Ann Sothern
Acting
Born January 22, 1909, Valley City, North Dakota, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920s in bit parts in films. In 1930, she made her Broadway stage debut and soon worked her way up to starring roles. In 1939, MGM cast her as Maisie Ravier, a brash yet lovable Brooklyn showgirl. The character, based on the Maisie short stories by Nell Martin, proved to be popular and spawned a successful film series (Congo Maisie, Gold Rush Maisie, Up Goes Maisie, etc.) and a network radio series (The Adventures of Maisie). In 1953, Sothern moved into television as the star of her own sitcom Private Secretary. The series aired for five seasons on CBS and earned Sothern three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In 1958, she starred in another sitcom for CBS, The Ann Sothern Show, which aired for three seasons. From 1965 to 1966, Sothern provided the voice of Gladys Crabtree, the title character in the sitcom My Mother the Car. She continued her career throughout the late 1960s with stage and film appearances and guest-starring roles on television. Due to health issues, she worked sporadically during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1987, Sothern appeared in her final film The Whales of August, starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish. Sothern earned her first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. After filming concluded, she retired to Ketchum, Idaho, where she spent her remaining years before her death from heart failure in March 2001. Lucille Ball called Sothern "the best comedian in the business, bar none."
Filmography
- 1994That's Entertainment! III — (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1987The Whales of August — Tisha Doughty
- 1985A Letter to Three Wives — Ma Finney
- 1980The Little Dragons — Angel
- Flying High — Miss Kirkeby
- 1978The Manitou — Mrs. Karmann
- Captains and the Kings — Mrs. Finch
- 1976That's Entertainment, Part II — (archive footage)
- 1975Crazy Mama — Sheba
- Medical Story — Mrs. Metulski
- 1974Golden Needles — Finzie
- 1974The Killing Kind — Thelma Lambert
- 1972Fol-de-Rol — Queen Gertrude
- 1972The Great Man's Whiskers — Aunt Margaret Bancroft
- 1972The Weekend Nun — Mother Bonaventure
- 1971A Death of Innocence — Annie La Cossit
- Alias Smith and Jones
- 1971Congratulations, It's a Boy! — Ethel Gaines
- The Chicago Teddy Bears
- Love, American Style — Mrs. Devlin
- 1969The Greatest Mother of 'em All — Dolly Murdock
- 1968Chubasco — Angela
- 1967The Outsider — Mrs. Kozzek
- Family Affair
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. — Aunt Magda
- My Mother the Car — Gladys Crabtree
- 1965Sylvia — Mrs. Argona / Grace Argona
- The Legend of Jesse James — Widow Fay
- 1964Lady in a Cage — Sade
- 1964The Best Man — Sue Ellen Gamadge
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour — Helen Cox
- The Lucy Show — Rosie Harrigan
- The Virginian — Della Spencer
- The DuPont Show with June Allyson — Martha
- The Ann Sothern Show — Katy O'Connor
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
- The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour — Susie MacNamara
- MGM Parade
- 1954Lady in the Dark — Liza
- Private Secretary — Susie McNamara
- 1953The Blue Gardenia — Crystal Carpenter
- The Ford Television Theatre — Christine Emerson
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars — Liz Quiz
- 1950Nancy Goes to Rio — Frances Elliott
- 1950Shadow on the Wall — Dell Faring
- 1949A Letter to Three Wives — Rita Phipps
- 1948April Showers — June Tyme
- 1948Words and Music — Joyce Harmon
- 1947The Judge Steps Out — Peggy
- 1947Undercover Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1946Up Goes Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1944Maisie Goes to Reno — Maisie Ravier
- 1944Twenty Years After — (archive footage)
- 1943Cry 'Havoc' — Pat
- 1943Swing Shift Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1943Thousands Cheer — Ann Sothern
- 1943Three Hearts for Julia — Julia Seabrook
- 1943You, John Jones! — Mary Jones
- 1942Maisie Gets Her Man — Maisie Ravier
- 1942Panama Hattie — Hattie Maloney
- 1941Lady Be Good — Dixie Donegan Crane
- 1941Maisie Was a Lady — Maisie Ravier
- 1941Ringside Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1940Brother Orchid — Florence 'Flo' Addams
- 1940Congo Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1940Dulcy — Dulcy Ward
- 1940Gold Rush Maisie — Maisie Ravier
- 1939Fast and Furious — Garda Sloane
- 1939Hotel for Women — Ellen Connelly
- 1939Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President — Ethel Turp
- 1939Maisie — Maisie Ravier / Mary Anastasia O'Connor
- 1938Trade Winds — Jean Livingstone
- 1937Danger – Love at Work — Antoinette "Toni" Pemberton
- 1937Dangerous Number — Eleanor
- 1937Fifty Roads to Town — Millicent Kendall
- 1937She's Got Everything — Carol Rogers
- 1937Super-Sleuth — Mary Strand
- 1937There Goes My Girl — Connie Taylor
- 1937There Goes the Groom — Bettina Louise "Betty" Russell
- 1936Don't Gamble with Love — Ann Edwards
- 1936Hell-Ship Morgan — Mary Taylor
- 1936My American Wife — Mary Cantillon
- 1936Smartest Girl in Town — Frances Cooke
- 1936Walking on Air — Kit Bennett
- 1936You May Be Next! — Fay Stevens
- 1935Eight Bells — Marge Walker
- 1935Folies Bergère de Paris — Mimi
- 1935Grand Exit — Adrienne Martin / Adeline Maxwell
- 1935Hooray for Love — Patricia Thatcher
- 1935The Girl Friend — Linda Henry
- 1934Blind Date — Kitty Taylor
- 1934Kid Millions — Joan Larrabee
- 1934Melody in Spring — Jane Blodgett
- 1934The Hell Cat — Geraldine Sloane
- 1934The Party's Over — Ruth Walker
- 1933Broadway Thru a Keyhole — Singer
- 1933Let's Fall in Love — Jean
- 1930Good News — Student
- 1930Madam Satan — Zeppelin Reveler (uncredited)
- 1930Song of the West — Bit Part
- 1930The March of Time — Chorus Girl (uncredited)
- 1930Whoopee! — Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
- 1929The Show of Shows — Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers (as Harriet Lake)
- 1927Broadway Nights — Showgirl (uncredited)
Appearances as themselves (8)
- The Match Game — Herself
- The Merv Griffin Show — Self
- The Steve Allen Show — Self - Guest
- Letter to Loretta — Self - Guest Host
- What's My Line? — Self
- 1940A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound — Self
- 1940Hollywood: Style Center of the World — Self
- 1937Ali Baba Goes to Town — Herself