In order to cover the necessary camera tricks, and to add "magic" to the Little Mermaid ballet, it was decided that, rather than presenting it as an actual ballet, they would have Hans imagine how it would look. This allowed them to do things on the screen which would be impossible on the stage.
Danny Kaye's re-creation of eight songs from the Frank Loesser score, released on a Decca album with accompaniment by Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra and Chorus, zoomed to the number-one spot on the "Billboard" album chart in January 1953. The LP reigned in first place for an impressive 17 weeks. Rerecording the delightful patter duet, "No Two People," Mr. Kaye was joined on record by Jane Wyman, who substituted for Danny's film partner, Zizi Jeanmaire.
Zizi Jeanmaire and Roland Petit, who choreographed the film as well as appearing as The Prince in The Little Mermaid ballet, would marry in 1954. They continued to collaborate on numerous ballets right until Petit's death in 2011.
Throughout the film, the Danish capital is pronounced "Copenhawgen." This is the German pronunciation and is disliked by many Danes, whose country was occupied during World War 2. Danes prefer that English speakers say "Copenhaygen."