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Ann Sothern 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 and a network radio series.
Birth Name
Harriette Arlene Lake
Born
Friday, 22 January 1909
Died
Thursday, 15 March 2001
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Mrs. Karmann | 2007 |
| The 74th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Memorial Tribute | 2002 |
| That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) / Performer in Film Clip | 1994 |
| The 60th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Nominee | 1988 |
| The Whales of August | Tisha Doughty | 1987 |
| Biography | Self | 1987 |
| American Masters | Self | 1986 |
| All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan | Self | 1985 |
| The Little Dragons | Angel | 1980 |
| Flying High | Miss Kirkeby | 1978 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Mrs. Karmann | 2007 |
| The 74th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Memorial Tribute | 2002 |
| That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) / Performer in Film Clip | 1994 |
| The 60th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Nominee | 1988 |
| The Whales of August | Tisha Doughty | 1987 |
| Biography | Self | 1987 |
| American Masters | Self | 1986 |
| All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan | Self | 1985 |
| The Little Dragons | Angel | 1980 |
| Flying High | Miss Kirkeby | 1978 |
| The Manitou | Mrs. Karmann | 1978 |
| Captains and the Kings | Mrs. Finch | 1976 |
| That's Entertainment, Part II | Dixie Donegan / (archive footage) | 1976 |
| Medical Story | Mrs. Metulski | 1975 |
| Crazy Mama | Sheba | 1975 |
| Golden Needles | Fenzie / Finzie | 1974 |
| Bicentennial Minutes | Self - Narrator | 1974 |
| The Killing Kind | Thelma Lambert | 1973 |
| The Weekend Nun | Mother Bonaventure | 1972 |
| A Death of Innocence | Annie La Cossit | 1971 |
| Congratulations, It's a Boy! | Ethel Gaines | 1971 |
| Great Performances | Self | 1971 |
| Alias Smith and Jones | Blackjack Jenny | 1971 |
| Love, American Style | Mrs. Devlin (segment "Love and the Bachelor") | 1969 |
| Chubasco | Angela | 1968 |
| The Outsider | Mrs. Kozzek | 1967 |
| The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. | Aunt Magda | 1966 |
| Family Affair | Florence Cahill | 1966 |
| My Mother the Car | Gladys Crabtree | 1965 |
| The Legend of Jesse James | Widow Fay | 1965 |
| Sylvia | Grace Argona / Mrs. Argona | 1965 |
| That Regis Philbin Show | Self - Guest / Self - Co-Host | 1964 |
| Lady in a Cage | Sade | 1964 |
| The Best Man | Sue Ellen Gamadge | 1964 |
| Get the Message | Self | 1964 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Self | 1963 |
| The Match Game | Self - Team Captain | 1962 |
| The Lucy Show | Rosie Harrigan, the Countess Framboise | 1962 |
| The Andy Williams Show | Self - Guest | 1962 |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Helen Cox | 1962 |
| The Virginian | Della Spencer | 1962 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Herself - Co-Host | 1961 |
| Password | Self - Celebrity Contestant | 1961 |
| The DuPont Show with June Allyson | Martha | 1959 |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Self | 1958 |
| The Ann Sothern Show | Katy O'Connor | 1958 |
| The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour | Susie MacNamara | 1957 |
| To Tell the Truth | Self - Panelist | 1956 |
| The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Self - Guest | 1956 |
| MGM Parade | Dixie Donegan Crane | 1955 |
| Person to Person | Self - Guest | 1953 |
| The Loretta Young Show | Self - Guest Host | 1953 |
| The Blue Gardenia | Crystal Carpenter | 1953 |
| Private Secretary | Susie McNamara | 1953 |
| The Ford Television Theatre | Christine Emerson | 1952 |
| The Name's the Same | Self | 1951 |
| Schlitz Playhouse | Liz Quiz | 1951 |
| The Red Skelton Hour | Fraulein Helga-Flugelmeyer Skit | 1951 |
| The Jack Benny Program | Self - Guest | 1950 |
| All Star Revue | Self | 1950 |
| Shadow on the Wall | Dell Faring | 1950 |
| Nancy Goes to Rio | Frances Elliott | 1950 |
| What's My Line? | Herself - Mystery Guest | 1950 |
| The Ken Murray Show | Self - Guest | 1950 |
| The Fred Waring Show | Self - Guest | 1949 |
| A Letter to Three Wives | Rita Phipps | 1949 |
| Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | Herself | 1948 |
| Words and Music | Joyce Harmon | 1948 |
| Celebrity Time | Herself | 1948 |
| The Milton Berle Show | Flora Sibley | 1948 |
| April Showers | June Tyme | 1948 |
| The Judge Steps Out | Peggy | 1947 |
| Undercover Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1947 |
| Up Goes Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1946 |
| Maisie Goes to Reno | Maisie Ravier | 1944 |
| Twenty Years After | (archive footage) | 1944 |
| Cry 'Havoc' | Pat | 1943 |
| Swing Shift Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1943 |
| Three Hearts for Julia | Julia Seabrook | 1943 |
| You, John Jones! | Mary Jones | 1943 |
| Thousands Cheer | Ann Sothern | 1943 |
| Panama Hattie | Hattie Maloney | 1942 |
| Maisie Gets Her Man | Maisie Ravier | 1942 |
| We Must Have Music | Self | 1941 |
| Lady Be Good | Dixie Donegan / Dixie Donegan Crane | 1941 |
| Ringside Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1941 |
| Maisie Was a Lady | Maisie Ravier | 1941 |
| The Miracle of Sound | Self | 1940 |
| Dulcy | Dulcy Ward | 1940 |
| Gold Rush Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1940 |
| Hollywood: Style Center of the World | Self | 1940 |
| Brother Orchid | Flo Addams / Florence 'Flo' Addams | 1940 |
| Congo Maisie | Maisie Ravier | 1940 |
| Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President | Ethel Turp | 1939 |
| Fast and Furious | Garda Sloane | 1939 |
| Hotel for Women | Eileen Connelly / Ellen Connelly | 1939 |
| Maisie | Maisie Ravier / Mary Anastasia O'Connor | 1939 |
| Trade Winds | Jean Livingstone | 1938 |
| She's Got Everything | Carol Rogers | 1937 |
| There Goes the Groom | Betty Russell / Bettina Louise "Betty" Russell | 1937 |
| Ali Baba Goes to Town | Ann Sothern - at Fictional Premiere / Herself | 1937 |
| Danger - Love at Work | Toni Pemberton / Antoinette "Toni" Pemberton | 1937 |
| Super-Sleuth | Mary Strand | 1937 |
| Fifty Roads to Town | Millicent Kendall | 1937 |
| There Goes My Girl | Reporter Connie Taylor / Connie Taylor | 1937 |
| Dangerous Number | Eleanor Breen Medhill / Eleanor | 1937 |
| Smartest Girl in Town | Frances Cooke | 1936 |
| Walking on Air | Kit Bennett | 1936 |
| My American Wife | Mary Cantillon | 1936 |
| Don't Gamble with Love | Ann Edwards | 1936 |
| Hell-Ship Morgan | Mary Taylor | 1936 |
| You May Be Next! | Fay Stevens | 1936 |
| Grand Exit | Adrienne Martin / Adeline Maxwell | 1935 |
| The Girl Friend | Linda Henry | 1935 |
| Hooray for Love | Patricia Thatcher | 1935 |
| Eight Bells | Marge Walker | 1935 |
| Folies Bergère de Paris | Mimi | 1935 |
| Kid Millions | Joan Larrabee | 1934 |
| The Party's Over | Ruth Walker | 1934 |
| Blind Date | Kitty Taylor | 1934 |
| The Hell Cat | Geraldine Sloane | 1934 |
| Melody in Spring | Jane Blodgett | 1934 |
| Let's Fall in Love | Jean | 1933 |
| Broadway Thru a Keyhole | Singer / Chorine | 1933 |
| Whoopee! | Goldwyn Girl | 1930 |
| Madam Satan | Zeppelin Reveler | 1930 |
| Doughboys | Chorine | 1930 |
| Good News | Student | 1930 |
| Song of the West | Bit Part | 1930 |
| Show of Shows | Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers / Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers (as Harriet Lake) | 1929 |
| Broadway Nights | Showgirl | 1927 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1988 | Oscar | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1965 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| 1959 | Golden Globe | Television Achievement | Won |
| 1959 | Emmy | Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| 1957 | Emmy | Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series | Nominated |
| 1956 | Emmy | Best Actress - Continuing Performance | Nominated |
| 1955 | Emmy | Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series | Nominated |
