Private Secretary

This was Miss Sothern's first and most successful attempt at a primetime TV series(the later was THE ANN SOTHERN SHOW). PRIVATE SECRETARY ran on CBS from 1953-57 and was an excellent showcase for Sothern's warm, inviting personality and impeccable comedic talents. Before the highly popular television show, Miss Sothern had been a major musical and comedy star at MGM in the 1940's, and appeared in the classic, award-winning comedy film A LETTER TO THREE WIVES at Twentieth Century Fox in 1949. Miss Sothern would later play the titular role in the interestingly titled 1965-66 series MY MOTHER, THE CAR. The great actress made her last film appearance in 1987 in THE WHALES OF AUGUST, for which she received a much deserved Oscar nomination.

This was a very pleasant sitcom from the fifties which highlights the comedic talents of Ann Sothern. Miss Sothern was beautiful and witty and the series, which was set at a New York talent agency, had a very good supporting cast as well. As Mr. Sands, Susie's boss, we have Don Porter who had a definite chemistry with Miss Sothern. As Violet Praskins we have Ann Tyrell, who is sort of an ersatz Ethel Mertz. The episodes that I have on my DVD are a good cross-section of shows for the series. One of the best has Zasu Pitts as a guest star. This series ended in 1957 after Ann had a fight with producer Jack Chertok over residuals. There was talk of continuing the series with another actress, so the reruns were titled Susie. The following year, Ann Sothern came back with "The Ann Sothern Show" which cast Ann as Katy O'Connor, the assistant manager of the Bartley House hotel. Cast as her boss was Ernest Truex, but by mid-season of it's first year, Don Porter was brought back to play her boss once again. Ann Tyrell was back this time as Olive.

This popular sitcom ran on CBS from 1953-57 and was the TV series debut of the great film and stage actress Ann Sothern. PRIVATE SECRETARY featured Sothern as Susie McNamara, the cute, friendly, and hard-working secretary of successful New York talent agent Peter Sands(played by Don Porter). Much of the action of the series revolved around Susie's efforts to help solve the personal problems of her boss, her friends, and various others.

PRIVATE SECRETARY was an excellent showcase for the comedic talents of the inimitable Ann Sothern, who also found fame and fortune in such Hollywood films as KID MILLIONS, TRADE WINDS, LADY BE GOOD, PANAMA HATTIE, CRY HAVOC, A LETTER TO THREE WIVES(her best), and the MAISIE film series.

Other regulars of the TV show were Ann Tyrrell as Vi Praskins, a friend and co-worker of Susie's, and Joan Banks as Sylvia, Susie's other frequently seen female friend.

Although PRIVATE SECRETARY was cancelled in 1957, Ann Sothern returned to prime-time TV a year later with another sitcom, THE ANN SOTHERN SHOW(1958-61), featuring her former series co-stars, Ann Tyrrell and Don Porter in supporting roles.

PRIVATE SECRETARY was later shown in syndication as SUSIE.

Television provided a lease on life for the careers of so many players in the second tier in Hollywood. As fewer films were made many had to go to television for work.

One of the luckiest in that regard was Ann Sothern who had series experience of a sort when she starred in the long running Maisie series of films. Sothern found herself a role that perfectly suited her personality, Susie McNamara Private Secretary to theatrical agent Don Porter and all around girl Friday. It was like Maisie Revere had given up the life of a wandering showgirl and took typing and stenography and became a secretary.

Sothern's character has been compared to Lucille Ball, but I think there was a world of difference. Sothern never did harebrained stuff like Lucy Ricardo did. She always zealously guarded the interests of her boss and never had to be rescued from the consequences of a plan. Her's usually worked.

The Ethel Mertz of the story was Ann Tyrell who was the switchboard operator. Tyrell sometimes bordered on the hysterical waiting to see if a Sothern scheme would work. She also had the longest neck I've ever seen, it's one of the things I remember well as a kid seeing this show.

The comic villain was Jesse White as rival bottom feeding agent Cagey Calhoun. As Michael Francis Calhoun was nicknamed 'Cagey' he in turn called her 'Foxy' the only one whoever did. White always thought he was so clever and lost as many times as Wile E. Coyote.

Wit and character were the hallmarks of Private Secretary which would be great if it were revived for the 21st century. It's timeless.

I think the best episode in this series would have to be the "efficiency expert" show, I feel this should be shown to many companies that do way too much "cost cutting" without considering the ramifications!

Ann Sothern & Ann Tyrell were a great team!