world which science and technology have too often harmed.
If you see this one, make sure you see the original and not the silly sexed up version which is called AQUA SEX and totally loses the point.
Like the film on which the mermaid costumes in this film are modeled (namely, MR. PEABODY & THE MERMAID), the story is about a man who meets a mermaid (in fact, a whole pod of mermaids) and thus learns that there is something in life that is invisible but valuable beyond sunken treasure. He learns that there really is a touch of magic and beauty in the world which science and technology have too often harmed.
If you see this one, make sure you see the original and not the silly sexed up version which is called AQUA SEX and totally loses the point.
Someone please help me find a CLEAN COLOR version of the movie
collegemermaid8 August 2005
The visuals were beautiful. Having different mermaids other than the mermaid queen, made the movie exciting. They were au naturel too, not that I'm trying to be nasty, but that's how one would imagine mermaids to be in their natural habitats. Not wearing silly flower or clam shells. It is really the only real mermaid movie I've seen besides Splash. That movie was very disappointing because there were only couple seconds where she was really a mermaid. I don't know why they call it Aqua Sex, because it says "Mermaids of Tiburon" in the beginning, I have a color version but I cannot enjoy the movie because it has big white letters in the middle of the screen that it is not for public distribution.
There's something about it...
kirksworks15 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
There have only been a handful of good live action movies with a mermaid as a central character. The black and white "Miranda" and its color sequel "Mad About Men," British films starring Glynnis Johns, are recommended, but only recently have become available on DVD or streaming. The best of the older American bunch, however, is "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" from 1948. William Powell plays a man going through an old age crisis who catches mermaid Ann Blythe on a fishing trip. It's a bit dated, but still quite appealing. "Night Tide" (with Dennis Hopper) is a more nightmarish take on the idea, and "Splash" with Darryl Hannah and Tom Hanks is a more humorous take. More recently "Aquamarine" successfully reinvented the myth for a younger female audience, and it's probably the most successful mermaid story other than "Peabody." I even prefer it to "Splash."
What all these movies have in common, however, is that they find ways to keep the story on dry land. What distinguishes "Mermaids of Tiburon" is that it takes place mostly in the ocean, and often underwater. It was directed and photographed by John Lamb, who clearly knew how to shoot underwater scenes. And although it was low budget, the choice of location and clever imagery give it a bit more polish. Of course the infamous Tim Carey as the bad guy doesn't hurt, but considering his wonderfully characteristic voice, he could have used more dialog. Diane Webber was pretty impressive, however. She must have been quite a good swimmer. In most, if not all of the underwater scenes it was actually her. Her Queen Mermaid character doesn't have much development, but her performance has a lot of simple charm. There are a number of shots showing her interacting with the fauna of the area, including a particularly remarkable shot of her with a large puffer fish, and another showing her feeding an absolute swarm of small fish.
I remember seeing "Tiburon" when it first was released and loving the wonderful COLOR photography. Until recently, it has only been available as a bad black and white dub. Finally, the full color version has been released on a DVD called PSYCHOTRONICA VOL 3, paired with another film. This DVD promotes the nude version of the film, where many shots of topless girls (not even wearing mermaid tails!) are inserted into the story. This version also reduces the role of Diane Webber. But the really good news is that the original version with Diane Webber's performance in tact is also included on this disc in the Extras! Subsequently, I read that Webber had passed away the day I ordered the disc. A sad coincidence.
Having viewed the color version after living with the bad b&w dub for so long, "Mermaids of Tiburon" is a revelation. It's true the narration is very corny, and the voice-over performance of the lead was stiff, even somewhat amateurish, but color adds an abundance of atmosphere to the underwater scenes, which were even more impressively photographed than I'd remembered. The scenes between Carey and Jose Gonzales-Gonzales sometimes grate, but the Mexican's pet Mina bird adds a nice touch and they followed through with it all the way to the end.
Lastly, the score by Richard LaSalle adds immeasurably to the mood of the piece. As would be expected, the strings suggest a siren call in the underwater sequences, but the music for the action sequences are equally effective.
"Mermaids of Tiburon" is no classic, and there is an element of amateurishness to the whole affair, but there's something about its magical atmosphere that other mermaid movies don't capture as successfully. It's unlikely that anyone will take the time and care to make a mermaid film that takes place almost completely under water ever again, so in that regard, this film will probably remain a one of a kind. It was great to see it in color again.
What all these movies have in common, however, is that they find ways to keep the story on dry land. What distinguishes "Mermaids of Tiburon" is that it takes place mostly in the ocean, and often underwater. It was directed and photographed by John Lamb, who clearly knew how to shoot underwater scenes. And although it was low budget, the choice of location and clever imagery give it a bit more polish. Of course the infamous Tim Carey as the bad guy doesn't hurt, but considering his wonderfully characteristic voice, he could have used more dialog. Diane Webber was pretty impressive, however. She must have been quite a good swimmer. In most, if not all of the underwater scenes it was actually her. Her Queen Mermaid character doesn't have much development, but her performance has a lot of simple charm. There are a number of shots showing her interacting with the fauna of the area, including a particularly remarkable shot of her with a large puffer fish, and another showing her feeding an absolute swarm of small fish.
I remember seeing "Tiburon" when it first was released and loving the wonderful COLOR photography. Until recently, it has only been available as a bad black and white dub. Finally, the full color version has been released on a DVD called PSYCHOTRONICA VOL 3, paired with another film. This DVD promotes the nude version of the film, where many shots of topless girls (not even wearing mermaid tails!) are inserted into the story. This version also reduces the role of Diane Webber. But the really good news is that the original version with Diane Webber's performance in tact is also included on this disc in the Extras! Subsequently, I read that Webber had passed away the day I ordered the disc. A sad coincidence.
Having viewed the color version after living with the bad b&w dub for so long, "Mermaids of Tiburon" is a revelation. It's true the narration is very corny, and the voice-over performance of the lead was stiff, even somewhat amateurish, but color adds an abundance of atmosphere to the underwater scenes, which were even more impressively photographed than I'd remembered. The scenes between Carey and Jose Gonzales-Gonzales sometimes grate, but the Mexican's pet Mina bird adds a nice touch and they followed through with it all the way to the end.
Lastly, the score by Richard LaSalle adds immeasurably to the mood of the piece. As would be expected, the strings suggest a siren call in the underwater sequences, but the music for the action sequences are equally effective.
"Mermaids of Tiburon" is no classic, and there is an element of amateurishness to the whole affair, but there's something about its magical atmosphere that other mermaid movies don't capture as successfully. It's unlikely that anyone will take the time and care to make a mermaid film that takes place almost completely under water ever again, so in that regard, this film will probably remain a one of a kind. It was great to see it in color again.
A nifty nudie fantasy romp
Woodyanders8 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Young marine biologist Dr. Samuel Jamison (a likable performance by director George Rowe in his only acting gig) discovers a bunch of lovely and enticing lady mermaids while searching for buried treasure located deep in the ocean nearby an isolated Mexican island. Writer/director John Lamb gives this simple tale a certain sweet and strangely innocent charm. Moreover, Lamb also maintains a steady pace throughout and brings a sense of genuine awe to the fantastic subject matter. The actresses who portray the titular topless sea sirens are quite attractive and well-endowed; Diane Webber and Gaby Martone in particular are totally ravishing. Popping up in cool supporting roles are the singular Timothy Carey as nasty no-count criminal creep Milo Sangster, Jose Gonzales-Gonzales as excitable Mexican fisherman Pepe Gallardo, and John Mylong as weird old gent Ernst Steinhauer. Lamb's beautiful bright color cinematography offers a wondrous wealth of stunning visuals (the underwater photography is often very striking). Richard La Selle's lush, stirring orchestral likewise hits the melodic spot. An enjoyable little flick.
A low-budget SF flick that just misses being a true classic.
Chiron-56 January 1999
With just a shade more imagination, this could have been a truly beautiful piece of work. It is very effective and thought provoking despite its surface appearance of cheapo trash. Its details have been very carefully worked out to the point where you can almost believe in the existence of the mermaids. The story is a simple but believable conflict of good and evil set against a gorgeous background. It's also a story of nature threatened by greed. If the mermaids had been just a little more mysterious and less obviously girls in mermaid costumes, it would have been perfect.
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