By Violet LeVoit
Swing Shift Maisie
Brief Synopsis
A brassy showgirl signs on to help the war effort as a factory worker.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Norman Z. Mcleod
Director
Ann Sothern
Maisie Ravier
James Craig
[Brian B.] "Breezy" McLaughlin
Jean Rogers
Iris Reed
Connie Gilchrist
Maw Lustvogel
John Qualen
Horatio Curley
Film Details
Also Known As
Swing It, Maisie
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1943
Premiere Information
New York opening: week of 9 Sep 1943
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Wilson Collison.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 27m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,757ft
(9 reels)
Synopsis
After learning that his boss at Los Angeles' Victory Aircraft has convinced the War Department to reject his flyer's commission, test pilot Brian B. "Breezy" McLaughlin makes an angry phone call while dining at the Propellor Club. Breezy's loud conversation annoys entertainer Maisie Ravier, who is onstage, trying to coax partner Horatio Curley's trained dogs to perform tricks. Breezy then drops his steak on the floor, prompting all of the dogs to abandon the stage. The hungry dogs fight over the meat, and chaos ensues. Later, Breezy, Horatio and Maisie appear before a judge, who rules that, as long as Breezy is willing to help Horatio get a job at Victory, all charges against them will be dropped. Although Horatio is excited about his new job, he expresses concern for Maisie, who joined his act back East in order to travel to California and become a defense plant worker. When Breezy insinuates that sexy Maisie is ill-suited to factory work, Maisie vows to prove him wrong. The next day, Maisie passes the factory's application test, but is in danger of losing her chance because she has no birth certificate. Anxious to help his former partner, Horatio signs an affidavit on her behalf, stating falsely that he has known Maisie since childhood. Maisie is hired for the plant's swing shift, and impressed by her determination, Breezy helps her secure a room at Maw Lustvogel's crowded boardinghouse. As part of her deal with Maw, Maisie agrees to take a roommate, and consequently, when she discovers her distraught neighbor, Iris Reed, apparently trying to kill herself, Maisie suggests that Iris move in with her. Iris, a failed actress, protests that she is broke, but Maisie assures her that she can find work at Victory. Maisie then begs Breezy to invite her new roommate along on their first date. Breezy at first refuses, but when he catches a glimpse of the attractive Iris, he changes his mind, and the threesome enjoy an evening of bowling together. The next morning, as Iris hunts for her own birth certificate, Maisie reveals how she tricked her way into her job. Iris is hired at the plant, but unlike Maisie, has trouble learning her assigned tasks. Seeing Iris exhausted, Maisie insists that she stay home instead of accompanying her on a date with Breezy. Breezy makes another date with Iris, then is forced to cancel his plans with Maisie because of work. By the end of their next date, Breezy and Iris have fallen in love and are engaged. Breezy then learns that his commission has come through and tells a stunned Maisie that he and Iris are marrying as soon as his training is over. Although Maisie wishes the couple well and promises to take care of Iris during Breezy's absence, she is heartbroken. Taking her vow to heart, Maisie enrolls Iris in every club at the plant, but is dismayed to discover that her roommate is a shameless flirt. Maisie is even forced to ask her acrobat friends, the German Schmitt Brothers, to tie up Iris "like a pretzel" to keep her from going out with a stranger. Later, Iris is fired for flaunting the plant's safety rules and causing an accident. Seeing an opportunity to rid herself of Maisie, Iris calls Breezy at his camp and asks that he wire her money, then makes a date with Judd Evans, a womanizing clerk. After a seemingly distressed Iris tells Maisie that, because she is broke, she is moving out, she leaves with Judd. Maisie finally deduces Iris' duplicity when Breezy calls the boardinghouse and reveals that he wired Iris one hundred dollars. Determined to prevent Iris from further hoodwinking Breezy, Maisie finds her at Judd's apartment and threatens to expose her infidelities unless she breaks her engagement to Breezy, who is planning to fly to Los Angeles the next morning on a one-day leave and marry Iris in Arizona. Although Iris agrees to Maisie's demands, the next morning she notifies the plant authorities about Maisie's application lie. While Maisie is taken in for questioning, Iris meets Breezy at the airport as planned and heads for Arizona with him. Unable to convince the investigators that she is not a saboteur, Maisie decides to implicate Iris and Breezy as her Nazi accomplices so that they will be stopped by the police. When the police tell a confused Breezy about Maisie's accusation, Breezy insists on returning to Los Angeles to help her. Iris' cold indifference to Maisie shocks Breezy, and he breaks their engagement. Once cleared of all charges, Maisie settles the score with Iris, who ends up with a trash can on her head. Despite Breezy's apologies and confession of love, Maisie refuses to marry him. Later, however, Maisie confesses to a group of pilots who have come to the boardinghouse that she is in love with another pilot and is delighted when Breezy pops up to embrace her.
Director
Norman Z. Mcleod
Director
Cast
Ann Sothern
Maisie Ravier
James Craig
[Brian B.] "Breezy" McLaughlin
Jean Rogers
Iris Reed
Connie Gilchrist
Maw Lustvogel
John Qualen
Horatio Curley
Kay Medford
Ann [Wilson]
The Wiere Brothers
The Schmitt Brothers
Jacqueline White
Grace
Betty Jaynes
Ruth
Fred Brady
Judd Evans
Marta Linden
Emmy Lou Grogan
Celia Travers
Helen Johnson
Donald Curtis
Joe Peterson
Pierre Watkin
Judge
Lillian Yarbo
Myrtlee
Pamela Blake
Billie
Katharine Booth
Louise
Jimmy Conlin
Man at meeting
Happy Felton
Nightclub M.C.
Arthur Space
Lecturer
Addison Richards
Detective
Douglas Fowley
Detective
Byron Shores
Detective
Jim Davis
Detective
Alex Papana
Waiter
Kay Deslys
Lady customer
Robert E. O'connor
Proprietor
Mark Daniels
Clerk
John Hodiak
Clerk
Lee Phelps
Plant policeman
Harry Strang
Plant policeman
Syd Saylor
Checker
Joe Yule
Clarence, ice cream vendor
Billy Bletcher
Workman
Eddy Chandler
Inspector
Russell Gleason
Inspector
David Alison
Handsome hunk
George Chandler
Fred
Rose Hobart
Lead woman
Jack Gardner
Guard
Edward Hearn
Guard
Jack Mulhall
Doctor
Margaret Adden
Elevator girl
Edgar Dearing
Radio officer
James Flavin
Radio officer
Don Taylor
Flyer
James Warren
Flyer
Myron Healey
Flyer
William Bishop
Flyer
Ernie Alexander
Dopey caller
Billy Wayne
Woo-woo man
Patsy O'byrne
Worker
Mae Roberts
Western Union girl
Dick Winslow
Flyer lieutenant
Jon Conly
Flyer lieutenant
Art Belasco
Fat man in café
Margaret Murphy
Woman in café
Roger Moore
Phil Dunham
Crew
Glen Barner
Associate (Sets)
Howard Campbell
Associate (Art Direction)
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
George Haight
Producer
Robert Halff
Original Screenplay
Lennie Hayton
Music Score
Lennie Hayton
Composer
Irene
Costume Supervisor
Mary Mccall Jr.
Original Screenplay
Mary C. Mccall Jr.
Composer
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
Harry Stradling
Director of Photography
Elmo Veron
Film Editor
Jocelyn Wiere
Acrobatic double for Jean Rogers
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Dolph Zimmer
Assistant Director
Film Details
Also Known As
Swing It, Maisie
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1943
Premiere Information
New York opening: week of 9 Sep 1943
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Wilson Collison.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 27m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,757ft
(9 reels)
Articles
Swing Shift Maisie
By 1943, Ann Sothern was starting to tire of Maisie, the Brooklyn bombshell whose gum-cracking, back-talking hijinks landed her in one sassy situation after another. After all, Sothern was a capable actress whose real talent gave depth and resonance to dramatic roles in pictures like Cry 'Havoc' (1943) where she played an army nurse. But Louis B. Mayer knew that crowds loved Maisie, and audiences eager to see her would always balance the books for MGM's flops. So Sothern gamely buckled down for this, the seventh Maisie movie, where Maisie helps the war effort by getting hired at an airplane factory, only to get mixed up in a love triangle between pilot Brian "Breezy" McLaughlin (James Craig) and his man-crazy fiancee Iris (Jean Rogers). Nothing new, but to Sothern's credit, Maisie is as fresh -- and fresh-mouthed -- in this film as ever.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
Swing Shift Maisie
By 1943, Ann Sothern was starting to tire of Maisie, the Brooklyn bombshell whose gum-cracking, back-talking hijinks landed her in one sassy situation after another. After all, Sothern was a capable actress whose real talent gave depth and resonance to dramatic roles in pictures like Cry 'Havoc' (1943) where she played an army nurse. But Louis B. Mayer knew that crowds loved Maisie, and audiences eager to see her would always balance the books for MGM's flops. So Sothern gamely buckled down for this, the seventh Maisie movie, where Maisie helps the war effort by getting hired at an airplane factory, only to get mixed up in a love triangle between pilot Brian "Breezy" McLaughlin (James Craig) and his man-crazy fiancee Iris (Jean Rogers). Nothing new, but to Sothern's credit, Maisie is as fresh -- and fresh-mouthed -- in this film as ever.
By Violet LeVoit
TCM Remembers - Ann Sothern
TCM Remembers - Ann Sothern
Actress Ann Sothern passed away on March 15th at the age of 89. Her film career spanned sixty years and included a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Whales of August (1987) and several Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV shows Private Secretary (1953) and The Ann Sothern Show (1958). Sothern was born as Harriette Lake in North Dakota. She made her first film appearance in 1927 in small roles (so small, in fact, that some sources omit any films before 1929) before deciding to work on Broadway instead. Shortly afterwards she signed with Columbia Pictures where studio head Harry Cohn insisted she change her name because there were already too many actors with the last name of Lake. So "Ann" came from her mother's name Annette and "Sothern" from Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. For most of the 1930s she appeared in light comedies working with Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, Mickey Rooney and Fredric March. However, it wasn't until she switched to MGM (after a brief period with RKO) and made the film Maisie (1939) that Sothern hit pay dirt. It proved enormously popular and led to a series of nine more films through 1947 when she moved into dramas and musicals. During the 50s, Sothern made a mark with her TV series but returned to mostly second tier movies in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in 1987's The Whales of August (in which, incidentally, her daughter Tisha Sterling played her at an earlier age). Turner Classic Movies plans to host a retrospective film tribute to her in July. Check back for details in June.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Swing It, Maisie. According to October 1942 Hollywood Reporter news items, Jim Davis was originally cast in the role of "Breezy," but was replaced by James Craig in December 1942 and placed in a bit role. Monte Lee is listed in Hollywood Reporter as a cast member, but his appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. For more information on the "Maisie" series, consult the Series Index and see entry for Maisie in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.2662.
