Emil Sitka

Emil Sitka
Sitka, as he appeared in Brideless Groom
Born	(1914-12-22)December 22, 1914 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 16, 1998(1998-01-16) (aged 83) Camarillo, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1946–1992
Spouse(s)	Donna Driscoll (194?-196?) Edith Weber (197?-1981; her death)
Children	Eelonka Klugman Little-Star Martotella Rudigor Storm Darrow Saxon
Website	emilsitka.com

Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914 – January 16, 1998) was a veteran American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges—nearly 40. He is one of only two actors to have worked with all six Stooges (Shemp Howard, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Joe Besser, Joe DeRita) on film in the various incarnations of the group (Harold Brauer was the other).

Sitka, whose numerous appearances with the Three Stooges earned him the nickname "the Fourth Stooge," was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1914. He was the oldest of five children, born of Hungarian immigrant parents. His father, Emil Sitka, a coal miner, died of black lung disease when Sitka was 12 years old, and his mother, Helena Matula Sitka, was hospitalized, unable to take care of the children. His siblings were placed in foster homes, but Sitka went to live in a church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a Catholic priest for the next few years. At this time, he became an altar boy and made plans to enter the priesthood, and had his first acting opportunity in the church's annual Passion Play. At the age of 16, he and one of his brothers traveled across the U.S.A., riding the rails hobo-style, looking for work. After a year, they returned to Pittsburgh, where Sitka found a job working in a factory. He stayed there until the great St. Patrick's Day Pittsburgh Flood of 1936, after which he departed to pursue his dream of acting in Hollywood, California.

Sitka found inexpensive lodging in a small acting theater, doing handiwork to pay his rent, and gradually acting in small parts in the theater. With time and experience, the parts became larger, and eventually Sitka was directing plays as well. Since the theater did not pay, Emil always kept a job as a civil engineer to pay the bills as well as his acting career at night. By 1946, he had played dozens, if not hundreds of roles; this breadth of experience would help him in his later film career, playing everything from butler to lawyer to businessman to construction worker.