Robert Sterling
Birth : 1917-11-13, New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA
Death : 2006-05-30
History
Robert Sterling, born William Sterling Hart (November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was an American film and television actor.
The son of baseball player and umpire Bill Hart, he was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pittsburgh 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 star William S. Hart. In 1941, Sterling went to MGM. He worked steadily as a supporting player for several years. After serving in World War II as an Army Air Force flight instructor, he returned to Hollywood, but by the end of the decade, his film career had faltered. He did, however, play the non-singing role of Steve Baker, opposite Ava Gardner as Julie, in the hit MGM 1951 film version of Show Boat.
Sterling later revived his acting career on the small screen with numerous appearances on Television.
Self
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event, for which ticket-buyers payed up to $1,000 a seat (tax-deductible as a contribution to the Actors' Fund) was billed as "The Night of 100 Stars" but, actually, around 230 stars took part. And most of the audience of 5,800 had no idea in advance that they were paying to see a TV taping, complete with long waits for set and costume changes, tape rewinding, and the like. Executive producer Alexander Cohen estimated that the 5,800 Radio City Music Hall seats sold out at prices ranging from $25 to $1,000. The show itself cost about $4 million to produce and was expected to yield around $2 million for the new addition to the Actors Fund retirement home in Englewood, N. J. ABC is reputed to have paid more than $5 million for the television rights.
Colonel Day
In this sequel to "Rich Man, Poor Man," moviemaker Gretchen Jordache, the until-now unseen sister, strives to pull the family together after the murder of brother Tom and the disappearance of brother Rudy by first reestablishing contact with her soldier son, and then patching things up with her sister-in-law, Kate, Tom's widow.
Bob
Three letters, whose delivery has been delayed by a year, change the lives of the people to whom they were addressed.
Randy Sterling
Bob Hope becomes surrogate father to a baby found abandoned at the United Nations. Director Jack Arnold's 1964 comedy also stars Yvonne De Carlo, Robert Sterling, John McGiver and Lilo Pulver.
Captain Lee Crane
The crew of an atomic submarine battle to save the world from global destruction.
Mike Rossi
Residents of the small town of Peyton Place aren't pleased when they realize they're the characters in local writer Allison MacKenzie's controversial first novel. A sequel to the hit 1957 film.
John Copeland
This live TV adaptation of the Broadway musical "Dearest Enemy" from 1925 is based on an American Revolutionary War incident in September 1776 when Mary Lindley Murray, under orders from General George Washington, detained General William Howe and his British troops by serving them cake, wine and conversation in her Kips Bay, Manhattan home long enough for some 4,000 American soldiers, fleeing their loss in the Battle of Brooklyn, to reassemble in Washington Heights and join reinforcements to make a successful counterattack.
Capt. Lee Whitlock
In the weeks prior to the start of the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers hope to help their cause by inciting a Navajo war in the New Mexico Territory. Director Frederick de Cordova's 1953 western stars Audie Murphy, Robert Sterling, Joan Evans, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, Palmer Lee, Jack Kelly, James Best, Bob Steele and Ralph Moody.
Steven Baker
A dashing Mississippi river gambler wins the affections of the daughter of the owner of the Show Boat.
Det. Sgt. Steve Johnson
Police sergeants Johnson and McManus take on Los Angeles confidence tricksters. Con man Tony Wells, lining up rich widow Jessica Royce as his latest mark, sets up a false paranormal society with other charlatans to convince the credulous Jessica that her late son is speaking to her through their sham seances. When the plan leads to murder, Johnson and McManus must bring the group down before they kill again.
David Grant
Business mogul's son David Grant uses his father's power to extricate himself from problems - until implication in a woman's death tests David's willingness to avoid responsibility.
Tom Cloud
Brother is pitted against brother in this tale of fueding ranchers in the old west.
Clay Phillips
Rancher Clay and his brother, Steve, head out across the Sonora mountain pass, followed by Lednov, an ex-con seeking revenge on Clay for putting him behind bars. Clay and Steve unexpectedly cross paths with a group of dance hall girls -- including Mary, Marcia and Helen -- whose stagecoach has broken down, and help them get to the nearest ranch, where Lednov unfortunately catches up to Clay.
Chase N. Addams
Penny Addams lives in a constant state of depression stemming from the trauma of her father's death when she was just a young girl. Her brother, Chase, and stepmother, Lee, work to help Penny process her grief through psychotherapy and revisiting their past, but only the revelation of long-buried family secrets -- including her mother's secret lover and the true nature of her father's death -- can bring Penny out of her intense despair.
Captain
This United States Army Air Forces short documentary depicts various pieces of official advice for pilots of the A-26 fighter bomber aircraft. Special attention is paid to the attitude of the ship on take-off and landing, which varies from other planes of the period due to a new type of wing shape. Instructions are given on stall speeds, engine failure, and landing in single-engine flight.
Kirk 'Junior' Davis
Brothers feud over a girl they both fall for while covering World War II.
Lee White
A young newlywed (Robert Sterling) finds working for his nasty father-in-law difficult.
Dr. Donald 'Don' Winthrop
Dr. Gillespie supports Kildare's crusade against their hospital's deal with a rival hospital.
(uncredited)
In this "Romance of Celluloid", MGM showcases performers whose careers are just starting. Excerpts from their recently released films are included. The narrator says that moviegoers will have to decide whether these fledgling actors and actresses have that certain quality that made superstars out of MGM players Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Lana Turner.
Dick 'Dickie' Williams
A woman pretends to be her own twin sister to win back her straying husband.
Jimmy Courtney
A charming racketeer seduces the DA's stepdaughter for revenge, then falls in love.
Terry Dolan, aka Young O'Hara
Young undefeated boxer Terry Dolan, who's been lying to his invalid mother about his career, confides to Maisie that he hates and is terrified by boxing and wants out. Not wanting to let down his best friend and manager Skeets Maguire, who has hopes of him becoming the next champion, he is reluctant to bring up the subject with him. Maisie convinces Terry to tell Skeets, whose unexpected reaction induces him to step into the ring again.
Jeff Crane
A jailed cop befriends a mob chieftain and stages a breakout with him.
'Lucky' Wilson
A gangster hides out on a farm and falls for the farmer's daughter.
Edward McCormick
In this crime drama, a ruthless gangster's son is soon following in his father's footsteps. When his daddy kills an FBI agent and a cabby, the boy sees it all. Fortunately the courts intervene and send the lad off to live with a family of farmers.
Billy Brewster
The Cisco Kid and his buddy Gordito arrive in town and learn that Cisco is supposedly dead. Not only that: Before his death, he is believed to have attempted to steal Susan Wetherby's land.
Johnny Farrell
A couple can't make ends meet. He is an airplane mechanic and makes extra money testing planes. When the baby arrives things get better.
Trophy Presenter
An obnoxious heckler at a baseball game infuriates everybody.
Gangster at Cozy Auto Court
To save money, Buster and his wife decide to drive to Detroit to buy a new car, then drive it home.
Henchman
Feature version of the American serial film, produced for export only, never exhibited in the USA, and believed to be a lost film.
Warehouseman Taking Fight Pool Money (uncredited)
A fighter trains for the big bout, and discovers that his opponent is his girlfriend's brother.
Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Kenny Williams, a lieutenant on the homicide squad, is engaged to Maxine Carroll, the Mayor's secretary. Or isn't he rather married with his job? For each time he has a date with his longtime fiancée, he is prevented from keeping it by his devotion to duty. Maxine, in desperation, decides to take action and bring Kenny to the altar. Who will win, Maxine's curves or the glorious fight against crime?
Dithers' Employee (uncredited)
Baby Dumpling, the six-year-old son of Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead disappears from sight during his first day at school. While Dagwood frantically combs the city in search of the boy, Baby Dumpling spents a nice, safe afternoon with poor little rich girl Melinda Mason, who with her new playmate's help arises from her sickbed to walk across the room for the first time in months.
Bellboy (uncredited)
A bumbling detective chases an escaped convict in an amusement park haunted house in Coney Island.
Senate Reporter (uncredited)
Naive and idealistic Jefferson Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, is appointed to the United States Senate by the puppet governor of his state. He soon discovers, upon going to Washington, many shortcomings of the political process as his earnest goal of a national boys' camp leads to a conflict with the state political boss.
Reporter (uncredited)
Twenty years earlier, Mary Cabot had lost contact with her infant daughter Justine. Now a grown woman, Justine accidentally shoots a man who'd impugned the reputation of her mother, whom she's never met. As luck would have it, the presiding judge at Justine's trial is none other than Mary Cabot.
Elevator Boy
Despite his talent as a musician, a city boy decides to become a boxer. He's successful as a fighter — much to the dismay of his parents. When gangsters try to by a piece of him, he begins to have second thoughts.
First Reporter (uncredited)
Dr. Henryk Savaard is a scientist working on experiments to restore life to the dead. When he is unjustly hanged for murder, he is brought back to life by his trusted assistant. Re-animated he turns decidedly nasty and sets about murdering the jury that convicted him.
Student (uncredited)
Jenny Swanson, a waitress on a college campus, is dying to visit Paris. Thanks to English professor Ronald Brooke, she manages to make her dream come true. Besides seeing the sights in the French capital she makes friends with a wealthy family there, the Brands.
Cigarette Customer at Adjacent Table (uncredited)
A millionaire vacationing in Mexico falls for a local girl and sets out to win her.
Bit Role
A traveling performer arrives at a remote South American port town where the head of an air freight service must risk his pilots' lives to earn a major contract.
Henchman
Mandrake and his team attempt to prevent "The Wasp" from stealing and using a new Radium invention.
Soda Shop Extra
A young girl begins to wonder if she really fits into the upper-class sorority she's trying to join.
Office Worker / Man Dancing with Millie (uncredited)
Dagwood inadvertently gets cornered in to resigning. When his wife Blondie tries to ask Dagwoods boss Mr. Dithers for his job back, he ends up hiring her instead. This doesn't sit too well with Dagwood. Blondie's sister comes to visit, and Dagwood is put in a compromising situation with another woman.
