Robert Sterling | |
|---|---|
 Sterling in 1956 | |
| Born | William Sterling Hart (1917-11-13)November 13, 1917 New Castle,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 30, 2006(2006-05-30) (aged 88) |
| Alma mater | University of Pittsburgh |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1939–1986 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingTisha Sterling |
Robert Sterling (bornWilliam Sterling Hart; November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was anAmerican actor. He was best known for starring in the television seriesTopper (1953–1955).[1]
In 1960, Sterling was honored with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry.
Sterling was born William Sterling Hart inNew Castle, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km) northwest ofPittsburgh. The son ofChicago Cubs baseball playerWilliam Frank Hart,[2] he attended theUniversity of Pittsburgh[3] and worked as a clothing salesman before pursuing an acting career.
After signing with Columbia Pictures in 1939, he changed his name to Robert Sterling to avoid confusion with silent western starWilliam S. Hart.[3] His name was legally changed while he was asecond lieutenant attending flight training inMarfa in West Texas in 1943.[4]
Sterling appeared in small parts for Columbia movies, often uncredited:Blondie Meets the Boss (1939),Romance of the Redwoods (1939),First Offenders (1939),Outside These Walls (1939),The Chump Takes a Bump (1939),That Girl from College (1939), and a serialMandrake the Magician (1939).
He was inOnly Angels Have Wings (1939),Missing Daughters (1939), and a short withBuster Keaton,Pest from the West (1939). Sterling was inGood Girls Go to Paris (1939),The Man They Could Not Hang (1939),Golden Boy (1939),The Gates of Alcatraz (1939),A Woman Is the Judge (1939),The Story of Charles Goodyear (1939),Scandal Sheet (1939),Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939),Beware Spooks! (1939),Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939),The Amazing Mr Williams (1939),Glove Slingers (1939),The Awful Goof (1939) (a short), andCrime's End (1939).
He was inNothing But Pleasure (1940) aBuster Keaton short, andThe Heckler (1940) a short withCharley Chase,
At20th Century Fox he played the lead inManhattan Heartbeat (1940) andYesterday's Heroes (1940). He was inThe Gay Caballero (1940)
In November 1940, Sterling went toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[5] He appeared inThe Penalty (1941) and had the lead inI'll Wait for You (1941),The Getaway (1941), andRingside Maisie (1941) withAnn Sothern, whom he would later marry.
He had a good support role inTwo-Faced Woman (1941) withGreta Garbo andJohnny Eager (1941) with Robert Taylor. Sterling could also be seen inDr. Kildare's Victory (1942) andThis Time for Keeps (1942). He was billed third inSomewhere I'll Find You (1942), afterClark Gable andLana Turner - one of MGM's biggest films of the year. But just as it seemed Sterling was about to break through as a star he joined the service.[6]
Sterling served inWorld War II as aUnited States Army Air Corpsflight instructor. He got out of the army in October 1945 and MGM announced him forThe Last Time I Saw Paris but the film would not be made for several years, and not with Sterling.[7] He appeared inThe Secret Heart (1946) at MGM.
AtRKO he had the lead inRoughshod (1949). He made an independent Western,The Sundowners (1950) withRobert Preston andJohn Drew Barrymore, and didBunco Squad (1951) at RKO.
He was appearing on Broadway inThe Gramercy Ghost when he formed a relationship with actress/singerAnne Jeffreys.[8]
On television, Sterling starred in "The Man Who Had Influence", the May 29, 1950, episode ofStudio One.[9] He also appeared on such shows asThe Ford Theatre Hour,Showtime, U.S.A.,The Clock,The Web (starring in the episode "Homecoming"),Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre,Celanese Theatre,Lights Out (one episode withGrace Kelly),Betty Crocker Star Matinee (an episode withAudrey Hepburn),Suspense,The Gulf Playhouse,Robert Montgomery Presents,Studio One in Hollywood (an adaptation ofThe Ambassadors), andClimax!.
Sterling had an excellent part as Steve Baker, oppositeAva Gardner as Julie, in the hit MGM 1951 film version ofShow Boat. He supportedAudie Murphy inColumn South (1953). He and his second wife, actressAnne Jeffreys, also developed a night club act.[8]
Sterling is perhaps most well known for starring with Jeffreys as the spirited George Kerby, to Jeffreys' Marion Kerby in the television programTopper, based on the 1937 original filmTopper; Sterling playedCary Grant's role in the TV series, which aired on the CBS network from 1953 to 1955.Leo G. Carroll starred in the title role. Wife Marion Kerby was referred to as "the ghostess with the mostest", while Sterling's character was known as "that most sporty spirit". Mr. Carroll's titular character was introduced as "host to said ghosts".
In 1955 he and Jeffreys appeared in a TV production ofDearest Enemy, adapted byNeil Simon. He continued to guest star on such shows asThe Loretta Young Show,Lux Video Theatre,Star Stage,The 20th Century-Fox Hour,The Ford Television Theatre,Cavalcade of America, andTelephone Time.
On December 18, 1957, Sterling and Jeffreys played a couple with an unusual courtship arrangement in "The Julie Gage Story" on the first season ofNBC'sWagon Train.[10]
In 1958, the couple co-starred in another comedy series,Love That Jill on ABC. Sterling and Jeffreys portrayed heads of rival modeling agencies in New York City.[11]: 631
Sterling appeared onThe United States Steel Hour, then returned to features at Fox. He had good roles inReturn to Peyton Place (1961), as Mike Rossi, husband ofEleanor Parker, andVoyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) forIrwin Allen.
In the 1961–1962 television season, Sterling co-starred withGeorge Chandler andReta Shaw inCBS'sIchabod and Me.[11][12]
In 1963, Sterling starred inThe Twilight Zone episode "Printer's Devil" alongsideBurgess Meredith. He was also inThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour andNaked City, plusA Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope.
After some additional television work in the early 1960s, Sterling made only sporadic appearances in later shows such as the hospital dramaThe Bold Ones, the sitcomsNanny and the Professor,Love, American Style,Diana andThe Brian Keith Show, the TV movieLetters from Three Lovers (1973), and the miniseriesBeggarman, Thief in 1979.[13]
In the 1970s Sterling was a vice president and the spokesman for a company that implemented the software for one of the first supermarket barcoding and computer inventory systems. He later launched Sterling & Sons, a Santa Monica company that manufactured custom golf clubs.[8]
In the 1980s he guest starred on shows likeFantasy Island,Simon & Simon,Masquerade,Murder, She Wrote, andHotel.
Sterling's star on theHollywood Walk of Fame is located at 1709 Vine Street.
Sterling was married twice. His first marriage, in 1943, was to actress-singerAnn Sothern. They had a daughter,Patricia, who became an actress. Sothern and Sterling divorced in 1949.[3]
Sterling met actress-singerAnne Jeffreys soon after hisBroadway debut, and they wed in 1951 and remained married for 55 years until his death. They had three sons.
Sterling died Tuesday, May 30, 2006, aged 88, at his home inBrentwood,Los Angeles,California. According to the Associated Press, his son, Jeffrey, indicated that Sterling died of natural causes and also suffered from debilitatingshingles for the last decade of his life.[2] He wascremated and his ashes were returned to his family.[14]
