Ford Sterling
Ford Sterling was an American comedian and actor best known for his work with Keystone Studios. One of the 'Big 4' Keystone Cops, he was the original chief of the Keystone Cops.
Early years
Sterling was born George Franklin Stich in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on November 3, 1883 to Mary Kirby and George Stitch.Career
Sterling ran away from home at the age of 12 and joined the George Hutchinson repertory company.He later joined the Flying Lees circus, working with an aerial act, before joining the Forepaugh Amalgamated Circus to perform as an acrobatic clown for five years. After tiring of the circus, Sterling joined a musical show in New York City, where he became featured, and there Mack Sennett saw him there and offered him a job.
Sterling began his career in silent films in 1911 with Biograph Studios. When Sennett left to set up Keystone Studios in 1912, Sterling followed him. He spent eight years working with Sennett at Keystone Pictures from 1912 to 1920, there, he performed various roles, primarily portrayed police chiefs, such as 'Chief Teeheezel' in the Keystone Cops series of slapstick comedies in a successful career that spanned twenty-five years.
From 1913 and throughout the 1910s, Sterling was among the most popular screen comedians in the world. Charlie Chaplin recalled that, when joining Keystone in early 1914, he was at first dismayed to discover that he was expected to imitate Sterling. Chaplin and Sterling played together at least twice on film, in the one-reelers A Thief Catcher and Between Showers.
In the 1920s, Sterling abandoned the short comedy format, instead playing supporting roles in both comedic and dramatic feature-length films, such as He Who Gets Slapped opposite Lon Chaney. Stering also starred as Michael Poole in Howard Hughes' now lost film Everybody's Acting.
After talking pictures came along, Sterling returned to appearing in short comedies. Making a smooth transition to talking films, Ford Sterling made the last of his more than two hundred and seventy film appearances in 1936.
Sterling was also a renowned amateur photographer, who won many prizes and at one point even had some of his work exhibited at the Louvre.
Personal life and death
Sterling was married to actress Teddy Sampson. He was in a hospital for 18 months prior to his death, and his left leg was amputated above his knee a week before his death. He died on October 13, 1939, of thrombosis in Los Angeles, California, and is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Sterling has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6612 Hollywood Blvd.