Biography

Orphaned at twelve, Sitka caught the acting bug while living with a priest in Pittsburgh. He rode the rails as a hobo for years during the Depression before arriving in Hollywood in 1936. Theatre work, including directing, eventually brought him to the attention of a talent scout, who contracted him to Columbia Studios. Famous for his character roles in slapstick comedy (he claims to have appeared in 450 movies), he became a regular in shorts and feature films with the Three Stooges, making thirty-five shorts with the boys before 1958. He holds the further distinction of appearing with each of the six Stooges (Moe, Shemp, and Curly Howard; Larry Fine; Joe Besser; and Joe DeRita). Sitka's most famous role, as a justice of the peace who begins every service with the words, "Hold hands, you love birds", brought him lasting fame among Stooge fans, who would sometimes ask him to repeat the phrase during their own wedding ceremonies.

- IMDb mini biography by: Tony Adam <anthony-adam@tamu.edu>

This tall, gangling man, a bit player in hundreds of Hollywood films, achieved comparative immortality through his appearances as favorite foil of The Three Stooges (see Ted Healy) in so many of their two-reelers. (Although one might well wonder whether that source of immortality would not drive its recipient to imbibe to excess.) Having debuted with the Stooges in Half-Wits Holiday (1947), Sitka almost became the seventh actor to portray one Stooge or other, the others over the years being Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Moe's brother Shemp Howard, Moe's other brother, Curly (Jerome) Howard; Joe Besser and "Curly-Joe" DeRita. Larry had suffered a stroke in 1970 and Sitka, under contract to replace him in the Stooges act, would join Moe and Curly-Joe in a feature planned for 1974 or 1975. But with Moe's death in '75, the film was never made.

- IMDb mini biography by: Bill Takacs <kinephile@aol.com>