I am so frustrated I could scream! Another great actress with practically no movies on DVD!!! And every one of my favorite Ann Sothern movies is among the unreleased. Seriously, if I had the money I would just pay to have all these movies released on DVD. It's a crime that they are just floating out there somewhere in oblivion, occasionally resurrected by TCM, and then sent back to oblivion again. Errr!
Anyway, you can see Ann Sothern in a few good movies on DVD, including Brother Orchid with Edward G. Robinson and one of her later movies, The Best Man, where she plays a slightly annoying woman at a political convention. It's fun to see her transition from leading lady to character actress, though!
What you can't see is her amazing work in the 1930's where she was a Grade A comedienne. I just watched a movie on TCM starring her and Gene Raymond and I have mentally added it to my top 20 movie list. It had great co-stars (Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes and Helen Broderick) and I whole-heartedly believe that it was written for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers before Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond were signed on to star. I have nothing to back this up except for my complete belief whilst watching the movie that it was a Fred and Ginger musical without Fred, Ginger and music.
Anyhow.... once the DVD Gods finally get around to releasing her films for public viewing, please rent every one of them and enjoy to your hearts content! Until then, I guess I'll just convince myself to be happy that at least a few of her films are available....
PS. I am only 90% satisfied with this portrait, so sometime in the near future I'll be drawing Ann Sothern again to capture her likeness more accurately. Just a heads up!
5 comments:
I would definitely say she was underrated. I just watched her on Love,American Style and thought she was amazing as Brandon De Wilde's mother. Oh I just saw the comment you left for me on my page, and here is my response.
I'm hoping to write a book about the underrated actors and actresses from the golden age.
The Dana Andrews' myspace page is www.myspace.com/danaandrews1909
Ann Sothern is one actress I have never been able to watch much of (can't get cable where I live, so no TCM)! But, would love to see more.
Have you ever seen the I Love Lucy she was on? She wasn't playing herself. She was playing Lucy's best friend, before she met Ricky. That was REALLY funny.
Very nice. I like Ann Sothern. You really captured the detail with the curls in her hair.
I have a few of Sothern's movies on tape (because of course, no DVD!).
I have to admit, I'm not very familiar with her work. I have only seen a few of her films where she had somewhat small roles. Do you know what the title is of her movie with Gene Raymond? From what you said, it does seem as if it were made for Fred Ginger : )
Nicole- I just looked at your myspace page. I love the still from My Foolish Heart- it's my favorite of Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward's films!
Millie- I haven't seen that episode. I wonder if I can look it up on netflix...
Raquelle- Thank you :) Same for me-- almost every movie of hers that I've seen has been recorded off of tv. Although I got a DVD recorder in 2007 and no movie has been spared! I'm up to 1000 movies on dvd now!
Genevieve- The movie is called The Smartest Girl in Town. Here is the tcm link: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=90551&atid=3904 It isn't scheduled right now, but if I see that it's going to be on I'll email you. It's really a great film. Oh, and there is one song in it that Gene Raymond actually wrote! I love trivia like that :)
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