Mermaid On Demand

See Ann Blyth Turn Into This Mystical Being
 
A last adjustment before the mermaid can slip into her right element, the water. The legs must have room enough to move so she can flip her tail.

So you don’t believe in mermaids, do you. Not any more than you believe in any other mystical figure. Well, maybe your right and maybe not. Anyway here you can see how a "real" mermaid is created in Hollywood. Ann Blyth is turned into a lovely example of the species by professional make-up artists.

Alright then, the tail is made of rubber with a thin layer of a silvery metal on top, but who cares. Tinsel Town is only make believe what ever way you look at it, and when the make-up team is told to turn Ann into a mermaid, that’s just what they’ll do. But the job was not an easy one

The tail must look exactly like it does on a "real" mermaid, and besides, Ann must be able to swim with it on. If the material is too thick, she’ll sink. If it is too thin she’ll float on top of the water. So in order to get it right, they made a plaster cast of Ann’s body. Then they build the rubber tail around the cast and formed the fin . It turned out just right in the end, but it took fourteen weeks to make it perfect. To start with, Ann Blyth’s body has to be covered with oil, this way the plaster won’t stick to her body.

Then the cast is made. The tail has to fit like a glove, if not air will slip in and Ann will be forced up to the surface.   Ann is turned into a mermaid. The make-up people helps her slip into the tail. Mermaid in the water where she belongs, Ann swims smiling around in the large studio tank and the cameras start humming.

From the Norwegian magazine "NÅ"
No 46 – November 12th 1960

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