Ann Sothern could enliven any production and any script, gracing both with her talent, beauty and unusual voice. "Maisie," the first in a series of films about one Miss Maisie Ravier, is no exception. Despite being made on a shoestring, watching Ann Sothern is a delight. She plays a showgirl who is left stranded when the show folds before she arrives. Desperate for work, she takes a job in a carnival, where she meets Slim (Robert Young), a woman-hating cowboy. She stows away in his truck and then assigns herself as a maid to the wife (Ruth Hussey) of Slim's boss (Ian Hunter) when they arrive. Mr. and Mrs. Ames are there to repair their marriage, which was nearly ruined by Mrs. Ames' infidelity. It doesn't take long for anyone to realize that she's a tramp and still at it. This leads to tragedy, and it's up to Maisie to save the day.
Sothern makes the film entertaining - Maisie has a smart mouth and is very enterprising. I can't agree with one poster that this was the first series to have a woman as the main character because the Torchy Blane series started two years before Maisie. Ian Hunter gives a very gentle performance as Mr. Ames, Ruth Hussey is appropriately conniving, and Robert Young is miscast. It's not the first time.
Although I haven't seen the rest of the series yet, apparently they're done as separate entities, because from looking at the cast lists, it doesn't appear that the Young character is in the other films, unless the reason is subsequently explained. I originally thought this might be the last film instead of the first. Well, they promise to be interesting. Anything with Ann Sothern usually is.
