OBITUARIES

Ann Sothern, Actress, 92



Actress Ann Sothern died of heart failure in Ketchum, Idaho on Thurs., March 15. She was 92.

Sothern's career began at the age of 18 as an extra in the early film musical, "The Show of Shows." She went on to appear in over 70 films, earning an Academy Award nomination in 1987 at the age of 78 for her work co-starring with Lillian Gish and Bette Davis in "The Whales of August."

In 1931, the actress played the ingenue in "Everybody's Welcome," the play upon which "Casablanca" was based.

By 1933, she was on contract at Columbia Pictures and made such B-titles as "The Hell Cat," "Eight Bells," and "Smartest Girl in Town." A role in the MGM film "Trade Winds" in 1939 led to her being cast as the title character in the first of the "Maisie" film series, which eventually spanned 10 films. In 1947, she was cast as Kirk Douglas' wife in "Letter to Three Wives."

On television, Sothern produced her own show, "Private Secretary," from 1953-57, and then "The Ann Sothern Show," which began its run in 1958. For her work on the two shows, she earned five Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe.



Lee Winston, Actor, 60



Actor Lee Winston died from an apparent heart attack in Westchester on Sat., March 17. He was 60.

At the time, Winston was at the Westchester Film Festival promoting his feature film, "Chelsea's Chappa-qua," but he is best known for his 30-year career in opera and on Broadway.

He began his career in Dallas Summer Musicals in the 1960s, and went on to work as a tenor in the National Opera Company of Raleigh, where his talent was spotted by Off-Broadway and Broadway producers who soon put him to work in his Broadway debut, the Music Theater of Lincoln Center's revival of "Show-boat" in 1966.

Winston continued to work in opera companies including the New York City Opera and the Wexford Opera in Ireland, as well as Off-Broadway ("The Drunkard," 1966; "Oklahoma," 1978; several productions at Expanded Arts), on Broadway ("The Music Man," 1979, with Dick Van Dyke), and in national tours ("1776" and "Canterbury Tales").

Winston lived in Manhattan with his companion, P.J. Nelson.