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 nonsinging 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
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