Undercover Maisie

Having got hold of the complete collection (volume 1 and 2), I found the swansong of the series is undoubtedly the worst. All others, even thought technically B movie, were almost as entertaining as any other. But this one - well stinks. And for no error of Ms Sothern or even the future first James Bond (Barry Nelson). It was not even the basic plot - but the error lay in extremely amateur conceptualization / direction. With that spoiled, it would be almost impossible for any one to overcome - and even Ms Sothern couldn't really make it watchable since at every drop of hat, incongruities cropped up.

In fact the director lost the plot and his sense, immediately after Maisie was assigned to the case, much before she bungled it. The way she inveigled into Amor's den, her behavior there - a conman of that caliber should have immediately sensed rat. And the way the rat was identified was even more ridiculous - from the embroidered name on under-cloth ? That name was itself nom-de-plume of Maisie- and on the same token, it could have been assumed to be so (after all she told them that she had come to a fortune through the will of some deceased person, and isn't a person with silver spoon birth). With the judo training, how was she so easily overpowered at the hotel? She didn't even struggle, and no guns were pointed at her. In fact she could even had her presence known, even though tied up. She was able to make some sound, except at the time when the audience could hear. It all became a pure mess, so much so that the coefficient of enjoyment that was in half of it was totally negated and more. Verdict ? Even if it is procured as a part of the series, don't watch.

Final Maisie film sees Maisie (Ann Sothern) ripped off by a con artist. She files a report with the police and mustachioed police lieutenant Barry Nelson thinks she's a natural detective. So he talks her into joining the police academy and learning to be a cop. This leads to one of the more amusing segments of the movie, where Maisie learns self defense. After becoming a cop, Maisie goes undercover to help stop a phony psychic (Leon Ames).

The Maisie series comes to an end with a pleasant, enjoyable episode. Sothern is great as usual. Dependable Leon Ames is good as the fake psychic. Barry Nelson, here sporting a risible mustache, is OK. Maisie's love interests in these movies never seemed to match her charisma and Nelson is no exception. I enjoyed the Maisie series a lot. They're simple, fun stories with the adorable Ann Sothern at her most lovable.

The Maisie movies, starring Ann Sothern, were B films, light fun, enlivened by their effervescent star. This is the last one. Though a series, each film was separate. Maisie would fall in love with one guy and in the next film, he'd be gone. She worked a variety of jobs, sometimes getting work as a performer.

Here, Maisie volunteers herself to an older woman who is driving her husband's car to California. Maisie offers to help with the driving. When she goes into the store, the woman, a con artist, takes off, taking Maisie's money and jewels with her. The next time we see Maisie, she is blowing her stack at a police detective (Barry Nelson) who is very impressed with her powers of observation. He offers her a job on the police force, and after some training, she goes undercover.

Actually, I thought this was pretty good, even though Maisie wasn't suspicious enough of some people she met along the way. Ann Sothern is terrific as always, full of energy and flirtatiousness, and an upbeat attitude. In this film, her character is described as 25; try 37. And I give her a lot of credit. She played a much younger woman in her two television series, when she was well into her forties.

Barry Nelson looked for years like he had a portrait aging in his closet - it was always hard to believe he was in these early films, as he remained youthful for many years. Here he sports a mustache, probably because at 30, he looked 20. His main career was on Broadway, where he was very prolific and worked into his '70s. And few remember that he was the first James Bond, on television.

"Undercover Maisie" moves quickly and is entertaining.

Final entry in the Maisie series is an inconsequential affair where our gal manages to find herself in a peck of trouble when she joins the police force.

As always the main reason to watch these films is the bright and bubbly Ann Sothern and as usual she's far better than the material handed her. The plot is a standard issue flimflam about phony spiritualists bilking unsuspecting dupes out of their dollars. You can see the ending coming from a mile away but the supporting cast contains several excellent actors including Leon Ames and Gloria Holden. Ann's leading men in these are usually competent but not terribly charismatic actors and Barry Nelson is no exception. He gets the job done although he and Ann share little chemistry.

Not a terrible way to end Maisie's journey but hardly the best place to see her. None are award winners but the original Maisie, Swing Shift Maisie and Maisie Was a Lady are the serial's best.

The Maisie series came to an end with Undercover Maisie and strictly on a minor key. In this last film, Ann Sothern joins the police force and without proper training gets into a dangerous situation.

Barry Nelson who plays her immediate supervisor figures that Sothern being from Brooklyn has street smarts and can deal with trying to catch some con artists so she's assigned to the Bunco Squad.

Here's where this picture has a problem. For all the previous films Maisie is quite the shrewd woman. But even the smartest of us need training and she would never be put in the situation she was in for this film.

In fact the gang which consists of Leon Ames, Clinton Sundberg and Gloria Holden make quite a chump of her. But that's all Sothern needs, she's going to catch these people if it's the last thing she ever does. And it nearly is.

Far from the best of this series.