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.
Known For
Complete Filmography
Dangerous Company
1982
as Ray's Mother
The true story of Ray Johnson, a convict who spent most of his life in and out of prison until he finally decided to turn his life around.
First Monday in October
1981
as Christine Snow
For the first time in history a woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where she becomes a friendly rival to a liberal associate.
My Kidnapper, My Love
1980
as Letty Fairlain
Small-time crook Rooney cons his crippled brother, a street-wise news vendor, into snatching a wealthy, emotionally-disturbed runaway to extort money ...
Having Babies
1976
as Mrs. Fontreil
The story of four couples who are about to have children using the Lamaze method.
Sammy Somebody
1976
A restaurateur unwisely misappropriates mob money in order to buy a house for his ageing father.
The Minx
1969
as Louise Baxter
A businessman hosts a hunting party at a remote lodge, and hires three prostitutes to take care of his clients. However, the girls have their own plan...
The Angry Breed
1968
as Gloria Patton
In Vietnam, aspiring actor Johnny Taylor is given a prize film script after saving the life of a Hollywood screenwriter. On his return, Johnny has tro...
The Incident
1967
as Muriel Purvis
Two hoodlums terrorize the passengers of a late-night New York City subway train.
American in Paris
1964
as Gloria Miles
The owner of a travel agency in Paris tries to help fellow Americans in trouble.
Love in a Goldfish Bowl
1961
as Sandra Slide
Two platonic college friends spend a weekend away together. One is romanced by a member of the coast guard.
Kathy O'
1958
as Celeste Saunders
A movie publicist is assigned to keep the public from learning that a beloved child star is an egotistical little brat.
High School Confidential!
1958
as Arlene Williams
A tough kid comes to a new high school and begins muscling his way into the drug scene. This is a typical morality play of the era, filled with a naiv...
The Female Animal
1958
as Lily Frayne
Jaded movie star Vanessa Windsor, saved from a studio accident by handsome extra Chris Farley, pursues him, and soon he's the 'caretaker' of her beach...
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
1957
as Madge Pitts
A rookie assistant DA is assigned to investigate the murder of a longshoreman, killed for exposing gangster involvement on the piers, and meets up wit...
The Harder They Fall
1956
as Beth Willis
Jobless sportswriter Eddie Willis is hired by corrupt fight promoter Nick Benko to promote his current protégé, an unknown Argentinian boxer named Tor...
1984
1956
as Julia of the Outer Party
In a totalitarian future society, a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love.
Man with the Gun
1955
as Nelly Bain
A stranger comes to town looking for his estranged wife. He finds her running the local girls. He also finds a town and sheriff afraid of their own sh...
Female on the Beach
1955
as Amy Rawlinson
Lynn Markham moves into her late husband's beach house the morning after former tenant Eloise Crandall fell from the cliff. To her annoyance, Lynn fin...
Women's Prison
1955
as Brenda Martin
A crusading psychiatrist battles a sadistic female warden to improve conditions at a women's prison.
The Human Jungle
1954
as Mary Abbott
Danforth is assigned to take over the police department in a section of a large city saddled with juvenile delinquency, petty crimes, graft and also a...
Return from the Sea
1954
as Frieda
A hardened career navel officer must come to terms with adapting to civilian life with the help of a waitress that can see through his tough veneer.
The High and the Mighty
1954
as Sally McKee
Dan Roman is a veteran pilot haunted by a tragic past. Now relegated to second-in-command cockpit assignments he finds himself on a routine Honolulu-t...
Alaska Seas
1954
as Nicky Jackson
A crooked salmon fisherman tries to steal his best friend's fiancée and put him out of business.
Pony Express
1953
as Denny Russell
Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok join forces to establish a mail route that can get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in ten...
The Vanquished
1953
as Rose Slater
A man returns to his home -- a post Civil-War village -- and finds the law is in the hands of a few scrupulous people.
Split Second
1953
as Dorothy 'Dottie' Vale
Escaped convicts hold hostages in a ghost town targeted for a nuclear bomb test.
Sky Full of Moon
1952
as Dixie Delmar
A cowboy seeks fame and fortune in Las Vegas where he meets a girl working in a casino.
Flesh and Fury
1952
as Sonya Bartow
Deaf boxer Paul Callan captures the interest of gold-digging blonde Sonya Bartow and retired fight manager 'Pop' Richardson. For a time, Sonya has the...
Rhubarb
1951
as Polly Sickles
Rich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet he names Rhubarb. Then T.J. dies, leaving to Rhubarb most of his money ...
Ace in the Hole
1951
as Lorraine
An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.
The Mating Season
1951
as Betsy
Ellen McNulty leaves her New Jersey hamburger stand and heads west to pay a surprise visit to her son and his new bride. When Ellen arrives, her daugh...
Union Station
1950
as Marge Wrighter
Police catch a break when suspected kidnappers are spotted on a train heading towards Union Station. Police, train station security and a witness try ...
Gunfire
1950
as Flo
Tubercular Frank James has become a born again and retired from his career as an outlaw with his family but a look-a-like outlaw causes suspicion to f...
The Costume Designer
1950
as Self (archive footage)
This short focuses on the job of the costume designer in the production of motion pictures. The costume designer must design clothing that is correct ...
The Skipper Surprised His Wife
1950
as Rita Rossini
A captain tries to keep home as tight as his ship.
Mystery Street
1950
as Vivian Heldon
When a young woman's skeletal remains turn up on a Massachusetts beach, Barnstable cop Peter Moralas teams with Boston police and uses forensics, with...
Caged
1950
as Jeta "Smoochie" Kovsky
A single mistake puts a 19-year old girl behind bars, where she experiences the terrors and torments of women in prison.
Appointment with Danger
1950
as Dodie
Al Goddard, a detective who works for the United States Postal Inspection Service, is assigned to arrest two criminals who've allegedly murdered a U.S...
Johnny Belinda
1948
as Stella McCormick
A small-town doctor helps a deaf-mute farm girl learn to communicate.
Tycoon
1947
as Dancer at Fiesta (uncredited)
Engineer Johnny Munroe is enlisted to build a railroad tunnel through a mountain to reach mines. His task is complicated, and his ethics are compromis...