"Gold Rush Maisie" has Maisie (Ann Sothern) prospecting in this 1940 entry into the series. Maisie's car breaks down, and she becomes stranded and has to ask for help from an isolated, nasty rancher (Lee Bowman) who shares his house with another sourpuss (Slim Somerville). These films all followed the same formula - Maisie's charm, no-nonsense attitude and warmth melt the icebergs she meets. Later on, she meets a family of farmers who have lost their farm and become migrant workers. Now they're on their way to prospect for gold. Maisie is stunned at how little they have and sets out to help them.
The atmosphere of "Gold Rush Maisie" is a little more down than usual, and the actions of the rancher played by Lee Bowman are inexplicable. First he's nasty, then he abruptly puts the moves on Maisie, becomes nasty again and later, after she tells him off, he becomes nice. Bowman was Sothern's leading man in the series more than once, as was James Craig - I prefer James Craig, who had more energy and variety in his acting.
One does really feel for the family, and that helps to hold one's interest. Sothern does her usual bang-up job. The previous reviewer has it right - she would have been a bigger star in an earlier era. But if huge movie stardom eluded her, she still played some wonderful roles, and her two series are a treasure, as is the actress herself.
