Jan Sterling
Biography
Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s, she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The High and the Mighty (1954) as well as an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Her best performance is often considered to be opposite Kirk Douglas, as the opportunistic wife in Billy Wilder's 1951 Ace in the Hole.
Gallery
Known For
Acting History
1982
Dangerous Company as Ray's Mother
1981First Monday in October as Christine Snow
1980My Kidnapper, My Love as Letty Fairlain
1979Backstairs at the White House as Lou Hoover
1977The Incredible Hulk
1977Three's Company as Judge Sheffield
1976Having Babies as Mrs. Fontreil
1976Sammy Somebody
1974Little House on the Prairie
1972Kung Fu as Mary Jenkins
1972The Brian Keith Show
1969The Minx as Louise Baxter
1969Medical Center as Florence Brent
1968The Name of the Game as Elsa Roarke
1968The Angry Breed as Gloria Patton
1967The Incident as Muriel Purvis
1967Mannix as Anne Marion
1966The Jackie Gleason Show
1965Run for Your Life as Clara Mallory
1964American in Paris as Gloria Miles
1963Burke's Law as Devora Cato
1963Burke's Law as Vera Selby
1963Breaking Point
1963Vacation Playhouse
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
1962The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Beatrice Bartel
1962The Virginian as Mary Beth Stanton
1961Love in a Goldfish Bowl as Sandra Slide
1959Adventures in Paradise as Topaz Harmony
1959Riverboat as Lorna Langton
1959Bonanza as Dianne Jordan
1958Naked City as Myrtle Tiloff
1958Kathy O' as Celeste Saunders
1958High School Confidential! as Arlene Williams
1958The Female Animal as Lily Frayne
1957Suspicion as Georgiana
1957Slaughter on 10th Avenue as Madge Pitts
1957Clipper Ship as Helen Ott
1956The Harder They Fall as Beth Willis
19561984 as Julia of the Outer Party
1955Man with the Gun as Nelly Bain
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Fran Holland
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Wanda Ferlini
1955Female on the Beach as Amy Rawlinson
1955Women's Prison as Brenda Martin
1954Climax! as Dinah Lake
1954Climax! as Audrey Caldwell
1954The Human Jungle as Mary Abbott
1954Return from the Sea as Frieda
1954The High and the Mighty as Sally McKee
1954Alaska Seas as Nicky Jackson
1953Letter to Loretta as Lucia
1953Pony Express as Denny Russell
1953The Vanquished as Rose Slater
1953Split Second as Dorothy 'Dottie' Vale
1953The Oscars as Self
1953General Electric Theater as Gloria Miles
1952Sky Full of Moon as Dixie Delmar
1952Flesh and Fury as Sonya Bartow
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951Rhubarb as Polly Sickles
1951Ace in the Hole as Lorraine
1951The Mating Season as Betsy
1950Union Station as Marge Wrighter
1950Lux Video Theatre as Lee
1950Lux Video Theatre as Mary Ford
1950Lux Video Theatre as Chris Hunter
1950Lux Video Theatre as Julia
1950Lux Video Theatre as Maggie
1950Lux Video Theatre
1950Gunfire as Flo
1950The Costume Designer as Self (archive footage)
1950The Skipper Surprised His Wife as Rita Rossini
1950Mystery Street as Vivian Heldon
1950Caged as Gita "Smoochie" Kovsky
1950Appointment with Danger as Dodie
1948Johnny Belinda as Stella McCormick
1947Tycoon as Dancer at Fiesta (uncredited)
—The Marshal of Gunsight Pass