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Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern

Actor · Died March 15, 2001, aged 92 · Valley City, North Dakota, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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, based on the Maisie short stories by Nell Martin, 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 first and only Academy Award 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 called Sothern "the best comedian in the business, bar none."

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 22, 1909
Died
March 15, 2001 (aged 92)
From
Valley City, North Dakota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 104 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

What are Ann Sothern's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
24%
Morality
18%
Survival
9%
Power
9%
Society
8%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 25 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 19 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 15 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 4

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 22 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

23 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 9 of 23 analyzed roles.

Ally
9 of 23
Hero
9 of 23
Shapeshifter
1 of 23
Herald
1 of 23
Trickster
1 of 23
Shadow
1 of 23
Mentor
1 of 23
Show the 23 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
13
Tense
11
Warm
11
Contemplative
8
Melancholic
9
Other
33

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy20
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ann Sothern's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ann Sothern's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

104 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Whales of August(1987)

    as Tisha Doughty

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • A Letter to Three Wives(1985)

    as Ma Finney

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Little Dragons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Angel

  • Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Kirkeby

  • The Manitou(1978)

    as Mrs. Karmann

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Captains and the Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 8 episodes · as Mrs. Finch

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Medical Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Metulski

  • Crazy Mama(1975)

    as Sheba

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Golden Needles(1974)

    as Finzie

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Killing Kind(1973)

    as Thelma Lambert

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Weekend Nun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Mother Bonaventure

  • The Great Man's Whiskers(1972)

    as Aunt Margaret Bancroft

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Fol-de-Rol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Queen Gertrude

  • A Death of Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Annie La Cossit

  • Congratulations, It's a Boy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Ethel Gaines

  • The Chicago Teddy Bears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Greatest Mother of 'em All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Dolly Murdock

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Devlin

  • Chubasco(1968)

    as Angela

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Outsider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Mrs. Kozzek

  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Aunt Magda

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Family Affair(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • My Mother the Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 30 episodes · as Gladys Crabtree

  • The Legend of Jesse James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Widow Fay

  • Sylvia(1965)

    as Mrs. Argona / Grace Argona

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Lady in a Cage(1964)

    as Sade

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Best Man(1964)

    as Sue Ellen Gamadge

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 7 episodes · as Rosie Harrigan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Helen Cox

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Della Spencer

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Martha

  • The Ann Sothern Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 93 episodes · as Katy O'Connor

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Susie MacNamara

  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Lady in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Liza

  • The Blue Gardenia(1953)

    as Crystal Carpenter

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Private Secretary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 104 episodes · as Susie McNamara

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Christine Emerson

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Liz Quiz

  • Shadow on the Wall(1950)

    as Dell Faring

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Nancy Goes to Rio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Frances Elliott

  • A Letter to Three Wives(1949)

    as Rita Phipps

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Words and Music(1948)

    as Joyce Harmon

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • April Showers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as June Tyme

  • The Judge Steps Out(1948)

    as Peggy

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Undercover Maisie(1947)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Up Goes Maisie(1946)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Maisie Goes to Reno(1944)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • Cry 'Havoc'(1943)

    as Pat

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Swing Shift Maisie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Maisie Ravier

  • Thousands Cheer(1943)

    as Ann Sothern

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Three Hearts for Julia(1943)

    as Julia Seabrook

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • You, John Jones! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Mary Jones

  • Panama Hattie(1942)

    as Hattie Maloney

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Maisie Gets Her Man(1942)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Lady Be Good(1941)

    as Dixie Donegan Crane

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Ringside Maisie(1941)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Maisie Was a Lady(1941)

    as Maisie Ravier

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Dulcy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dulcy Ward

  • Gold Rush Maisie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Maisie Ravier

  • Brother Orchid(1940)

    as Florence 'Flo' Addams

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Congo Maisie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Maisie Ravier

  • Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Ethel Turp

  • Fast and Furious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Garda Sloane

  • Hotel for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Ellen Connelly

  • Maisie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Maisie Ravier / Mary Anastasia O'Connor

  • Trade Winds(1938)

    as Jean Livingstone

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • She's Got Everything(1937)

    as Carol Rogers

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • There Goes the Groom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Bettina Louise "Betty" Russell

  • Danger - Love at Work(1937)

    as Antoinette "Toni" Pemberton

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Super-Sleuth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mary Strand

  • Fifty Roads to Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Millicent Kendall

  • There Goes My Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Connie Taylor

  • Dangerous Number (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Eleanor

  • Smartest Girl in Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Frances Cooke

  • Walking on Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Kit Bennett

  • My American Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mary Cantillon

  • Don't Gamble with Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Ann Edwards

  • Hell-Ship Morgan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mary Taylor

  • You May Be Next! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Fay Stevens

  • Grand Exit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Adrienne Martin / Adeline Maxwell

  • The Girl Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Linda Henry

  • Hooray for Love(1935)

    as Patricia Thatcher

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Eight Bells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Marge Walker

  • Folies Bergère de Paris(1935)

    as Mimi

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Kid Millions(1934)

    as Joan Larrabee

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Party's Over (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Ruth Walker

  • Blind Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Kitty Taylor

  • The Hell Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Geraldine Sloane

  • Melody in Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Jane Blodgett

  • Let's Fall in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Jean

  • Broadway Thru a Keyhole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Singer

  • Whoopee!(1930)

    as Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Madam Satan(1930)

    as Zeppelin Reveler (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The March of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

  • Good News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Student

  • Song of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Bit Part

  • Show of Shows(1929)

    as Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers (as Harriet Lake)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Broadway Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Showgirl (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 104 titles from 1927 to 1994; peak year 1975.

Biggest box office

The Whales of August (1987)

$1.3M worldwide

Highest rated

The Best Man (1964)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Film career

19271994

Peak 1975 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting104 of 104: 104 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s35 · acting1940s22 · acting1950s12 · acting1960s14 · acting1970s15 · acting1980s3 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 18% of 11 roles
3070

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Ann Sothern's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

A Letter to Three Wives (1985)

80th percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Best Man (1964)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 32 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ann Sothern work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ann Sothern's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Wilson Collison shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers