Ringside Maisie (1941)

Director:

Edwin L. Marin

Writers:

Wilson Collison (characters)
Mary C. McCall Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

1 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Plot:

Young undefeated boxer Terry Dolan, who's been lying to his invalid mother about his career, confides...

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Boxing | Maisie Series | Paraplegic | Mother Son Relationship

Cast

Ann Sothern	...	Maisie Ravier
George Murphy	...	Francis X. 'Skeets' / 'Skeeter' Maguire
Robert Sterling	...	Terry Dolan, aka Young O'Hara
Virginia O'Brien	...	Virginia O'Brien, Singer
Natalie Thompson	...	Cecelia 'Cissy' Reardon
Margaret Moffatt	...	Mrs. Dolan
Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom	...	Chotsie (as Maxie Rosenbloom)
Jack La Rue	...	Ricky Du Prez
Rags Ragland	...	Vic (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Oscar O'Shea	...	Train Conductor
John Indrisano	...	Peaches
Roy Lester	...	Jitterbug Dancer
Eddie Lou Simms	...	Jackie-Boy Duffy (as Eddie Simms)
Jonathan Hale	...	Dr. Kramer
Purnell Pratt	...	Dr. Stanley Taylor

Also Known As:

Cash and Carry (UK)
Cash and Carry Maisie (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #7474)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Movie Connections:

Followed by Swing Shift Maisie (1943)

Soundtrack:

A Bird in a Gilded Cage

Part of the Maisie series

Ann Sothern is Maisie again in "Ringside Maisie," a 1941 film also starring Robert Sterling and George Murphy. It's possible that this film is where Ms. Sothern met Sterling, her first husband.

The Maisie plots had certain similarities and have to be taken as separate stories, which has always bothered me. It would seem at the end of one film that Maisie had found the man of her dreams, yet in the next film, there would be someone else. Maisie was always the same - a flashy, down in her luck entertainer on her way to a job somewhere, getting stranded, meeting some guy that she hates at first, and then love blooms.

In this entry, the man is George Murphy as Francis, who handles gifted prize fighter Terry Dolan (Sterling). Maisie has a job performing and loses it the same night because she won't sleep with her partner (although obviously that isn't stated). She winds up being a companion to the boxer's mother. Over time, she learns that Dolan wants only to buy a grocery store - he hates fighting and is frightened every time he goes into the ring. With Maisie's encouragement, he confronts Francis, who is also a friend, only to have Francis demand he live up to his contract, with disastrous results.

These movies were, for the most part, very entertaining. Sothern never did anything she didn't shine in, definitely one of the most likable actresses ever - beautiful, warm, funny, always convincing. When her leading woman days were over, she continued her career as a character actress. She was a wonderful star, even if she didn't reach the heights of Jean Harlow or Carole Lombard. She has good support here from the handsome Sterling and the versatile George Murphy.

Good entry into the series.