Ann Sothern

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BIRTHDAY

January 22, 1909

Valley City, ND

DIED

March 15, 2001

RECENT CREDITS

The Whales of August (FILM) Jan. 1, 1987

The Manitou (FILM) Jan. 1, 1978

Sylvia (FILM) Feb. 1, 1965

Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV) Oct. 19, 1964

Lady in a Cage (FILM) Jan. 1, 1964

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BIOGRAPHY

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Born Harriet Lake, the name under which she was billed until 1933, Sothern debuted onscreen in 1929 in a bit part, and went on to play small roles in several other films before leaving Hollywood for Broadway. She soon began landing leads, bringing another invitation from Hollywood. She signed a screen contract and changed her name, then began a very busy film career as the light-hearted heroine of B-movies. In 1939, Sothern switched studios and achieved greater popularity as the star of the "Maisie" comedy-adventure series; she appeared as the energetic, scatterbrained Maisie in ten films during the next eight years. She also appeared in musicals, in which her good voice and comedic talents were displayed. Never a major screen star, she became most popular after switching to TV; she starred in the TV series Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show. She went on to tour with stage musicals, then returned to the screen in occasional character roles after 1964. For her work in The Whales of August (1987), her most recent film to date, she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. From 1936-42 she was married to actor Roger Pryor and from 1943-49 she was married to actor Robert Sterling. Her daughter is actress Tisha Sterling, with whom she appeared in Crazy Mama (1975) and The Whales of August (1987); in the latter, Sterling played Sothern's character as a young woman.

~ All Movie Guide

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Headlines

Saying Goodbye to Another Acting Great

Mar. 18, 2001

Veteran actress Ann Sothern died of heart failure late Friday at the age of 92. Sothern worked in show business for more than 70 years -- from B-movies to a television star to an Oscar-nominated performance in the 1987 The Whales of August.Born Harriette Lake in Valley City, North Dakota, in 1909, Sothern started her career singing on stage until she was spotted by Columbia Pic...

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