Ann Sothern

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 3:23am

Just caught the end of the mystery guest segment on What's My Line with Ann Sothern.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 1:53pm

I think it was the summer of 1968 and this little princess-in-training went to Valley Forge Music Fair and caught a Wednesday matinee of Ann Sothern in Gypsy.

It was blazing hot and we were in a tent with no fans much less air conditioning. The Music Fair circuit performed in the round and the entrance aisles were long and steep especially so for a woman of a certain age and heft particularly in high heels. Ann needed an apprentice to assist her up and down the aisles. But she did a good job to my 18 year old eyes and ears.

On matinees the tent never went dark in a 'blackout'. The lights would go off and the cast onstage would break and reassemble for the next scene in full view of the audience and we just bought into it.

For "The Strip", Louise wore about three tight, thin-fabric gowns and was underdressed. For the quick changes she just stepped off the playing area, peeled off a gown in front of us, got a few new hand props, stepped back on stage and went on with the number. There wasn't time to run up the aisle and do the change and come back down. Those aisles were 40-50 feet long and maybe a 20-30 degree angle.

Ah, the days of real summer stock.

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 3:41pm

It must have been fun seeing Ann.

Updated On: 5/2/08 at 03:41 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 8:43pm

I love Ann Sothern, I have (very) vague memories of her television show - in B & W! Repeats I might add. Updated On: 5/1/08 at 08:43 PM

[Kristie-K2]

Posted: 5/1/08 at 9:04pm

Loved her in A Letter to Three Wives and later as Sade in Lady in a Cage.....Very underrated actress.....

I am glad the Academy finally gave her an Oscar Nomination before she died...

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 9:32am

GREAT in A Letter to Three Wives--what a fun, modern old film--remarkably fresh and relevant.

She probably would have won that Oscar if Olympia hadn't been so awesome, Kristie!

[nmartin]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 9:39am

She was by far the best thing about The Whales of August.
"Where is the old warhorse?"

[roquat]

Posted: 5/2/08 at 6:11pm

My best friend does a hilarious monologue as Ann Sothern re "Whales of August". It begins like this--

"When I died last year, I thought my career was over, but then someone called me to be the young ingenue in 'The Whales of August'"...