Ann Sothern

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On March 15, 2001, actress Ann Sothern died. She was born Harriet Arlene Lake on January 22, 1909 in Valley City, North Dakota. Sothern began her film career as an extra in the 1927 film, Broadway Nights at the age of 18. In 1934, Sothern signed a contract with Columbia Pictures, but after two years the studio released her. In 1936, she was signed by RKO and after a string of films that failed to attract an audience; Sothern left RKO and was signed by MGM, making her first film for them in 1939. MGM cast Sothern in Maisie (1939), and after years of struggling, Sothern had her first major success, and a string of "Maisie" comedy sequels. 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. She resumed working sporadically on television until the mid-1980s. 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 Academy Award nomination. 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 attack at 92. She is buried at Ketchum Cemetery in Ketchum, Idaho.