Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio show ''The Adventures of Maisie'' (broadcast 1945–1947, 1949–1953). She was played by actress Ann Sothern (1909–2001). Eight of the ten Maisie films were written by Mary C. McCall Jr. Unusually, there was no continuity from one picture to the next. For example, the first film ends with her marrying the leading man and inheriting a ranch, but in the next one she is single and footloose again. The concept for the ''Maisie'' series came from the story ''Dark Dame'' by Wilson Collison. Sothern said in an interview that the series was originally planned with Jean Harlow as the star. After a string of other films failed to attract audiences, Sothern left RKO Radio Pictures and signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, making her first film for MGM in 1939. She was cast in ''Maisie (film), Maisie'' as Mary Anastasia O'Connor, a brassy but kindhearted Brooklyn burlesque dancer who went by the stage name of Maisie Ravier. ''Maisie'' brought Sothern her first real success. A string of sequels followed, beginning with ''Congo Maisie'' (1940) and continuing until ''Undercover Maisie'' (1947). Reviewing ''Swing Shift Maisie'' (1943), ''Time (magazine), Time'' praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business"."The New Pictures"
. ''Time''. October 18, 1943.

Filmography

* ''Maisie (film), Maisie'' (1939) * ''Congo Maisie'' (1940) * ''Gold Rush Maisie'' (1940) * ''Maisie Was a Lady'' (1941) * ''Ringside Maisie'' (1941) * ''Maisie Gets Her Man'' (1942) * ''Swing Shift Maisie'' (1943) * ''Maisie Goes to Reno'' (1944) * ''Up Goes Maisie'' (1946) * ''Undercover Maisie'' (1947)

Radio

On November 24, 1941, Sothern appeared in the ''Lux Radio Theater'' adaptation of ''Maisie Was a Lady'', and the popularity of the film series led to her own radio program, ''The Adventures of Maisie'', broadcast on CBS Radio from 1945 to 1947, on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1952, and in syndication from 1949 to 1953.

References

Film serial characters American film series Female characters in film Female characters in radio Film characters introduced in 1939 Radio characters introduced in 1941 {{film-char-stub