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Buy The Ann Sothern Show on DVD
No DVDs are available for The Ann Sothern Show
so I substituted Private Secretary which was her previous tv show.
Private Secretary: Volumes 1-4
The Ann Sothern Show
October 6, 1958 - September 25, 1961(92) one half hour episodes (three seasons)
in B&W on CBS
Produced by: Desi Arnaz, William Andrew with Desilu Productions
CAST
- Ann Sothern .......... Katy O'Connor
- Ann Tyrrell .......... Olive Smith
- Don Porter ........... James Devery (season 2)
- Jack Mullaney ........ Johnny Wallace
- Ken Berry ............ Woody Hamilton
- Reta Shaw ............ Florence McCauley
- Ernest Truex ......... Jason McCauley (season 1)
- Louis Nye ............ Dr. Delbert Gray
- Jacques Scott ........ Paul Martine
Opening Theme
"Katy"Composed By: Bonnie Lake
Performed By: Ann Sothern
STORYLINE
Ann Sothern had a comedy series named Private Secretary from 1953-1958 but because of a disagreement with the producer of that show it ended. Not to throw away a good audience draw the network almost immediately came up with a new vehicle for Ann, appropriately named The Ann Sothern Show.In this one Ann as Katy O'Connor plays the assistant manager of an upscale New York City hotel. Working with her are her secretary and best friend Olive Smith (Ann Tyrrell), Paul Martine (Jacques Scott) the French front desk clerk and Johnny Wallace (Jack Mullaney) the bell boy who pines after Katy, of course to no avail.
Now when it comes to Katy's manager we have two different ones, a boss for each season. In season one her boss is Jason Macauley (Ernest Truex) a kind hearted man who is hen-pecked by his domineering wife, Florence (Reta Shaw). In the next season Macauley is transferred to a hotel in India and is replaced by James Devery (Don Porter). Katy had been expecting to get the managers job after the transfer so she had mixed feelings about her new boss.
As the show progresses Katy and Devery have romantic feelings for each other and eventually are seen kissing in the last scene of the last show before it was canceled. Olive also has a love interest when Louie Nye is added to the cast as Dr. Delbert Gray a good natured dentist. They marry in the final season.
This is a cute situational comedy with a lot of physical humor thrown in. Ann Sothern was often compared to Lucille Ball and the two were friends. Ann did an episode of Lucy's new show and in return Lucy did one for Ann. Desilu Studios produced both shows. More cross-overs like this were done in later seasons.
Video Clip of The Ann Sothern Show
Passings
Ann Sothern died in 2001 of heart failure, she was 92 years oldAnn Tyrrell passed away in 1983, she was 74
Don Porter died in 1997, he was 84
Jack Mullaney died in 1982 of a stroke, he was only 52
Reta Shaw died in 1982 of emphysema, she was 69
Louis Nye died of lung cancer in 2005, he was 92 and still working
