By the humble standards of the "Maisie" series, Swing Shift Maisie is a well-produced and fairly entertaining offering. I mean, just look at that support cast. Any movie with Jean Rogers can't be all that bad. Here she plays the vamp to perfection, easily outshining aggressive scenery-chewer Ann Sothern.
In fact, Jean Rogers is such a lovely girl, photographer Harry Stradling can't help but present her most attractively, even though she's supposed to be the villain of the piece.
Craig is okay as the self-centered hero, but the support cast is so chock-a-block with all our favorite cameo actors, "Swing Shift Maisie" is worth seeing just for this feature alone — though I didn't spot John Hodiak! What a pity Fred Brady didn't have the Craig role — and Mr. Craig his!
Norman Z. McLeod has directed with reasonable if somewhat too obvious competence, allowing Miss Sothern too much rein to over-act and staging at least two key scenes with incorrect emphases. The "cute meet" between Craig and Sothern seems far too contrived. Even as boorishly self-centered a hero as "Breezy" would surely choose a phone less public than one practically right next to the stage. On the other hand, the meeting of heroine and "other girl" is under- played, with absolutely no indication of her true nature at all.
In fact, Jean Rogers is such a lovely girl, photographer Harry Stradling can't help but present her most attractively, even though she's supposed to be the villain of the piece.
Craig is okay as the self-centered hero, but the support cast is so chock-a-block with all our favorite cameo actors, "Swing Shift Maisie" is worth seeing just for this feature alone — though I didn't spot John Hodiak! What a pity Fred Brady didn't have the Craig role — and Mr. Craig his!
Norman Z. McLeod has directed with reasonable if somewhat too obvious competence, allowing Miss Sothern too much rein to over-act and staging at least two key scenes with incorrect emphases. The "cute meet" between Craig and Sothern seems far too contrived. Even as boorishly self-centered a hero as "Breezy" would surely choose a phone less public than one practically right next to the stage. On the other hand, the meeting of heroine and "other girl" is under- played, with absolutely no indication of her true nature at all.