Watch Maisie Was a Lady

Maisie Was a Lady is a 1941 American comedy-drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Ann Sothern, Lew Ayres, and Maureen O'Sullivan. It is the third installment in the Maisie series, which follows the adventures of Maisie Ravier, a wisecracking and independent woman who finds herself in various comedic and dramatic situations.

In this film, Maisie gets a job as a secretary at a ritzy hotel in New York City, where she quickly makes friends with the staff and guests. She also catches the eye of Bob Rawlston, a charming and wealthy guest who is engaged to a society woman named Lucille Watson. Despite their mutual attraction, Maisie knows that she cannot pursue a relationship with Bob, as she is from a working-class background and he is from a privileged one.

Meanwhile, Maisie becomes involved in the personal lives of several of the hotel's other guests. She helps a single mother named Jenny McCall get a job as a singer in the hotel's nightclub, and persuades her old friend Barney to reunite with his estranged wife Nellie. She also discovers that Lucille is cheating on Bob with a man named Tommy, but decides not to reveal this information to him out of loyalty to her employer.

As Maisie juggles her job and her relationships, she begins to question her own place in society. She starts to feel like she is pretending to be someone she's not in order to fit in with the hotel's upper-class clientele. However, when Bob's father, a wealthy businessman named J.W. Rawlston, offers her a job as his personal assistant, she sees it as an opportunity to improve her social status and prove to Bob that she is worthy of his love.

But when Maisie realizes that J.W. Rawlston is involved in shady business deals and is using her as a pawn in his schemes, she must decide whether to continue working for him or to follow her conscience and expose his wrongdoing. With the help of her friends and colleagues, she sets out to uncover the truth about Rawlston's activities and clear her own name.

Maisie Was a Lady is a charming and engaging film that showcases Ann Sothern's comedic and dramatic talents. Her portrayal of Maisie is both witty and sympathetic, and she brings a real warmth and humanity to the character. Lew Ayres is also excellent as Bob, conveying both his charm and his vulnerability. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Maureen O'Sullivan as Jenny and George Murphy as Barney, who add depth and humor to the story.

Overall, Maisie Was a Lady is a delightful film that explores themes of class, identity, and moral responsibility in a lighthearted and entertaining way. It offers a unique blend of comedy and drama that will appeal to fans of both genres, and it stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of Ann Sothern's Maisie character.

Maisie Was a Lady is a 1941 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 19 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7.