Jan Sterling was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s, Sterling 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. Although her career declined during the 1960s, she continued to play occasional television and theatre roles.
Sterling in 1952
Sterling in The High and the Mighty (1954)
The High and the Mighty (film)
The High and the Mighty is a 1954 American aviation disaster film, directed by William A. Wellman, and written by Ernest K. Gann, who also wrote the 1953 novel on which his screenplay was based. Filmed in WarnerColor and CinemaScope, the film's cast was headlined by John Wayne, who was also the project's co-producer.
Theatrical release poster
John Wayne pushed for the use of CinemaScope, although Wellman later considered it "bulky and unwieldy" during filming
Although Wayne and Wellman had considered Robert Cummings for the role of the captain, Robert Stack was selected after an interview with Wellman
Initially a producer, John Wayne was cast in the film after Spencer Tracy dropped out.
