Robert Sterling

Acting

Robert Sterling

Born 1917-11-13 · New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA

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.

Acting credits

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington poster
7.8

After the death of a United States Senator, the idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. The naive and earnest new senator soon finds himself battling political corruption.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

The Secret Heart poster
6.5

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 Lee's secret lover and the true nature of her father's death -- can bring Penny out of her intense despair.

The Secret Heart

1946

The Get-Away poster
6.0

A jailed cop befriends a mob chieftain and stages a breakout with him.

The Get-Away

1941

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea poster
5.7

The crew of an atomic submarine battle to save the world from global destruction.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

1961

Two-Faced Woman poster
6.4

A woman pretends to be her own twin sister to win back her straying husband.

Two-Faced Woman

1941

Bunco Squad poster
6.1

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.

Bunco Squad

1950

The Amazing Mr. Williams poster
6.0

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?

The Amazing Mr. Williams

1939

Only Angels Have Wings poster
7.3

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.

Only Angels Have Wings

1939

The Penalty poster
7.4

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.

The Penalty

1941

Show Boat poster
6.2

A dashing Mississippi river gambler wins the affections of the daughter of the owner of the Show Boat.

Show Boat

1951

Night of 100 Stars poster
5.8

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 paid 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.

Night of 100 Stars

1982

Somewhere I'll Find You poster
5.7

Journalist brothers feud over a woman they both fall for while covering World War II in the far east.

Somewhere I'll Find You

1942

Beware Spooks! poster
8.5

A bumbling detective chases an escaped convict in an amusement park haunted house in Coney Island.

Beware Spooks!

1939

Golden Boy poster
6.5

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 father. When gangsters try to buy a piece of him, he begins to have second thoughts.

Golden Boy

1939

Ringside Maisie poster
5.6

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.

Ringside Maisie

1941

Column South poster
6.2

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.

Column South

1953

Blood Car poster
4.9

In the near future, gas prices are at an astronomical high. One man is determined to find an alternate fuel source. That alternate fuel source turns out to be blood... HUMAN BLOOD.

Blood Car

2007

Sorority House poster
7.3

A young girl begins to wonder if she really fits into the upper-class sorority she's trying to join.

Sorority House

1939

Johnny Eager poster
6.2

A charming racketeer seduces the DA's stepdaughter for revenge, then falls in love.

Johnny Eager

1941

Mandrake the Magician poster
5.9

Mandrake and his team attempt to prevent "The Wasp" from stealing and using a new Radium invention.

Mandrake the Magician

1939

The Sundowners poster
5.2

Brother is pitted against brother in this tale of fueding ranchers in the old west.

The Sundowners

1950

The Man They Could Not Hang poster
6.6

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.

The Man They Could Not Hang

1939

Those High Grey Walls poster
6.4

Dr. MacAuley, a kindly, beloved country doctor, is sent to Fillmore Prison. His crime was for removing a bullet from a young man who was escaping from the police.

Those High Grey Walls

1939

I'll Wait for You poster
6.8

A gangster hides out on a farm and falls for the farmer's daughter.

I'll Wait for You

1941