Ann Sothern

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 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 only Oscar 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, alongside whom she appeared on Ball's program The Lucy Show on multiple occasions, called Sothern "the best comedienne in the business, bar none."

Early life Sothern was born January 22, 1909, in Valley City, North Dakota, the oldest of three daughters to Annette ( Yde) and Walter J. Lake. She had two younger sisters, Marion and Bonnie. Her maternal grandfather was Danish violinist Hans Nielsen. Her paternal grandfather was Simon Lake, an engineer who helped build the first submarines for the United States Navy.

Her mother was a concert singer, while Sothern's father worked in importing and exporting. Harriette and her sisters were raised in Waterloo, Iowa, and later, Minneapolis, 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. When she was six years old, Sothern suffered significant burn injuries after catching her nightgown on fire while playing with matches. She underwent skin graft procedures for six months to heal the wounds on her arms, legs, and back.

She later studied at MacPhail 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 at Minneapolis Central High School she appeared in numerous stage productions and directed several shows. During this period she entered the annual state-sponsored contests for student musical composers and won three years in a row. After graduating high school in 1926 she relocated with her father to Seattle, where she attended the University of Washington, dropping out after one year. Her mother, meanwhile, relocated to Los Angeles where she worked as a vocal coach for Warner Bros. studios.

Career Early years While Ann was visiting her mother in California, she landed a role in the Warner Bros. revue The Show of Shows. She made a screen test for MGM and signed a six-month contract. Appearing only in bit parts and walk-on roles, she soon grew frustrated. She then met Florenz Ziegfeld at a party, who 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.

On Broadway in 1931 she had leading roles in America's Sweetheart and Everybody's Welcome.

Film and radio In 1934 she signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. Harry Cohn changed her name to Ann Sothern. "Ann" was chosen in honor of her mother, and "Sothern" was chosen for Shakespearean actor E. H. Sothern. At Columbia she mainly appeared in B-movie roles. After two years the studio released her from her contract. In 1936 she was signed by RKO Radio Pictures, but when a string of her films failed to attract a large enough audience, she left. Shortly after, she signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer again.

This time with MGM, Sothern was cast as brassy Brooklyn burlesque dancer Mary Anastasia O'Connor, known professionally as Maisie Ravier, in Maisie (1939). MGM had originally acquired the Maisie property for Jean Harlow, but Harlow died in June 1937 before a final script was completed. The Harlow inspiration remained nonetheless in the form of Congo Maisie. This second feature in the Maisie series was based on Harlow's earlier 1932 hit Red Dust. Sothern approximated the Jean Harlow role opposite John Carroll in the Clark Gable role.

After years of struggling and appearing in supporting parts Sothern found major success with Maisie. The film was profitable for MGM, as were the string of Maisie comedy sequels that followed. Box office proceeds from Maisie pictures financed MGM's more costly dramas. From 1939 to 1947 she appeared in 10 Maisie films. A review of Swing Shift Maisie (1943) by Time magazine praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business". The popularity of the film series led to her own radio program, The Adventures of Maisie, broadcast on CBS from 1945 to 1947, then on Mutual Broadcasting System in 1952, and in syndication from 1949 to 1953. Due to her popularity from the Maisie films MGM head Louis B. Mayer paid $80,000 to purchase film rights to the Broadway production of DuBarry Was a Lady especially for Sothern. When Sothern rejected the revised script, MGM decided to cast Lucille Ball (Sothern's best friend in real life). Shortly after the filming of Maisie Gets Her Man in 1942 Sothern was cast in the title role in the film version of Panama Hattie (1942), opposite Red Skelton. Panama Hattie had been a hit on Broadway with Ethel Merman, but the MGM film version was plagued with production woes. After a disastrous preview in November 1941 MGM decided to delay the release to retool the production. The film's original director was replaced, the script was rewritten, and several scenes were reshot. Though the film received mediocre to poor reviews, it was a box-office smash with audiences.

In 1943 she appeared in the seventh Maisie film, Swing Shift Maisie, followed by a role in the war drama Cry 'Havoc'. The next year saw Sothern in her eighth Maisie film, Maisie Goes to Reno, before taking time off to have her first child. She returned to the screen in 1946 in Up Goes Maisie, followed by the final Maisie film, Undercover Maisie. Sothern acted in two musical films in 1948: April Showers, opposite Jack Carson, and Words and Music, featuring an all-star cast of MGM actors, singers, and dancers. In 1949 she appeared in the Academy Award-winning film A Letter to Three Wives for 20th 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. Sothern also contracted hepatitis, which she would battle for the next three years. After Sothern became ill, MGM cancelled her contract.

Television

By the early 1950s Sothern was appearing only in supporting roles in movies such as the film-noir crime drama The Blue Gardenia (1953). In need of money due to her mounting medical bills she turned to television. . In 1957 Private Secretary was renewed for a fifth season, but Sothern left after she had what she later described as a "violent fight" with producer Jack Chertok over the show's profits.

She returned to television the following year in The Ann Sothern Show, in which she starred as Kathleen "Katy" O'Connor, the assistant manager at the fictitious Bartley House Hotel. The series originally co-starred Ernest Truex as Katy's timid boss Jason Macauley, who was routinely outshone by Katy and bullied by his domineering wife Flora (Reta Shaw). Ratings for the series were weak, and after 23 episodes the show was retooled. Sothern's co-star from Private Secretary, Don Porter, signed on as Katy's new boss James Devery. The addition of Porter added romantic tension to the series and helped to improve ratings. In 1959 the series won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. During the series' second season, Jesse White, who also starred in Private Secretary, joined the cast. Ratings for the series remained solid until CBS moved The Ann Sothern Show to Thursdays for its third season. Scheduled opposite the ABC series The Untouchables, ratings dropped substantially and The Ann Sothern Show was canceled in 1961.

Later years After The Ann Sothern Show ended, she returned to films with the political drama The Best Man (1964), opposite Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson and for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe. That same year, she portrayed a prostitute in the psychological thriller Lady in a Cage, starring Olivia de Havilland. In 1965 she had a recurring role on her friend Lucille Ball's The Lucy Show as the "Countess Framboise" (née Rosie Harrigan). After Ball's long-time co-star Vivian 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.

In 1965 Sothern co-starred in the TV comedy series My Mother the Car with Jerry 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 car 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 working through the rest of the 1960s in guest roles on television and the occasional film role. In an Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode entitled "Water's Edge", Sothern turned in a most impressive performance. In 1972 Sothern appeared in the Sid and Marty Krofft television special Fol-de-Rol. The next year, she played the domineering mother of a homicidal son in the psychological horror film The Killing Kind. In 1974 she traveled to Hong Kong to shoot the martial arts film Golden Needles, in which she played the part of Fenzie, a mahjong parlor owner. Sothern's next role was in the 1975 action comedy film Crazy Mama, starring Cloris Leachman. For the remainder of the decade, health problems forced her to cut back on her career, working sporadically on television and in stage productions, including a small role in the horror film The Manitou with Tony Curtis (1978).

Sothern returned to television once again in 1985 in the role of Ma Finney for an adaptation of one of her old films, A Letter to Three Wives. Sothern's final film was The Whales of August in 1987. Her role as the neighbor of elderly sisters, played by Lillian Gish and Bette Davis, earned her the only Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination of her career. After filming, Sothern retired from acting and moved to Ketchum, Idaho, where she spent her remaining years.

Other ventures Over the course of her career, Sothern also managed several businesses and production companies. In the 1950s she opened the Ann Sothern Sewing Center in Sun 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 saint Vincent de Paul), which produced her first series Private Secretary, and Anso Productions, which produced The Ann Sothern Show.

In addition to acting, Sothern pursued a musical career. During her hiatus from Private Secretary in 1954 she starred in her own nightclub act featured in clubs in Reno, Las Vegas, and Chicago. She then formed the A Bar S Music Company and released her first album Sothern Exposure in 1958.

Personal life Marriages and child

Sothern married actor and band leader Roger Pryor in September 1936. They separated in September 1941, and Sothern filed for divorce in April 1942, charging Pryor with mental cruelty. Their divorce became final in May 1943. Less than a week after her divorce from Pryor she married actor Robert Sterling. The couple had one daughter, Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling, before divorcing in March 1949.

Health problems Shortly after filming A Letter to Three Wives Sothern contracted infectious hepatitis after receiving an impure serum shot while she was in England for a stage performance. For her recuperation she was confined to her bed where she continued to work on the Maisie radio program. Sothern later said that her illness had restored her faith. With the help of her friend Richard Egan she converted to Roman Catholicism in 1952.

In 1974 Sothern was injured during an appearance in a Jacksonville, Florida, stock production of Everybody 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. Her injuries required hospitalizations where she was put in traction. 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 developed depression. Sothern credited her "optimistic belief" and Roman Catholic faith for getting her through.

Sothern has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for motion pictures, found at 1612 Vine Street; and television, at 1634 Vine Street.

Filmography + Film 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 Nominated Academy Award for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting RoleFinal Film Role

+ Television 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

+ Radio Year Title Role Notes 1945 Old Gold Comedy Theatre Episode: "Boy Meets Girl" 1952 The Screen Guild Theater Episode: "Bachelor Mother"

Stage work

Smiles (1930) America's Sweetheart (1931) Everybody's Welcome (1931) Of Thee I Sing (1932–1933) Faithfully Yours (1951) God Bless Our Bank (1963) The Solid Gold Cadillac (1965; 1974) The Glass Menagerie (1966) Gypsy (1967) Glad Tidings (1967–1968) Mame (1968) My Daughter, Your Son (1970) Barefoot in the Park (1970) Butterflies Are Free (1970–1971; 1972) Personal Appearance (1971) Everybody Loves Opal (1974) The Duchess of Pasadena (1978)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title of work Result 1987 Academy Award Best Supporting Actress The Whales of August 1959 Golden Globe Award Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy The Ann Sothern Show 1964 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture The Best Man 1988 Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female The Whales of August 1955 Primetime Emmy Awards Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series Private Secretary 1956 Best Comedienne 1956 Best Actress – Continuing Performance Private Secretary 1957 Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series 1959 Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series The Ann Sothern Show 1939 Photoplay Awards Best Performances of the Month (August) Maisie 1940 Best Performances of the Month (October)Gold Rush Maisie 1940 Best Performances of the Month (October) Dulcy 1940 Best Performances of the Month (August) Brother Orchid 1940 Best Performances of the Month (March) Congo Maisie 1941 Best Performances of the Month (October) Lady Be Good 1948 Best Performances of the Month (May) April Showers 1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame Walk of Fame Star - Motion Picture 1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame Walk of Fame Star - Television 2005 TV Land Awards Favorite Heard But Not Seen Character My Mother the Car 2014 Online Film & Television Association TV Hall of Fame