Congo Maisie (1940)

Loved the showgirl routine,  14 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Maisie finds herself stranded in an African jungle.  If that’s not bad enough, Maisie will have to use all her skills as a showgirl to deal with the local witchdoctors. 

Watching Congo Maisie can be a bit jarring at first as there is no continuity from Maisie, the first film in the series.  Well, actually there’s no continuity other than Ann Sothern in the title role. Here, she’s just as delightful, energetic, cute, and funny.  Maisie is a fantastic character and Sothern plays her perfectly. Sothern’s comedic time is in top form. In Congo Maisie she even gets a chance to do a bit of her showgirl routine.  The final scene where she does her song and dance number for the dazzled and confused natives is a real highlight. Funny stuff. The supporting cast is decent enough, but no one really stood out.  As with Maisie, Congo Maisie moves at a relatively good pace throughout most of the movie. The exception is when the film gets bogged down in its romance angle. Unfortunately, in Congo Maisie, it’s a poorly written love triangle (a love square might be more appropriate) that annoyed me more than anything.  Still, this bit couldn’t ruin the overall film. Congo Maisie is a winner. 

7/10