Jean Sothern (December 5, 1893 – April 14, 1964) was an American actress in

silent films A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, and radio. She had leading roles in silent films and became popular before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Life and career

Sothern was born on December 5, 1893, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Sothern starred alongside

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

in the 1915 silent film, ''The Two Orphans'', as one of the title characters. It was followed by her well known portrayal of the character of Myra on the film serial '' The Mysteries of Myra''. In 1930, Sothern auditioned with Columbia Broadcasting to perform with their dramatic radio department. On radio, Sothern was heard regularly on ''Majestic Theater of the Air'' and played Katie on ''Robinson Crusoe, Jr.'' Sothern died from esophageal cancer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on April 14, 1964.

Filmography

*''Dr. Rameau'' (1915) *'' The Two Orphans'' (1915), as Louise *''

Should a Mother Tell? ''Should A Mother Tell?'' is a lost 1915 silent film drama directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Betty Nansen. The scenario was by future director Rex Ingram with the film being produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation The Fox ...

'' (1915), as Pamela Baudin *'' The Mysteries of Myra'' (1916), a serial, as Myra Maynard *'' Miss Deception'' (1917) *'' A Mother's Ordeal'' (1917) *'' Peg o' the Sea'' (1918), as Peg

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sothern, Jean American silent film actresses 1893 births 1964 deaths Vaudeville performers American radio actresses People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Deaths from esophageal cancer Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Actresses from Philadelphia 20th-century American actresses