MAISIE GOES TO RENO
US, 1944, 90 minutes. Black and white.
Ann Sothern, John Hodiak, Tom Drake, Marta Linden, Paul Cavanagh, Ava Gardner, Roland Dupree.
Directed by Harry Beaumont.
Maisie Goes to Reno is the seventh film in a series of lightweight comedies starring Ann Sothern as the forthright Maisie. She had become a riveter working for the war effort in a previous film and is seen here in this role at the beginning of this one. However, her nerves are frayed and she is given a two-weeks paid vacation and goes to Reno with a friend, a bandleader, to sing in a hotel. However, she encounters a GI and promises to take a letter to his estranged wife. The wife (Ava Gardner in a very early role) is being held by her secretary and associate, Marta Linden and Paul Cavanagh. They plan to get her money after a quick Reno divorce.
Maisie interferes and finds out the plan, gets up to all kinds of high jinks to thwart it. The card dealer at the casino (John Hodiak) is attracted to her but thinks she is suffering mental stress.
The material is popular, an entertainment for audiences during the war years, with the spirit of patriotism. It is a lightweight, pleasant comedy.
1. The popularity of the Maisie series? The 1930s and 40s? The war effort? Ann Sothern and her personality as Maisie?
2. MGM production values, black and white photography, the Reno settings? The hotel? The city of Reno? The musical score? The song, Panhandle Pete and Ann Sothern’s performance?
3. Maisie, her wink, her nerves, her interaction with her partner at the riveting? The doctor, her being given the pass? People happy in sending her off? The bandleader and his friendship? Trying to get a ticket to Reno, the elderly woman with her advice, buying the ticket? Bill Fullerton and his wanting the ticket, his sad story, Maisie being persuaded? His being called back to base? Her going to Reno? Singing in the casino? The encounter with Flip, his attentions, her reactions? Trying to find Mrs Fullerton? Flip taking her, the encounter with Win posing as Mrs Fullerton? With Roger Pelham? The car’s breakdown? Her overhearing the telephone call from Clave? Her suspicions? Meeting Gloria Fullerton? Her getting the bellboy to help? His infatuation with her? Coming on to Clave, getting evidence from the blotter? Flip and his interventions? Her suspicions of him? Finally confronted with the criminals? Their burning the blotter? Her decision to intervene, pretending she was an FBI agent, the bellboy helping? The abduction of Win, of Gloria? Flip and his getting the psychiatrist? Arrested by the police, her fainting, her going to the hotel? Getting the women? Escaping and getting to the courthouse in time? Meeting Bill (and the various phone calls)? The happy ending?
4. Flip, at the casino, his being wounded in the war? Attracted to Maisie? Driving her to the ranch? Puzzled by her behaviour? Jealous, thinking she was mad? The intervention in the court? The happy ending?
5. Bill Fullerton, his marriage, the explanation of his wife being wealthy, his playing football? His code word for Maisie? Getting the ticket, being called back to base? The phone calls, his anxiety? Maisie suspicious of him and his wanting money? Finding out the truth? Urging him to do the impossible? The reconciliation with Gloria? Gloria, young, at the mercy of Win and Roger?
6. Win and Roger, their posing as Mrs Fullerton? The forging of the letter? The contact with Clave? The confrontation of Maisie? Their declarations that she was mad? The arrest?
7. The incidental characters, the bellboy and his infatuation with Maisie, reprimanding her? Tommy the bandleader and his consideration? Parsons and his firing Maisie? Running the hotel?
8. Popular ingredients for an American comedy?
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MAISIE GOES TO RENO
US, 1944, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Ann Sothern, John Hodiak, Tom Drake, Ava Gardner, Marta Linden, Paul Cavanaugh.
Directed by Harry Beaumont.
In this contribution to the series, Maisie is helping with the war effort, a riveter in the factory, with memories of the symbolic Rosie the Riveter. However, it is taking a toll on her energy and she gets a nervous tic, involuntarily winking. She clashes with her workmates, is eventually given time off and a bandleader friend engages her to go to Reno to sing with the band and to have a rest.
When she tries to get a train to Reno, there is no availability for three weeks but she is able to get a ticket from a severe woman who warns her about divorce - and who has submitted to her husband. But there is a young soldier, Tom Drake, who wants to get to Reno to stop his wife, Ava Gardner, from divorcing him. And Maisie has sympathy, and gives him her ticket, but he is called up for active service – but not before giving Maisie a letter for his wife.
Maisie is successful in Reno, singing at the club. She attracts the attention of one of the croupiers at the gambling tables, played by John Hodiak.
She makes a great fuss about getting the note to the soldier’s wife, Hodiak driving her despite the limitations with petrol. She think she has given the letter to the wife but, in fact, she has given it to a companion who with her crony, swindling the wife to get her fortune.
There were a lot of complications in the hotel, John Hodiak thinking there is something psychologically wrong with Maisie and wanting her to see a psychologist. There is flirtatious bellboy who gives information about the wife enabling her to confront the swindlers as well as their associate who has a room in a hotel – and which both John Hodiak and the bellboy misjudge in terms of Maisie’s behaviour.
It all becomes a bit frantic at the end, the denunciations about Maisie’s mental health, her appeal to the judge, her trying to trap the swindlers, trying to persuade the wife that she is telling the truth, phone calls to the husband, his last-minute arrival, the attempt to abduct the wife and prevent the divorce. Needless to say, it all works out at the end.
Ann Sothern is always entertaining as Maisie. And Ava Gardner, in a very early role, gives promise of the success that she would become.
