Ringside Maisie (1941) User Reviews (16)

Part of the Maisie series

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 24 December 2008]

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.

Very Well-Done and Enjoyable Programmer

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 1 December 2004]

Ann Sothern is delightful in her Maisie roles (and in virtually everything she did.) This is an especially charming entry in the series.

It has a few small problems that can be attributed to its time. The flouncy desk clerk is one, but prissy, effeminate desk clerks were a staple of movies for a couple decades. (Alas.)

In a way, the notion that prize fighter Robert Sterling would rather die than continue his life as a blind person is dated, too. But this movie is generally good with disabilities. People are still terrified of blindness, though more is known about it now; and the character of Sterling's mother is in a wheelchair and not treated in at all a condescending fashion.

The idea that a smart, pretty, self-sufficient woman like Sothern's Maisie would chose the (to me) thoroughly unappealing George Murphy over the tender character played by the very handsome Robert Sterling is kind of laughable. And apparently the offscreen Sothern felt that way too, since she and Sterling were married two years after this picture's release.

Maisie gets into more trouble

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 17 December 2008]

This chapter of the "Maisie" adventures, starring Ann Sothern, opens at a Danceland dance hall. Ed Marin directed four of these, so he was familiar with Sothern and the usual suspects. Maisie (Sothern) gets canned from the dance hall, and calls her agent Vic (Rags Ragland) to see what else she can do for work. She meets up with the boxing mug Terry Dolan (Robert Sterling), and stirs things up. ( Sothern was married to Sterling from 1943 to 1949, and it appears this was the only film they made together. Sothern has an interesting family history, for those who have the time to read her bio....) "Maisie" butts heads with the boxer's manager "Skeets", who is sure she wants to distract Dolan from his boxing. For me, its all about Virginia OBrien - she sings Bird in a Gilded Cage at the night club, and she does her usual deadpan face with small, fun, facial expressions that say so much with so little movement. Written by Wilson Collison & Mary McCall, it appears Collison died young at 47. Sothern would also make six films with Gene Raymond; for those looking for other good Ann Sothern films, my favorites are Smartest Girl in Town, and Walking on Air - tons of fun if you can catch em on Turner Classics.

"Why you dirty mean cold little nasty slug..."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 10 May 2017]

Another enjoyable Maisie movie starring Ann Sothern. This time around Maisie tries to help a young boxer (Robert Sterling, Sothern's future husband) and winds up falling for his jerk of a manager (George Murphy). Why does Maisie always seem attracted to pigs? The old cliché of the guy who is rude to everyone around him and has very particular opinions about women but, gosh darn it, he's "all man" and our heroine just can't help but go weak in the knees when he gives her the slightest bit of attention. One of my pet peeves with this series is that guys like this are always treating Maisie like she's garbage and she always falls for them.

Anyway, it's a decent entry in the series. The subplot about the boxer wanting to open a grocery store amused me. Virginia O'Brien has one of her weird comedy singing numbers. Natalie Thompson makes the most of a minor part as Sterling's girlfriend who has a healthy appetite. Sterling does fine, even in the more challenging dramatic parts. Sothern is perfect, as always. The biggest flaw in the cast is charmless George Murphy, whose lack of charisma makes it impossible to find anything likable about his ogre of a character.

Maisie finds her Golden Boy.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 2 July 2016]

More dramatic than ever, this entry in the popular Ann Sothern series takes on the world of providing. Maybe hook up with boxing manager George Murphy who pushes his prize client Robert Sterling to the breaking point as he strives to win big money to help out Hus mother. Murphy's law isn't coddling his clients, and any attempts Sterling makes to get out of his contract is met with legal threats. It's up to Maisie to fix things, and like the good tenderhearted (if rough around the edges) angel she is, she takes it on with her usual verve.

Supporting Sothern, Murphy and Sterling are Natalie Thompson as Sterling's not so loyal girlfriend and Margaret Moffatt as Sterling's wheelchair bound mother. A character actress I'd never heard of before, I was impressed with Miss Moffatt's acting, although I wanted her to give Murphy a huge slap when she gently called him over in a dramatic final scene.

A particular delight is the presence of Virginia O'Brien in a nightclub sequence as herself, singing an if course deadpan version of "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" as only she can. It lightens up the seriousness of this entry, reminding me that just because Sothern's lighthearted image made this assumed to be a comedy series that she couldn't go dramatic every now and then.

"I want you to break clean when I tell 'ya!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 April 2017]

This was my first 'Maisie' movie with Ann Sothern, actually I chose to DVR the film off of Turner Classics because of the boxing theme. There's not a whole lot of ring action but it anchors the story after Terry Dolan O'Hara (Robert Sterling) interrupts his workout to offer Maisie a ride to her hotel. From there, Maisie seems to see-saw her way in a relationship between Dolan and his fight manager Skeets Maguire (George Murphy). I was betting on Sterling's character right from the start, but after reading some other reviewers here, it appears that Maisie finding and not keeping a man was built into the series as a regular story line.

This was my first look at actress Virginia O'Brien, appearing as herself and doing that bizarrely executed night club number, which had me baffled until I read that it was part of her schtick. It was so different and unique I had to go back and watch it a couple more times. Now I'll be on the lookout for more of her singing appearances.

Say, what exactly do you think Skeets got a ticket for on the George Washington Bridge? It was the middle of the night, no traffic, and he was pulled over to the side of the road. You'd think the cop would be a little more understanding and send him off with a warning and a slap on the wrist. Now if it happened today, well all bets are off.

As far as the boxing goes, Sterling as well as all of his opponents didn't look like heavyweight fighters to me, but that's probably a trivial point. Skeets Maguire looked like a gangster in his broad pin stripes but turned out to be a class guy when all was said and done. If anyone turned out to be a heel here it would have been Terry Dolan's fiancé, Cecilia Reardon (Natalie Thompson) after it looked like Terry's career was through and facing permanent blindness following his last match. I wouldn't have minded seeing her get KO'd by Maisie along the way.

Maisie leaves the dance floor for a boxing ring adventure

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 19 September 2021]

In her fifth role as Maisie Ravier, Ann Sothern walks out of her job as a taxi dancer (dime-a-dance girl) - while she's still able to walk She heads for a resort hotel in the Adirondack Mountains, but gets tossed off the train because she didn't buy a ticket. Hoofing it the 14 or more miles to her destination, she is passed by a young man who's training as a boxer. Terry Dolan's trainer is following along in his car and they give her a ride to the Shady Lawn Hotel at Cedar Lake.

When she doesn't come across with amour for her new dance partner, Ricky Du Prez, she gets canned and doesn't even dance her first number. Terry Dolan, fighting under the assumed name of Young O'Hara, goes home on weekends to visit his mother. He gives Maisie a ride back to the city, and it turns out that mom is elderly and in a wheel chair and needs a companion. So, Maisie gets the job. Terry has a girlfriend, Cecelia Reardon who visits him in training. And, his manager and promoter, Skeets Maguire, is out to make him the next world champion. Only Skeets and Maisie start their acquaintance off with fireworks.

The reason Terry uses an alias for fighting is because he doesn't want his mom to know he's a prizefighter. When his dad died, he left them well-secured with his grocery store. But his mom got swindled by a couple of shysters with an oil stock scam. So, Terry wants to make enough money fighting to be able to buy a grocery store and run it.

The plot is a good one - one of the better of the Maisie series, with good performances by all. It's a natural for some clashes and good drama with just the right amount of comedy worked in. Maisie has one of her best scenes in a brouhaha with Skeets over his stereotyping her as girl on the make, trying to cash in on a fighter. The contrasting personalities of Maisie and Skeets, played well by George Murphy, fit nicely for the romance that will come out of this. And Virginia O'Brien plays herself, as a singer with the band at the Shady Lawn Hotel. She does a hilarious rendition of "A Bird in a Gilded Cage."

The film has some good fight scenes in the ring and a good dramatic ending. Here are some favorite lines.

Skeets Maguire, "Pickin' up yellow-haired mice when you oughtta be doing your roadwork!" Maisie Ravier, "Wait a minute, foul mouth."

Terry Dolan, as boxer, Young O'Hara, "Now, don't be sore at me. C'mon back." Maisie Ravier, "Well, I'm not sore at you, you've been more than nice throughout. But, Gargantua is somethin' else again."

Maisie Ravier, "You listen, tall, dark and bad-mannered. I got no design on your fighters. I have neither the time nor the inclination to take up the part of Cleopatra."

Skeets Maguire, "I can't understand what a wren like you is doing so far from the sidewalks of New York."

Ricky Du Prez, "Whatsa matter, you got a guy you're stuck on?" Maisie, "No, but there's a guy someplace someday I'm gonna be stuck on."

Cecelia Reardon, "The train trip always takes so much out of one." Maisie Ravier,, "Yeah. Here's one they took outta the train."

Terry Dolan, "I, uh, guess you're feeling kind of low, huh?" Maisie Ravier, "I could look a snake in the eye if I had a pair of stilts."

Maisie Ravier,, "You know, it sure means a lot meetin' someone like you - just when I was beginning to think the wolves had taken over the world."

Terry Dolan, ,"He may act tough, but he's all heart." Maisie, "Yeah, well maybe an x-ray would change my mind."

Maisie, "You know, lookin' back on it, I don't think I ever told a lie in my life and really got by with it."

Skeets Maguire, "Say, I'd like to see mom, and I wouldn't mind goin' a couple rounds with the Brooklyn bonfire."

Maisie, "Well, I guessed wrong before, but this is an all-time low."

John Duffy, " I would've thrown the fight rather than have this happen." Mrs. Dolan, "Don't reproach yourself, boy. Just say a little prayer for him." Duffy, "Yes. I will, you bet. I've been doing it ever since they told me."

Skeets Maguire, "Well, so long, Maisie. They don't come any better."

Maisie, "Oh, and me kickin' him when he was down. Oh, can you perform a brain operation on me?"

Skeets, on the phone, "My wife? What does she look like?" Maisie, coming in the door, "A yellow-haired mouse." Skeets, "Maisie!"

"They don't come any better."

[morrisonhimself · 10/10 · 22 December 2008]

An intelligent script and very likable characters played by superb actors, including especially the adorable Ann Sothern, combine to make this an excellent movie.

Even if it's not perfect, it's excellent.

Maisie gets a chance to demonstrate her own character, her strength, her determination. One speech to a certain cynic gives us a chance to cheer -- literally cheer -- this gutsy and decent young woman who gets knocked down because she is decent.

But, like a champion boxer, she keeps getting up.

Hollywood had an unfortunate tendency to cast flabby or, well, let's say "underdeveloped" men as "heavyweight" boxers, such as Stu Irwin or, in this case, Robert Sterling, an otherwise good actor, and a good-looking leading man.

But he's no Sylvester Stallone.

In this boxing movie, Hollywood didn't make the mistake it did in "Cinderella Man," in which a real-life boxer's character was slimed in order to make a dramatic point.

Of course there's conflict, or it wouldn't be drama, but there are no two-dimensional straw-man villains.

Instead there are real people, with their own goals and dreams, trying to fit into the real world, trying to get ahead within the context of what seemed possible, and to do it while remaining decent and true to themselves.

Ann Sothern just outdid herself in this, a role that gave her a chance to show strength as well as charm.

The rest of the cast, from "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom, in one of his best roles, to Margaret Moffatt and John Indrisano, the latter two pretty unknown today, to the great George Murphy, were just super.

Honest: You ought to see this one.

My sympathies are with Murphy

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 30 November 2013]

When Robert Sterling heavyweight contender confides to Ann Sothern that he really hates boxing all I could think of was the film Twins where Arnold Schwarzenegger confesses to Danny DeVito that he really hates violence. To which DeVito replies, 'but you're so good at it.'

That is the underlying plot premise for Ringside Maisie where our Brooklyn showgirl is stranded on a road and she's offered a lift by Sterling who is out doing road work under the watchful eye of manager George Murphy and trainer Maxie Rosenbloom. These guys prove useful after dancer Jack LaRue won't settle for just a professional relationship.

When Sterling says he wants out of the fight racket, two fights away from a title shot despite what Sothern tells Murphy about being a heel, my sympathies were completely with him. He did invest years of time and money in Sterling and was right to want a return on his investment. And from what I saw looked out for him pretty good.

Sterling is also saddled with Natalie Thompson a real peach of a girl friend who does nothing but eat and get carsick and won't be at his side at the climax. Later for her.

But more than anything else Ringside Maisie shows the weakness of using this kind of plot for a series film. At times she shows interest in both Murphy and Sterling and you know because there will be another film that she won't wind up with either. In real life she did show some interest in Bob Sterling because Ann Sothern took him as her second husband.

On the plus side there is a nice specialty number from Virginia O'Brien. But Ringside Maisie goes down as one of the weaker films in the series.

Positive comment, appreciation of supporting cast.

[korteng · 8/10 · 15 December 2008]

This was a predictable plot, but fun to watch because of the beautiful Ann Sothern and real-life boxing characters who played small roles. I particularly enjoyed seeing Eddie Simms (played Jackie-Boy Duffy) who was a journeyman fighter with a great heart. He fought about 8 rounds with Joe Louis before being knocked out in 1935 (I think these figures are about right), and asked the referee to go for a walk on the roof with him after being knocked down. There was another fighter I recognize but can't remember, whom the hero "knocked out" early on. I wish I could remember the name, because he was a great left-hook artist who would devastate the division today.

Two movies

[marcslope · 5/10 · 12 April 2017]

And the first one's better, a typical Maisie entry where Sothern cracks wise, plays tough, and gets stuck in upstate New York, romancing both prizefighter Robert Sterling (whom she married in real life) and his promoter, a not very likable George Murphy. Sterling's engaged to a weakly written dame who overeats and gets carsick, and the always welcome Virginia O'Brien, given fourth billing, shows up to do a deadpan "Bird in a Gilded Cage" and exits. Then it takes a dark turn as Sterling's blinded in the ring, and the comedy completely vanishes. Maisie and melodrama don't mix, and we're not really rooting for her to end up with either leading man, least of all the one she does end up with. We love Annie, and she does her usual good work here, but the screenplay lets her down.

Proving once again that the fight business is ugly and awful.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 December 2013]

As usual, Maisie Ravier (Ann Sothern) is broke and trying to get to her next job--but has no money. When she sneaks aboard a train, she is caught and deposited in the middle of no where. However, she soon meets up with an exceptionally nice prize fighter, Terry Dolan (Robert Sterling), and he helps her get on her feet. However, his manager (George Murphy) takes an almost instant dislike for Maisie, as he doesn't want any 'dames' distracting Dolan from becoming champion. In fact, they dislike each other so much that you KNOW they'll eventually fall for each other--a common old Hollywood cliché.

As for Terry, although he is a great fighter, he is hiding a secret--a secret he eventually confides with Maisie. It seems that every time he goes into the ring, he's scared to death--scared that he'll hurt the other guy and afraid he'll end up punch-drunk after repeated blows to the head. This is a normal and healthy concern, but he wants to give up the fight business--even though he could become champion. Maisie advises him to tell his manager and quit--and this is sure to impact on her new romance with the manager. So what's to come of all this? Well, considering that Maisie was in ten films and this is only the fifth, you can pretty much assume she WON'T be getting married and settling down to a life of domesticity--at least not yet (even though it sure looks that way at the end)!

I appreciated this film, as "Ringside Maisie" did NOT glamorize the fight business. Few other contemporary boxing films talked about the ugly side of it--the brain damage, detached retinas, the wear and tear and the fact that promoters and managers really couldn't care less about the boxers. And, the film did a wonderfully touching scene with Terry and one of his opponents, Jackie, at the hospital. Because of this, the film has a lot more depth than you'd expect from a boxing film or an installment of "Maisie". Because of this, it's one of the best films in the series and is well worth seeing--particularly if you have any family members who has aspirations of going into the ring.

By the way, I thought it very strange that they billed Terry as a heavyweight, as he looked amazingly small and undeveloped for such a weight class (or to be a boxer at all). I know they had a lot fewer classes back then, but he sure looked like a middleweight to me--not that this seriously hampered the story.

Any advance on groceries?

[JohnHowardReid · 2/10 · 18 November 2017]

Ann Sothern (Maisie Ravier), George Murphy (Skeets Maguire), Robert Sterling (Terry Dolan), Natalie Thompson (Cecelia Reardon), Maxie Rosenbloom (Chotsie), Margaret Moffat (Mrs Dolan), John Indrisano (Peaches), Virginia O'Brien (herself), Eddie Simms (Billy-Boy Duffy), Jack LaRue (Ricky DuPrez), Purnell Pratt (Dr Taylor), May McAvoy (day nurse), Tom Dugan (checker), Jonathan Hale (Dr Kramer), Roy Lester (jitterbug), Oscar O'Shea (conductor), "Rags" Ragland (Vic).

Director: EDWIN L. MARIN. Screenplay: Mary C. McCall Jr. Based on the character created by Wilson Collison. Photography: Charles Lawton. Film editor: Fredrick Y. Smith. Music score: David Snell. Supervising art director: Cedric Gibbons. Supervising set decorator: Edwin B. Willis. Costumes: Robert Kalloch. Sound supervisor: Douglas Shearer. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: J. Walter Ruben. Copyright 29 July 1941 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture. New York opening at the Capitol (would you believe?): 31 July 1941. U.S. release: 1 August 1941. Australian release: 4 December 1941. 10 reels. 96 minutes. Cut by at least 100 feet in Australia.

U.K. and Australian release title: CASH AND CARRY.

SYNOPSIS: This time, Maisie, who performs so many good deeds each day that she should be made an honorary Girl Scout for life, is bringing aid and comfort to a forlorn young prize-fighter who wants to quit before he becomes world's champion and his mother finds out where his money is coming from.

NOTES: Number 5 of the nine-picture Maisie series.

COMMENT: Title changes are often a sure clue that a movie is in trouble. This one posed an additional difficulty for M-G-M's overseas branch offices in that at 96 minutes it ran far too long for a "B" feature.

Maisie's fans were mostly women, who were not likely to be attracted to a boxing yarn — despite the presence of some real fighters like Johnny Indrisano and Eddie Simms.

For once I sympathize with the studio, for this entry is a dud in all departments, — script, acting, title, and especially direction.

Why was the movie re-titled "Cash and Carry"? Well, you see the hero doesn't want to be a boxer. He wants to open a grocery store.

Maisie and the Boxing Ring

[mgmstar128 · 8/10 · 6 July 2010]

I have seen many of the Maisie films, and this one was another pleasant entry into the series.

When I watched the first Maisie film, I felt like I was watching Jean Harlow. I later learned that the Maisie character was intended for Jean; however I enjoyed Ann Sothern's performance as the sassy character.

Ann does a great job showing that a woman could handle herself in every situation and always land on her feet. She is smart, sexy, and savvy.

I am so grateful to TCM for showing these films, so that I can get the chance to see them for the first time.

fifth of ten

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 13 August 2019]

Struggling showgirl Maisie Ravier (Ann Sothern) gets fired as a taxi dancer. As a train stowaway, she's caught and gets thrown off in the middle of nowhere. While walking to her next job, she is helped by young boxer Terry "O'Hara" Dolan. Skeets Maguire is his manager and Cecelia Reardon is his girlfriend. Dolan would rather not box and buy a grocery store instead.

I still like Maisie but the guys are duds. The girlfriend is a blank. Non of the characters are that compelling although I like Terry for the most part. It's a less than compelling melodrama. The boxing isn't thrilling and quite frankly, I fast forward a lot of that. A grocery store has never sounded more pathetic. I keep thinking that this movie is stuck in mud.

Ann Sothern Brightens Up Any Movie!

[msladysoul · 8/10 · 30 May 2003]

This is a enjoyable, fun, moving movie. Ann Sothern is one of my favorite actresses, she could do anything, sing, dance, act, and be funny. She should of became a bigger star, she should of made it in the 1930s, she had the screen image of women who were in the movies at the time, she could of been up with Jean Harlow, Kay Francis, Constance Bennett, Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Glenda Farrell, Joan Blondell. She had their kind of talent and screen presence which was popular in the 1930s, but they had too many women like that and besides Ann Sothern became popular around the mid-1930s, when movies and women were changing on screen, and that kind of acting style women did in the 1930s wasn't popular in the 1940s. Maybe if Ann would of came around and became popular in the early 1930s, maybe she would of been a bigger star. But who cares she made it. But Ann Sothern remain well-known and popular in the 1940s, and is very watchable. MGM should of made her a bigger star. She's beautiful in this movie. The funniest, memorable scene is the beginning of the movie, Ann Sothern is dancing with a guy, their doing the dances of the time, Ann is really getting down, its actually funny how the guy spins and kicks around her while their fast dancing. You have to see it. She switches from comedy to drama beautifully. Ann really takes your breath away in this movie right along with dashing George Murphy and Robert Sterling. Seeing Robert discover that he's blind will make tears come in your eyes. Beautiful Virigina O'Brien is always a delight. like Turner Classic Movies shows it from time to time. Try to catch it.