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Post by lydecker on Nov 20, 2024 16:17:35 GMT
Ok. So, it's Maisie Day. Anybody else find it ridiculous that at the end of every film, Maisie is not just involved with a new guy but 2 steps away from marrying the guy?
Let me see . . .it was Robert Young in the first one, John Carroll in the second one, Lew Ayres in the fourth one, etc. etc. etc. etc. I know, I know: "It's just a movie" but you didn't find Jim Kildare ending up with a new woman (in a serious way) after every film. Didn't the audiences have a problem with this?
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Post by topbilled on Nov 20, 2024 22:32:07 GMT
Ok. So, it's Maisie Day. Anybody else find it ridiculous that at the end of every film, Maisie is not just involved with a new guy but 2 steps away from marrying the guy? Let me see . . .it was Robert Young in the first one, John Carroll in the second one, Lew Ayres in the fourth one, etc. etc. etc. etc. I know, I know: "It's just a movie" but you didn't find Jim Kildare ending up with a new woman (in a serious way) after every film. Didn't the audiences have a problem with this?
Second, if we are to take it literally, then it means she can't ever fully commit. So if she can't settle down, she has to hit the road and try again somewhere else. |
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Post by kims on Nov 21, 2024 1:44:14 GMT
Maisie certainly was a free spirit and I was a bit confused seeing her with another man when I thought she would marry the man from a previous film. With some of the nonsense the Code enforced, I'm surprised at some point someone did not insist she be turned into a "good" wife and mother.
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Post by lydecker on Nov 21, 2024 1:47:42 GMT
Maybe it was the time but it makes no sense to me that this character ended almost every film ready to marry whatever male character was playing opposite her and then on the next film she was single again. It was so unnecessary to have almost every film end with a "Happily Ever After for Maisie" which then was meaningless (and never addressed) on the next film. Did MGM think she had to be on the verge of matrimony at the end of every film?? Got to think it seemed ridiculous, even back then.
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Post by cmovieviewer on Nov 21, 2024 2:40:11 GMT
It's the Maisie Multiverse! Each Maisie story is from a different parallel universe, so Maisie is free to start a new romance in each film!  |
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Post by gerald424 on Nov 22, 2024 2:15:33 GMT
Ok. So, it's Maisie Day. Anybody else find it ridiculous that at the end of every film, Maisie is not just involved with a new guy but 2 steps away from marrying the guy? Let me see . . .it was Robert Young in the first one, John Carroll in the second one, Lew Ayres in the fourth one, etc. etc. etc. etc. I know, I know: "It's just a movie" but you didn't find Jim Kildare ending up with a new woman (in a serious way) after every film. Didn't the audiences have a problem with this? Then as well as now, A woman falling in love with many men has a different connotation than a man falling in love with many women.
Remember, the code was in full effect back then.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Nov 22, 2024 21:06:20 GMT
Ok. So, it's Maisie Day. Anybody else find it ridiculous that at the end of every film, Maisie is not just involved with a new guy but 2 steps away from marrying the guy? Let me see . . .it was Robert Young in the first one, John Carroll in the second one, Lew Ayres in the fourth one, etc. etc. etc. etc. I know, I know: "It's just a movie" but you didn't find Jim Kildare ending up with a new woman (in a serious way) after every film. Didn't the audiences have a problem with this? Then as well as now, A woman falling in love with many men has a different connotation than a man falling in love with many women.
Remember, the code was in full effect back then.
Not sure I'm following the point you're making here. Yes, there is a different connotation, but that just is more "evidence" to support Lydecker's point related to audience accept of the many men. I believe in most other similar serials the gal doesn't get a new guy each film. E.g. Torchy Blane with Glenda Farrell and her steady boyfriend Barton MacLane. Now one reason to do have a different male lead each film is because the lead actress doesn't have enough box-office clout to carry the serial. But that wasn't the case with Ann Sothern as Maisie. I assume Maisie was marketed as a "B" picture, but maybe in some markets MGM showed the film as an "A" picture and thus wanted more high-profile male leads. |
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Post by topbilled on Nov 22, 2024 22:29:45 GMT
MGM used its B series to promote their newest contract players, before putting them into 'A' films.
This is why in addition to Ann Rutherford's character, Andy Hardy has various other girlfriends...it was so the studio could feature starlets like Lana Turner, Donna Reed and Ava Gardner in key supporting roles. These gals gained much-needed exposure in a hit series, and began to develop a fan base before moving to bigger productions.
The Dr. Kildare/Gillespie films and the Maisie films also had a revolving door of young talent in supporting roles. With the Maisie formula, they could keep bringing in different leading men to groom them for stardom and more prestigious motion pictures.
As for Ann Sothern, they would occasionally put her into an 'A' film like LADY BE GOOD, CRY HAVOC or SHADOW ON THE WALL so she didn't get typecast as a B heroine.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Nov 23, 2024 1:33:30 GMT
MGM used its B series to promote their newest contract players, before putting them into 'A' films.
This is why in addition to Ann Rutherford's character, Andy Hardy has various other girlfriends...it was so the studio could feature starlets like Lana Turner, Donna Reed and Ava Gardner in key supporting roles. These gals gained much-needed exposure in a hit series, and began to develop a fan base before moving to bigger productions.
The Dr. Kildare/Gillespie films and the Maisie films also had a revolving door of young talent in supporting roles. With the Maisie formula, they could keep bringing in different leading men to groom them for stardom and more prestigious motion pictures.
As for Ann Sothern, they would occasionally put her into an 'A' film like LADY BE GOOD, CRY HAVOC or SHADOW ON THE WALL so she didn't get typecast as a B heroine. Solid point about MGM and their male staring serials with regards to promoting young starlets. I noticed that today with the Between Two Woman, part of the Dr. Kildare serial (but with no Dr. Kildare since Lew Ayles was drafted), and the casting of Gloria DeHaven. But with the Maisie serial, each of Maisie's love interest was an established actor. Ok, not leading man material, per se (expect for the first one with Robert Young), but still not young new to the industry, talent. I assume that has to do with the fact that, traditionally, the male is older than the female. But I did notice that there was always a younger, very fit and attractive actor in each film. (often playing a guy that was beholden to Maisie's love interest, who was a manager, or promoter etc. of the young man). Thus, one could say MGM was promoting young talent, but that talent couldn't be Maisie's love interest due to the age difference. (Sothern was 28 when the first Maisie was released). |
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Post by topbilled on Nov 23, 2024 1:39:20 GMT
MGM used its B series to promote their newest contract players, before putting them into 'A' films.
This is why in addition to Ann Rutherford's character, Andy Hardy has various other girlfriends...it was so the studio could feature starlets like Lana Turner, Donna Reed and Ava Gardner in key supporting roles. These gals gained much-needed exposure in a hit series, and began to develop a fan base before moving to bigger productions.
The Dr. Kildare/Gillespie films and the Maisie films also had a revolving door of young talent in supporting roles. With the Maisie formula, they could keep bringing in different leading men to groom them for stardom and more prestigious motion pictures.
As for Ann Sothern, they would occasionally put her into an 'A' film like LADY BE GOOD, CRY HAVOC or SHADOW ON THE WALL so she didn't get typecast as a B heroine. Solid point about MGM and their male staring serials with regards to promoting young starlets. I noticed that today with the Between Two Woman, part of the Dr. Kildare serial (but with no Dr. Kildare since Lew Ayles was drafted), and the casting of Gloria DeHaven. But with the Maisie serial, each of Maisie's love interest was an established actor. Ok, not leading man material, per se (expect for the first one with Robert Young), but still not young new to the industry, talent. I assume that has to do with the fact that, traditionally, the male is older than the female. But I did notice that there was always a younger, very fit and attractive actor in each film. (often playing a guy that was beholden to Maisie's love interest, who was a manager, or promoter etc. of the young man). Thus, one could say MGM was promoting young talent, but that talent couldn't be Maisie's love interest due to the age difference. (Sothern was 28 when the first Maisie was released). |
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Nov 23, 2024 17:03:23 GMT
Solid point about MGM and their male staring serials with regards to promoting young starlets. I noticed that today with the Between Two Woman, part of the Dr. Kildare serial (but with no Dr. Kildare since Lew Ayles was drafted), and the casting of Gloria DeHaven. But with the Maisie serial, each of Maisie's love interest was an established actor. Ok, not leading man material, per se (expect for the first one with Robert Young), but still not young new to the industry, talent. I assume that has to do with the fact that, traditionally, the male is older than the female. But I did notice that there was always a younger, very fit and attractive actor in each film. (often playing a guy that was beholden to Maisie's love interest, who was a manager, or promoter etc. of the young man). Thus, one could say MGM was promoting young talent, but that talent couldn't be Maisie's love interest due to the age difference. (Sothern was 28 when the first Maisie was released). Wow, I didn't know that. It kind of puts icing on the point I was making. |
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