Ann Sothern
Encyclopedia
Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress
whose career spanned six decades.
, but was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1926. Sothern left home and began her film career as an extra in the 1927
film Broadway Nights at the age of 18. During 1929
and 1930
, she appeared as a chorus girl in such films as The Show of Shows and Whoopee!
(as one of the "Goldwyn Girls
"). She appeared on Broadway
and had a trained voice, occasionally singing in films.
On Broadway in 1931, she had leading roles in America's Sweetheart
(135 performances in which she sang "I've Got Five Dollars" and "We'll Be The Same") and in Everybody's Welcome
(139 performances).
In 1934, Sothern signed a contract with Columbia Pictures
, but after two years the studio released her. In 1936, she was signed by RKO Radio Pictures and after a string of films that failed to attract an audience, Sothern left RKO and was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, making her first film for them in 1939.
MGM cast Sothern in the film Maisie
(1939
), as brassy Brooklyn
burlesque
dancer Mary Anastasia O'Connor who also goes by the stage name Maisie Ravier. In Mary C. McCall Jr.'s screenplay of Wilson Collison's novel, Maisie is stranded penniless in a small Wyoming
town, takes a job as a ranch maid and becomes caught in a web of romantic entanglements. After years of struggling, Sothern had her first major success, and a string of "Maisie" comedy sequels followed, beginning with Congo Maisie (1940
), and ending with Undercover Maisie (1947
) in which Maisie infiltrates a gang of con men headed by a phony swami
. A review of Swing Shift Maisie (1943
) by Time magazine
praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business".
On November 24, 1941, Sothern performed in the Lux Radio Theater
adaptation of Maisie Was a Lady, and the popularity of the film series led to her own radio program, The Adventures of Maisie
, broadcast on CBS
from 1945 to 1947, on Mutual Broadcasting System
in 1952 and in syndication from 1949 to 1953.
In 1949
, Sothern appeared in the Oscar winning film, A Letter to Three Wives
. The film earned her excellent reviews, but failed to stimulate her career. During the 1950s, she made a few movies, including The Blue Gardenia (1953), but mainly appeared on television shows. In 1953, she landed the lead in the series Private Secretary
. After Private Secretary ended in 1957 due to a contract dispute between Sothern and producer Jack Chertok
, she appeared in her own show, The Ann Sothern Show
, from 1958 to 1961. Both were successful and earned Sothern four Emmy Award
nominations. Ann Tyrrell
and Don Porter
were her co-stars in both series.
Previously a beauty, Sothern had a bout of hepatitis
which left her with a bloated, overweight appearance from the waist down. From this point on, she wore black, high-waisted flaring dresses to hide her appearance. In addition, she suffered an injury to her back after a fall during a stage production which left her disabled.
She co-starred with Henry Fonda
in a 1964 dramatic film, The Best Man, as a woman whose annoying behavior must be tolerated by presidential candidates because she is considered to have considerable influence in party politics.
In 1965, she was heard as the voice of Gladys Crabtree (the car) in the short-lived series My Mother the Car
, which co-starred Jerry Van Dyke
. That year she appeared in the title role of "The Widow Fay" episode of ABC
's western
series The Legend of Jesse James
, starring Christopher Jones
in the title role of the outlaw
Jesse James
.
During this period, Sothern made occasional guest appearances on The Lucy Show
with her old RKO and MGM cohort, Lucille Ball
. After Vivian Vance
left the show, Sothern was considered to replace Vance. In 1967 her former boss Desi Arnaz
approached her to co-star with Eve Arden
as battling neighbors in The Mothers-in-Law
. However, NBC
felt that Sothern's style was too similar to Arden's.
She resumed working sporadically on television until the mid-1980s, including a remake of her earlier success A Letter to Three Wives. Her final film role was in The Whales of August
in 1987
. Her role as the neighbor of elderly sisters, played by Lillian Gish
and Bette Davis
, brought Sothern her only Best Supporting Actress Academy Award
nomination.
. The couple had one daughter, actress Tisha Sterling
, before divorcing six years later. In 1987, Sothern retired from acting and moved to Ketchum, Idaho
, where she spent her remaining years. On March 15, 2001, Sothern died from heart failure at 92. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, for motion pictures (found at 1612 Vine Street) and television (found at 1634 Vine Street).
Emmy Award
Golden Globe Award
Independent Spirit Awards
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
whose career spanned six decades.
Early life and career
Sothern was born Harriette Arlene Lake in Valley City, North DakotaValley City, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,826 people, 2,996 households, and 1,668 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,062.5 per square mile . There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of 982.0 per square mile...
, but was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1926. Sothern left home and began her film career as an extra in the 1927
1927 in film
-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
film Broadway Nights at the age of 18. During 1929
1929 in film
-Events:The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.*January 20 - The movie In Old Arizona is released. The film is the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors....
and 1930
1930 in film
-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
, she appeared as a chorus girl in such films as The Show of Shows and Whoopee!
Whoopee! (film)
Whoopee is a 1930 "All-Talking All-Color" musical comedy film photographed in two-color Technicolor. The plot of the film closely followed the stage show produced by Florenz Ziegfeld in 1928.-Production:...
(as one of the "Goldwyn Girls
Goldwyn Girls
The Goldwyn Girls were a musical stock company of female dancers employed by Samuel Goldwyn. Famous actresses whose career included a stint in the Goldwyn Girls include Lucille Ball, Paulette Goddard, Betty Grable, Ann Sothern, Jane Wyman, Virginia Bruce, Virginia Grey, Mary Meade, and Virginia...
"). She appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and had a trained voice, occasionally singing in films.
On Broadway in 1931, she had leading roles in America's Sweetheart
America's Sweetheart (musical)
America’s Sweetheart is a musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields.-Production:America's Sweetheart premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 10, 1931 and closed on June 6, 1931 after 135 performances...
(135 performances in which she sang "I've Got Five Dollars" and "We'll Be The Same") and in Everybody's Welcome
Everybody's Welcome
Everybody's Welcome is a musical comedy with a book by Lambert Carroll, lyrics by Irving Kahal, and music by Sammy Fain. The musical has two acts and a prologue. The story is based on "Up Pops the Devil" by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett....
(139 performances).
In 1934, Sothern signed a contract with Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, but after two years the studio released her. In 1936, she was signed by RKO Radio Pictures and after a string of films that failed to attract an audience, Sothern left RKO and was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, making her first film for them in 1939.
MGM cast Sothern in the film Maisie
Maisie (film)
Maisie is a 1939 comedy film starring Robert Young and Ann Sothern, based on the novel Dark Dame by Wilson Collison. It was the first of ten films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier. In Mary C...
(1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
), as brassy Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
dancer Mary Anastasia O'Connor who also goes by the stage name Maisie Ravier. In Mary C. McCall Jr.'s screenplay of Wilson Collison's novel, Maisie is stranded penniless in a small Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
town, takes a job as a ranch maid and becomes caught in a web of romantic entanglements. After years of struggling, Sothern had her first major success, and a string of "Maisie" comedy sequels followed, beginning with Congo Maisie (1940
1940 in film
The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
), and ending with Undercover Maisie (1947
1947 in film
The year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten".*November 25...
) in which Maisie infiltrates a gang of con men headed by a phony swami
Swami
A swami sometimes abbreviated "Sw." is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Sankara, or to a religious teacher.The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as...
. A review of Swing Shift Maisie (1943
1943 in film
The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
) by Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business".
On November 24, 1941, Sothern performed in the Lux Radio Theater
Lux Radio Theater
Lux Radio Theater, a long-run classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network ; CBS and NBC . Initially, the series adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films. These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences...
adaptation of Maisie Was a Lady, and the popularity of the film series led to her own radio program, The Adventures of Maisie
The Adventures of Maisie
The Adventures of Maisie was a radio comedy series starring Ann Sothern as underemployed entertainer Maisie Ravier, a spin-off of Sothern's successful 1939-1947 Maisie movie series...
, broadcast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1945 to 1947, on Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
in 1952 and in syndication from 1949 to 1953.
In 1949
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
, Sothern appeared in the Oscar winning film, A Letter to Three Wives
A Letter to Three Wives
A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas in his film debut, Jeffrey Lynn, and Thelma Ritter...
. The film earned her excellent reviews, but failed to stimulate her career. During the 1950s, she made a few movies, including The Blue Gardenia (1953), but mainly appeared on television shows. In 1953, she landed the lead in the series Private Secretary
Private Secretary (TV series)
Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST...
. After Private Secretary ended in 1957 due to a contract dispute between Sothern and producer Jack Chertok
Jack Chertok
Jack Chertok was an American film and television producer perhaps best known to modern viewers as producer for the 182 black and white episodes of The Lone Ranger.-Career:...
, she appeared in her own show, The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
, from 1958 to 1961. Both were successful and earned Sothern four Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations. Ann Tyrrell
Ann Tyrrell
Ann Tyrrell was an American actress who co-starred in both of the Ann Sothern CBS sitcoms Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show .-Career:...
and Don Porter
Don Porter
Donald Porter was an American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron, but is perhaps best known for his role as Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence in the 1965 ABC television series...
were her co-stars in both series.
Later career
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
which left her with a bloated, overweight appearance from the waist down. From this point on, she wore black, high-waisted flaring dresses to hide her appearance. In addition, she suffered an injury to her back after a fall during a stage production which left her disabled.
She co-starred with Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
in a 1964 dramatic film, The Best Man, as a woman whose annoying behavior must be tolerated by presidential candidates because she is considered to have considerable influence in party politics.
In 1965, she was heard as the voice of Gladys Crabtree (the car) in the short-lived series My Mother the Car
My Mother the Car
My Mother the Car is an American fantasy sitcom which aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and September 6, 1966. A total of thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television....
, which co-starred Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
. That year she appeared in the title role of "The Widow Fay" episode of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series The Legend of Jesse James
The Legend of Jesse James (TV series)
The Legend of Jesse James is a 34-episode western television series starring Christopher Jones in the tile role of notorious outlaw Jesse James which aired on ABC from September 13, 1965, to May 9, 1966...
, starring Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones (actor)
William "Billy" Frank Jones, better known as Christopher Jones, is an American character actor, born August 18, 1941 in Jackson, Tennessee....
in the title role of the outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
.
During this period, Sothern made occasional guest appearances on The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
with her old RKO and MGM cohort, Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
. After Vivian Vance
Vivian Vance
Vivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
left the show, Sothern was considered to replace Vance. In 1967 her former boss Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
approached her to co-star with Eve Arden
Eve Arden
Eve Arden was an American actress. Her almost 60-year career crossed most media frontiers with supporting and leading roles, but she may be best-remembered for playing the sardonic but engaging title character, a high school teacher, on Our Miss Brooks, and as the Rydell High School principal in...
as battling neighbors in The Mothers-in-Law
The Mothers-in-Law
The Mothers-in-Law is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two matriarchs who were friends and next-door neighbors whose children's elopement rendered them in-laws. The show aired on NBC from September 1967 to April 1969; it was produced by Desi Arnaz after the dissolutions...
. However, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
felt that Sothern's style was too similar to Arden's.
She resumed working sporadically on television until the mid-1980s, including a remake of her earlier success A Letter to Three Wives. Her final film role was in The Whales of August
The Whales of August
The Whales of August is a 1987 film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house...
in 1987
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
. Her role as the neighbor of elderly sisters, played by Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
and Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, brought Sothern her only Best Supporting Actress Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
nomination.
Personal life
Sothern was married to actor Roger Pryor from 1936 until May 17, 1943. Less than a week after her divorce, she married actor Robert SterlingRobert Sterling
Robert Sterling, born William Sterling Hart was an American film and television actor.-Early life:...
. The couple had one daughter, actress Tisha Sterling
Tisha Sterling
Tisha Sterling is an American television and film actress. She is the daughter of actor Robert Sterling and actress/singer Ann Sothern.-Life and career:...
, before divorcing six years later. In 1987, Sothern retired from acting and moved to Ketchum, Idaho
Ketchum, Idaho
Ketchum is a city in Blaine County, Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 3,003 at the 2000 census. It is in the Wood River Valley, adjacent to Sun Valley; the two communities share many resources and both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its...
, where she spent her remaining years. On March 15, 2001, Sothern died from heart failure at 92. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, for motion pictures (found at 1612 Vine Street) and television (found at 1634 Vine Street).
Filmography
- Broadway NightsBroadway NightsBroadway Nights is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Joseph C. Boyle. The film stars Louis John Bartels and Lois Wilson. The film marked the debuts of Barbara Stanwyck and Ann Sothern who had small roles as fan dancers.-Cast:...
(Uncredited, 1927) - Hearts in Exile (Uncredited, 1929)
- The Show of Shows (1929)
- Song of the West (1930)
- Hold EverythingHold EverythingHold Everything may refer to:*Hold Everything!, 1928 Broadway musical*Hold Everything *Hold Everything , defunct retail chain...
(1930) - Doughboys (1930)
- Whoopee!Whoopee!Whoopee! is a musical comedy with the book, based on Owen Davis's play The Nervous Wreck, written by William Anthony McGuire, music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Gus Kahn...
(1930) - Footlight ParadeFootlight Parade-Cast:*James Cagney as Chester Kent, creator of musical prologues*Joan Blondell as Nan Prescott, his secretary*Ruby Keeler as Bea Thorn, dancer turned secretary turned dancer*Dick Powell as Scott 'Scotty' Blair, juvenile lead, former protege of Mrs...
(1933) - Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933)
- Let's Fall in Love (1933)
- Melody in Spring (1934)
- The Hell Cat (1934)
- The Party's Over (1934)
- Blind Date (1934)
- Kid MillionsKid MillionsKid Millions is an American film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and starring Eddie Cantor.-Plot:The story features Eddie, a kid from Brooklyn, New York,...
(1934) - Folies-Bergere de Paris (1935)
- Eight Bells (1935)
- Hooray for Love (1935)
- The Girl FriendThe Girl FriendThe Girl Friend is a musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields. This was the longest running show to date for the trio.-Production:...
(1935) - Grand Exit (1935)
- You May Be Next (1936)
- Hell-Ship Morgan (1936)
- Don't Gamble with Love (1936)
- My American Wife (1936)
- Walking on Air (1936)
- Smartest Girl in Town (1936)
- Danger - Love at WorkDanger - Love at WorkDanger - Love at Work is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by James Edward Grant and Ben Markson focuses on an attorney's frustrating efforts to deal with a wildly eccentric family.-Plot:...
(1937) - Dangerous Number (1937)
- There Goes My Girl (1937)
- Fifty Roads to Town (1937)
- Super-Sleuth (1937)
- Ali Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to TownAli Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 movie starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the Arabian Nights. He falls asleep and dreams he is in Baghdad as an advisor to the Sultan...
(1937) (Cameo) - There Goes the Groom (1937)
- She's Got Everything (1937)
- Trade WindsTrade Winds (1938 film)Trade Winds is a 1938 comedy film distributed by United Artist. It was directed by Tay Garnett, and starred Fredric March and Joan Bennett. The screenplay was written by Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell and Frank R...
(1938) - MaisieMaisie (film)Maisie is a 1939 comedy film starring Robert Young and Ann Sothern, based on the novel Dark Dame by Wilson Collison. It was the first of ten films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier. In Mary C...
(1939) - Hotel for Women (1939)
- Fast and FuriousFast and FuriousFast & Furious is a 2009 street racing action film directed by Justin Lin. It is the fourth film in The Fast and the Furious film series and the third installment in terms of chronology. The plot connects with the original film of the series from which Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez,...
(1939) - Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939)
- Congo Maisie (1940)
- Brother OrchidBrother OrchidBrother Orchid is a 1940 crime/comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sothern and Humphrey Bogart, with featured performances by Donald Crisp, Ralph Bellamy and Allen Jenkins...
(1940) - Gold Rush MaisieGold Rush MaisieGold Rush Maisie is a 1940 drama film starring Ann Sothern as a woman who travels to a ghost town to look for gold. The film was directed by Edwin L. Marin.-Cast:*Ann Sothern - Maisie Ravier*Lee Bowman - Bill Anders*Slim Summerville - Fred Gubbins...
(1940) - Dulcy (1940)
- Maisie Was a LadyMaisie Was a LadyMaisie Was a Lady is the fourth in a series of films starring Ann Sothern as good-hearted showgirl Maisie Ravier.-Plot:When wealthy drunkard Robert "Bob" Rawlston loses Maisie her carnival sideshow job as the Headless Woman, he offers her the use of his car to get to town. However, she is pulled...
(1941) - Ringside Maisie (1941)
- Lady Be GoodLady Be Good (1941 film)Lady Be Good is the title of an MGM musical film which was released in 1941.The film starred dancer Eleanor Powell along with Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore, and Red Skelton. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod and produced by Arthur Freed...
(1941) - Maisie Gets Her Man (1942)
- Panama HattiePanama HattiePanama Hattie is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. It is also the title of a 1942 MGM musical based upon the play...
(1942) - You, John Jones (Short subject, 1943)
- Three Hearts for Julia (1943)
- Thousands CheerThousands CheerThousands Cheer is a 1943 American comedy musical film released by MGM. Produced at the height of the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their families.-Plot:The film is essentially a two-part program...
(1943) - Swing Shift MaisieSwing Shift MaisieSwing Shift Maisie is a 1943 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It is the seventh in a series of ten films starring Ann Sothern as Maisie, preceded by Maisie Gets Her Man and followed by Maisie Goes to Reno...
(1943) - Cry 'Havoc'Cry 'Havoc'This article is about the 1943 motion picture. For the board game see Cry Havoc.Cry 'Havoc' is a 1943 American drama film, produced by MGM and directed by Richard Thorpe...
(1943) - Maisie Goes to Reno (1944)
- Up Goes Maisie (1946)
- Undercover Maisie (1947)
- April Showers (1948)
- Words and MusicWords and Music (1948 film)Words and Music is a 1948 movie loosely based on the creative partnership of the composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film starred Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, and Ann Sothern, It is best remembered for the final screen pairing between Rooney and Judy...
(1948) - A Letter to Three WivesA Letter to Three WivesA Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. It stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas in his film debut, Jeffrey Lynn, and Thelma Ritter...
(1949) - The Judge Steps Out (1949)
- TensionTension (film)Tension is a crime thriller film noir directed by John Berry, and written by Allen Rivkin, based on a story written by John D. Klorer. The drama features Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, and others.-Plot:...
(1950) (Appears on magazine cover) - Nancy Goes to RioNancy Goes to RioNancy Goes to Rio is a musical comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1950. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Joe Pasternak from a screenplay by Sidney Sheldon, based on a story by Ralph Block, Frederick Kohner and Jane Hall...
(1950) - Shadow on the WallShadow on the Wall (film)Shadow on the Wall is a 1950 psychological thriller film starring Ann Sothern, Zachary Scott, Gigi Perreau and Nancy Davis. It is based on the novel Death in the Doll's House by Lawrence P. Bachmann and Hannah Lees.-Plot:...
(1950) - Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of Stars, is a weekly CBS anthology television series, was telecast on Friday nights from 1951 until 1959. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by Schlitz beer...
(1 episode, 1952) - Hollywood Opening Night (1 episode, 1952)
- What's My Line?What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
(two appearances as a Mystery Guest; one on 8/30/1953, one in 1964) - The Blue Gardenia (1953)
- Lady in the Dark (1954)
- The Loretta Young Show (1 episode, 1955)
- The Ford Television Theatre (1 episode, 1957)
- Private SecretaryPrivate Secretary (TV series)Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST...
(103 episodes, 1953–1957) - The Lucy-Desi Comedy HourThe Lucy-Desi Comedy HourThe Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a CBS television situation comedy. The show is a collection of occasional specials rather than a regular series and originally served as part of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse...
(1 episode, 1957) - The Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
(1 episode, 1958) - The Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
(93 episodes, 1958–1961) - The DuPont Show with June AllysonThe DuPont Show with June AllysonThe DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
(as Martha in "Night Out", 1959) - The Best ManThe Best Man (1964 film)The Best Man is a 1964 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, the film details the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a presidential candidate...
(1964) - Lady in a Cage (1964)
- The Alfred Hitchcock HourAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1 episode, 1964) - SylviaSylvia (1965 film)Sylvia is a drama film directed by Gordon Douglas, written by Sydney Boehm and starring George Maharis, Carroll Baker and Peter Lawford.Released by Paramount Pictures, it was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Plot:...
(1965) - The Lucy ShowThe Lucy ShowThe Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
(6 episodes, 1965) - The Legend of Jesse JamesThe Legend of Jesse JamesThe Legend of Jesse James is a 1980 country music concept album by various artists singing songs by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James....
(1 episode, 1965) - My Mother the CarMy Mother the CarMy Mother the Car is an American fantasy sitcom which aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and September 6, 1966. A total of thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television....
(30 episodes, 1965–1966) - The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
(1 episode, 1967) - The Outsider (1967)
- Family AffairFamily AffairFamily Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
(1 episode, 1968) - Chubasco (1968)
- The Greatest Mother of Them All (1969)
- Insight (2 episodes, 1964–1969)
- Love, American StyleLove, American StyleLove, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
(1 episode, 1969) - The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
(1 episode, 1971) - Congratulations, It's a Boy! (1971)
- A Death of Innocence (1971)
- The Chicago Teddy BearsThe Chicago Teddy BearsThe Chicago Teddy Bears is an American sitcom that aired on CBS. The series was part of the network's 1971 fall lineup, premiering on September 17, 1971.-Synopsis:Unlike other shows set in Prohibition-era Chicago, The Chicago Teddy Bears was a sitcom...
(1 episode, 1971) - Alias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
(1 episode, 1971) - The Great Man's Whiskers (1972)
- The Weekend Nun (1972)
- The Killing KindThe Killing Kind (1973 film)The Killing Kind is a 1973 film by Curtis Harrington. It is based on a screenplay by Tony Crechales, whose screenplay was revised by producer George Edwards, an associate producer on Harrington's previous film, What's the Matter with Helen?...
(1973) - Golden NeedlesGolden NeedlesGolden Needles is a 1974 action film starring Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Ashley, Ann Sothern, Jim Kelly, Burgess Meredith, Roy Chiao and directed by Robert Clouse.-Plot:...
(1974) - Crazy MamaCrazy Mama (film)Crazy Mama is a 1975 film directed by Jonathan Demme and produced by Julie Corman.Cloris Leachman stars, with Dennis Quaid and Bill Paxton seen briefly in two of their earliest roles....
(1975) - Medical Story (1 episode, 1975)
- Captains and the Kings (Miniseries, 1976)
- Flying High (1 episode, 1978)
- The ManitouThe ManitouThe Manitou is an American horror movie from 1978 with Tony Curtis and Susan Strasberg, based on a 1975 book by Graham Masterton. The movie is based on an old legend about the Native American spirit-concept Manitou.-Plot:...
(1978) - The Little DragonsThe Little DragonsThe Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
(1980) - A Letter to Three Wives (1985)
- The Whales of AugustThe Whales of AugustThe Whales of August is a 1987 film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house...
(1987)
Awards and nominations
Academy Award- Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, The Whales of AugustThe Whales of AugustThe Whales of August is a 1987 film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house...
(1988)
Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
- Nominated: Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series, Private SecretaryPrivate Secretary (TV series)Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST...
(1955) - Nominated: Best Actress - Continuing Performance, Private Secretary (1956)
- Nominated: Best Comedienne (1956)
- Nominated: Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series, Private Secretary (1957)
- Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series, The Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
(1959)
Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
- Won: Best TV Show, The Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
(1959) - Nominated: Best Supporting Actress, The Best ManThe Best Man (1964 film)The Best Man is a 1964 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, the film details the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a presidential candidate...
(1965)
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
- Nominated: Best Supporting Female, The Whales of AugustThe Whales of AugustThe Whales of August is a 1987 film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house...
(1988)