Sara Viola Warmbrodt, later known as Sothern was, born in Arkansas City, Kansas, to Elizabeth Ann Wilson and Samuel Sylvester Warmbrodt. Her paternal grandfather, Samuel Warmbrodt, hailed from Switzerland.
Sothern's theatrical career was already well-established by the time she made her Broadway debut in "The Dagger" in 1925, followed by "Arabesque" and "Fool's Bells" that same year. She then appeared in "Mama Loves Papa" in 1926, and went on to perform in various plays across the United States, including venues in Downtown Los Angeles.
In 1926, Sothern married art dealer Francis Lenn Taylor in New York City, and they had two children: Howard Taylor, born in 1929, and the renowned actress Elizabeth Taylor, born in 1932.
After her marriage, Sothern retired from the stage and never acted again. The family relocated to England, where her children were born, before returning to the United States. Settling in Los Angeles, California, Sothern devoted herself to her family and the burgeoning film career of her daughter.
Sothern passed away at the age of 99 in Palm Springs, and is buried beside her husband in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles.
