Ann Sothern | |
|---|---|
 Sothern in 1960 | |
| Born | Harriette Arlene Lake (1909-01-22)January 22, 1909 |
| Died | March 15, 2001(2001-03-15) (aged 92) Ketchum, Idaho, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ketchum Cemetery |
| Other names | Harriet Byron Harriet Lake |
| Education | MacPhail School |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1927–1987 |
| Political party | Republican[1] |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Tisha Sterling |
Ann Sothern (bornHarriette 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 asMaisie Ravier, a brash yet lovable Brooklyn showgirl. The character proved to be popular and spawned a successfulfilm 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 ownsitcom,Private Secretary. The series aired for five seasons onCBS and earned Sothern threePrimetime 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 sitcomMy 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, starringBette Davis andLillian Gish. Sothern earned her onlyOscar nomination, forBest Supporting Actress, for her role in the film. After filming concluded, she retired toKetchum, Idaho, where she spent her remaining years before her death fromheart failure in March 2001.Lucille Ball, alongside whom she appeared on Ball's programThe Lucy Show on multiple occasions, called Sothern "the best comedienne in the business, bar none."[2]
Sothern was born inValley City, North Dakota, the oldest of three daughters born to Walter J. Lake and Annette Yde. She had two younger sisters, Marion and Bonnie. Her maternal grandfather was Danish violinist Hans Nielsen.
Her mother was a concert singer, while Sothern's father worked in importing and exporting. Harriette and her sisters were raised inMinneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents separated when she was four years old (they would later divorce in 1927). At the age of five, she began taking piano lessons. She later studied atMcPhail School of Music, where her mother taught piano. She began accompanying her mother on her concert tours when her school schedule permitted.
By age 11, she had become an accomplished pianist and was singing solos in her church choir. At age 14, she began voice lessons and continued to study piano and music composition. As a teen atMinneapolis Central High School, she appeared in numerous stage productions and directed several shows.
During her high school years, she entered the annual state-sponsored contests for student musical composers and won three years in a row. In 1926, she graduated from high school.[3]
Her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a vocal coach forWarner Bros. studios. Sothern moved with her father toSeattle, where she attended theUniversity of Washington, dropping out after one year.[4][5]
While visiting her mother in California, she won a role in the Warner Bros. revueThe Show of Shows. She did a screen test for MGM and signed a six-month contract. She appeared in bit parts and walk-on roles, but soon grew frustrated with only appearing in small roles. She then metFlorenz Ziegfeld at a party. Ziegfeld offered her a role in one of his productions. When MGM decided not to pick up her option, she moved to New York City to take Ziegfeld up on his offer.[6]
On Broadway in 1931, she had leading roles inAmerica's Sweetheart andEverybody's Welcome.
In 1934, she signed a contract withColumbia Pictures.Harry Cohn changed her name to Ann Sothern. "Ann" was chosen in honor of her mother and "Sothern" was chosen for Shakespearean actorE. H. Sothern.[7] While at Columbia she mainly appeared inB-movie roles. After two years, the studio released her from her contract. In 1936, she was signed byRKO Radio Pictures and, after a string of films that failed to attract a large enough audience, she left RKO. She signed withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer shortly after leaving RKO.
After signing with MGM, Sothern was cast as brassyBrooklynburlesque dancer Mary Anastasia O'Connor, known professionally as Maisie Ravier, inMaisie (1939). MGM originally acquired theMaisie property forJean Harlow, but Harlow died in June 1937, before a final script was completed. (The Harlow inspiration remained; the second Maisie feature,Congo Maisie, was based on MGM'sRed Dust. Sothern approximated the Jean Harlow role oppositeJohn Carroll in theClark Gable role.)
After years of struggling and appearing in supporting parts Sothern found major success withMaisie. The film was profitable for MGM, as were the string ofMaisie comedy sequels that followed. Box office proceeds fromMaisie pictures financed MGM's more costly dramas. From 1939 to 1947, she appeared in 10Maisie films. A review ofSwing Shift Maisie (1943) byTime magazine praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business".[8] The popularity of the film series led to her own radio program,The Adventures of Maisie, broadcast onCBS from 1945 to 1947, onMutual Broadcasting System in 1952, and in syndication from 1949 to 1953. Due to her popularity from theMaisie films MGM headLouis B. Mayer paid $80,000 to purchase film rights to the Broadway production ofDuBarry Was a Lady especially for Sothern.[9] When Sothern rejected the revised script MGM decided to castLucille Ball (Sothern's best friend in real life).[10] Shortly after completing filming ofMaisie Gets Her Man in 1942 Sothern was cast in title role in the film version ofPanama Hattie (1942), oppositeRed Skelton.Panama Hattie had been a hit on Broadway withEthel Merman in the title role, but was plagued with production problems after MGM attempted to shoot the film version. After a disastrous preview in November 1941, MGM decided to delay release to retool the production. The film's original director was replaced, the script was rewritten, and several scenes were reshot.[11] While the film received mediocre to poor reviews, it was a smash box office hit with audiences.[12]
In 1943, she appeared in a seventh Maisie filmSwing Shift Maisie followed by a role in the war dramaCry 'Havoc'. The following year Sothern starred in the eighth Maisie film,Maisie Goes to Reno, before taking time off to have her first child. She returned to the screen in 1946 inUp Goes Maisie, followed by the final Maisie filmUndercover Maisie. Sothern appeared in two musical films in 1948,April Showers oppositeJack Carson andWords and Music starring an all-star cast of MGM actors, singers and dancers. In 1949, she appeared in theAcademy Award-winning filmA Letter to Three Wives for20th Century Fox. Sothern received excellent reviews for her performance but the acclaim failed to stimulate her career, which had begun to wane in the late 1940s. In 1949, Sothern contractedhepatitis, which she would battle for the next three years. After Sothern became ill, MGM canceled her contract.[13]
By the early 1950s, Sothern was appearing only in supporting roles, in such films as the film noir crime dramaThe Blue Gardenia (1953). In need of money due to her mounting medical bills she turned to television.[13] In 1953, she was cast as the lead in the seriesPrivate Secretary. Sothern portrayed Susan Camille "Susie" MacNamara, a secretary working forNew York City talent agent Peter Sands (Don Porter). The series aired onCBS on alternate weeks withThe Jack Benny Program.Private Secretary was a hit with audiences, routinely placing in the top 10, and Sothern was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for her role on the series three[14] times. In 1957,Private Secretary was renewed for a fifth season, but Sothern left the series after she had what she later described as a "violent fight" with producerJack Chertok over profits from the series.[7] Sothern owned 42% of the show and later sued Chertok for $93,000 in back profits from the series.[15][16]
She returned to television the following year inThe Ann Sothern Show. Sothern starred as Kathleen "Katy" O'Connor, the assistant manager at the fictitious Bartley House Hotel. The series originally co-starredErnest Truex as Katy's timid boss Jason Macauley, who was routinely outshone by Katy, and bullied by his domineering wife Flora (Reta Shaw).[17] Ratings for the series were weak, and after 23 episodes the show was retooled. Sothern's co-star fromPrivate Secretary, Don Porter, signed on as Katy's boss James Devery. The addition of Porter added romantic tension to the series and helped to improve ratings.[18] In 1959, the series won aGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. During the series' second season,Jesse White, who also starred inPrivate Secretary, joined the cast. Ratings for the series remained solid until CBS movedThe Ann Sothern Show to Thursdays for its third season. Scheduled opposite theABC seriesThe Untouchables, ratings dropped substantially andThe Ann Sothern Show was canceled in 1961.[19]
AfterThe Ann Sothern Show ended, she returned to films in the political dramaThe Best Man (1964), oppositeHenry Fonda andCliff Robertson. She was nominated for aBest Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her work in the film. That same year, she portrayed a prostitute in thepsychological thrillerLady in a Cage, starringOlivia de Havilland. In 1965, she had a recurring role on her friendLucille Ball'sThe Lucy Show as the "Countess Framboise" (née Rosie Harrigan). After Ball's long-time co-starVivian Vance announced plans to leave the show, the press speculated that Sothern would be Vance's replacement. Sothern denied the rumors and, ultimately, the series continued without Vance or Sothern.[20]
In 1965, Sothern co-starred in the TV comedy seriesMy Mother the Car, oppositeJerry Van Dyke. Van Dyke played a struggling lawyer and family man who discovers a dilapidated, vintage 1928 automobile in a used-car lot. The antique auto speaks to him — in Ann Sothern's voice. It seems the car is the reincarnation of Van Dyke's mother. Van Dyke restores the car to its original condition and takes it home, where it bemuses his family and becomes the envy of a zealous collector. Sothern was never seen in the series; only her voice was heard, reacting tartly to zany happenings around her.
She continued the rest of the 1960s working in guest roles in television and the occasional film role. In anAlfred Hitchcock Hour episode, entitled "Water's Edge", Sothern turned in a most impressive performance. In 1972, Sothern appeared in theSid and Marty Krofft television specialFol-de-Rol. The next year, she played the domineering mother of a homicidal son inpsychological horror filmThe Killing Kind. In 1974, she traveled toHong Kong to shoot the martial arts filmGolden Needles. She played the role of Fenzie, amahjong parlor owner.[21] Sothern's next role was in the 1975action comedy filmCrazy Mama starringCloris Leachman. For the rest of the decade, health problems forced her to cut back on her career. She worked sporadically in television and in stage productions,[22] including a small role in the horror filmThe Manitou withTony Curtis (1978).
Sothern returned to television in 1985 in the role of "Ma Finney" in an adaptation of one of her old films,A Letter to Three Wives. Sothern's final film wasThe Whales of August in 1987. Her role as the neighbor of elderly sisters, played byLillian Gish andBette Davis, earned her the onlyBest Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination of her career.[23] After filming, Sothern retired from acting and moved toKetchum, Idaho, where she spent her remaining years.
Over the course of her career, Sothern also managed several businesses and production companies. In the 1950s, she opened the Ann Sothern Sewing Center inSun Valley, Idaho, which sold fabric, patterns, and sewing machines. She also owned a cattle ranch in Idaho named the A Bar S Cattle Company. Sothern owned Vincent Productions, Inc. (named for Sothern's patron saintVincent de Paul) which produced her first seriesPrivate Secretary, and Anso Productions which producedThe Ann Sothern Show.[15][24]
In addition to acting, Sothern pursued a musical career. During her hiatus fromPrivate Secretary in 1954, she starred in her own nightclub act featured in clubs inReno,Las Vegas, andChicago. In the late 1950s, she formed the A Bar S Music Company and releasedSothern Exposure, her first album in 1958.[25]
Sothern married actor and band leaderRoger Pryor in September 1936.[26] They separated in September 1941 and Sothern filed for divorce in April 1942, charging Pryor with mental cruelty.[27] Their divorce became final in May 1943. Less than a week after her divorce from Pryor she married actorRobert Sterling.[28] The couple had one daughter,Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling, before divorcing in March 1949.[29]
Shortly after filmingA Letter to Three Wives Sothern contracted infectioushepatitis after getting an impure serum shot while she was in England for a stage performance. She was confined to her bed where she continued to work on theMaisie radio program while she recuperated. Sothern later said that her illness had restored her faith. With the help of friendRichard Egan she converted toRoman Catholicism in 1952.[30]
In 1974 Sothern was injured while appearing in aJacksonville,Florida, stock production ofEverybody Loves Opal when a prop tree fell on her back. The accident left her with a fractured lumbar vertebra and damaged nerves in her legs.[31][32] Her injuries required hospitalizations where she was put intraction. She was also required to wear back braces. Due to her forced inactivity Sothern gained a considerable amount of weight. In addition to her physical pain Sothern also developeddepression. Sothern credited her "optimistic belief" and Roman Catholic faith for getting her through.[22][31] For the remainder of her life Sothern experienced numbness in her feet and required a cane to walk.[31]
On March 15, 2001, Sothern died fromheart failure at her home in Ketchum at the age of 92.[32] She was buried in Ketchum Cemetery.[33]
Sothern has two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame: for motion pictures, found at 1612Vine Street; and television, at 1634 Vine Street.[34]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Broadway Nights | Fan dancer | Uncredited |
| 1929 | The Show of Shows | Performer ("Meet My Sister" & "Daisy Bell") | Credited as Harriet Byron |
| 1930 | The March of Time | Chorus Girl | Uncredited |
| 1930 | Song of the West | Bit part | Credited as Harriet Lake |
| 1930 | Good News | Student | Uncredited |
| 1930 | Doughboys | Chorine | Uncredited |
| 1930 | Whoopee! | Goldwyn Girl | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Footlight Parade | Chorus Girl | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Broadway Through a Keyhole | Chorine | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Let's Fall in Love | Jean Kendall | |
| 1934 | Melody in Spring | Jane Blodgett | |
| 1934 | The Hell Cat | Geraldine Sloane | |
| 1934 | Blind Date | Kitty Taylor | |
| 1934 | The Party's Over | Lucky Dubarry | |
| 1934 | Kid Millions | Joan Larrabee | |
| 1935 | Folies Bergère de Paris | Mimi | |
| 1935 | Eight Bells | Marge Walker | |
| 1935 | Hooray for Love | Patricia "Pat" Thatcher | |
| 1935 | The Girl Friend | Linda Henry | |
| 1935 | Grand Exit | Adrienne Martin / Adeline Maxwell | |
| 1936 | You May Be Next | Fay Stevens | |
| 1936 | Hell-Ship Morgan | Mary Taylor | |
| 1936 | Don't Gamble with Love | Ann Edwards | |
| 1936 | My American Wife | Mary Cantillon | |
| 1936 | Walking on Air | Kit Bennett | |
| 1936 | Smartest Girl in Town | Frances "Cookie" Cooke | |
| 1937 | Dangerous Number | Eleanor | |
| 1937 | There Goes My Girl | Reporter Connie Taylor | |
| 1937 | Fifty Roads to Town | Millicent Kendall | |
| 1937 | Super-Sleuth | Mary Strand | |
| 1937 | Danger – Love at Work | Toni Pemberton | |
| 1937 | There Goes the Groom | Betty Russell | |
| 1937 | She's Got Everything | Carol Rogers | |
| 1938 | Trade Winds | Jean Livingstone | |
| 1939 | Maisie | Maisie Ravier / Mary Anastasia O'Connor | |
| 1939 | Hotel for Women | Eileen Connelly | |
| 1939 | Fast and Furious | Garda Sloane | |
| 1939 | Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Ethel Turp | |
| 1940 | Congo Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1940 | Brother Orchid | Florence Addams | |
| 1940 | Gold Rush Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1940 | Dulcy | Dulcy Ward | |
| 1941 | Maisie Was a Lady | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1941 | Ringside Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1941 | Lady Be Good | Dixie Donegan Crane | |
| 1942 | Maisie Gets Her Man | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1942 | Panama Hattie | Hattie Maloney | |
| 1943 | You, John Jones! | Mary Jones | Short |
| 1943 | Three Hearts for Julia | Julia Seabrook | |
| 1943 | Swing Shift Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1943 | Cry "Havoc" | Pat | |
| 1944 | Maisie Goes to Reno | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1946 | Up Goes Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1947 | Undercover Maisie | Maisie Ravier | |
| 1948 | April Showers | June Tyme | |
| 1948 | Words and Music | Joyce Harmon | |
| 1948 | The Judge Steps Out | Peggy | |
| 1949 | A Letter to Three Wives | Rita Phipps | |
| 1950 | Nancy Goes to Rio | Frances Elliott | |
| 1950 | Shadow on the Wall | Dell Faring | |
| 1953 | The Blue Gardenia | Crystal Carpenter | |
| 1964 | The Best Man | Sue Ellen Gamadge | |
| 1964 | Lady in a Cage | Sade | |
| 1965 | Sylvia | Mrs. Argona / Grace Argona | |
| 1968 | Chubasco | Angela | |
| 1969 | The Greatest Mother of Them All | Dolly Murdock | |
| 1973 | The Killing Kind | Thelma Lambert | |
| 1974 | Golden Needles | Fenzie | Alternative title:The Chase for the Golden Needles |
| 1975 | Crazy Mama | Sheba Stokes | |
| 1978 | The Manitou | Mrs. Karmann | |
| 1979 | The Little Dragons | Angel | |
| 1987 | The Whales of August | Tisha Doughty | NominatedAcademy Award for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Final Film Role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Episode: "Lady with a Will" | |
| 1952 | All Star Revue | Guest Comedic Actress | Episode #2.24 |
| 1953 | The Red Skelton Hour | Daisy June | Segment: "Flugelmeyer's Secret Formula" |
| 1953–1957 | Private Secretary | Susan Camille "Susie" MacNamara | 104 episodes |
| 1954 | Lady in the Dark | Liza Elliot | Television special |
| 1955 | The Buick-Berle Show | Flora Sibley | Episode: "State of Confusion" |
| 1955 | The Loretta Young Show | Guest Hostess | Episode: "Man in the Ring" |
| 1957 | The Ford Television Theatre | Christine Emerson | Episode: "With No Regrets" |
| 1957 | The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour | Susie MacNamara | Episode: "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana" |
| 1958 | The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Comedian-Mr & Mrs IQ | Episode: "From Hollywood: The Photoplay Movie Awards" |
| 1958–1961 | The Ann Sothern Show | Katy O'Connor | 93 episodes |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Martha | Episode: "Night Out" |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Helen Cox | Episode: "Water's Edge" |
| 1964–1969 | Insight | Fran Henderson/The Actress | Episodes: "Boss Toad" and "Is The 11:59 Late This Year?" |
| 1965 | The Lucy Show | Rosie Harrigan, the Countess Framboise | 7 episodes |
| 1965 | The Legend of Jesse James | Widow Fay | Episode: "The Widow Fay" |
| 1965–1966 | My Mother the Car | Gladys Crabtree | Voice, 30 episodes |
| 1967 | The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. | Aunt Magda | Episode: "The Carpathian Killer Affair" |
| 1967 | The Outsider | Mrs. Kozzek | Television film |
| 1968 | Family Affair | Florence Cahill | Episode: "A Man's Place" |
| 1969 | Love, American Style | Mrs. Devlin | Segment: "Love and the Bachelor" |
| 1971 | The Virginian | Della Spencer | Episode: "The Legacy of Spencer Flats" |
| 1971 | The Chicago Teddy Bears | Episode: "The Rivalry" | |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones | Blackjack Jenny | Episode: "Everything Else You Can Steal" |
| 1972 | Fol-de-Rol | Queen Gertrude | Television special |
| 1975 | Medical Story | Mrs. Metulski | Episode: "The Moonlight Heater" |
| 1976 | Captains and the Kings | Mrs. Finch | Miniseries |
| 1985 | A Letter to Three Wives | Ma Finney | Television film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Old Gold Comedy Theatre | Episode: "Boy Meets Girl"[35] | |
| 1952 | The Screen Guild Theater | Episode: "Bachelor Mother"[36] |
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actress | The Whales of August | Nominated |
| 1959 | Golden Globe Award | Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy | The Ann Sothern Show | Won |
| 1964 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Best Man | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | The Whales of August | Nominated |
| 1955 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series | Private Secretary | Nominated |
| 1956 | Best Comedienne | Nominated | ||
| 1956 | Best Actress – Continuing Performance | Private Secretary | Nominated | |
| 1957 | Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series | Nominated | ||
| 1959 | Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series | The Ann Sothern Show | Nominated | |
| 2005 | TV Land Awards | Favorite Heard But Not Seen Character | My Mother the Car | Nominated |
