Linda Stirling

Linda Stirling

Real name: Louise Schultz

1921 - 1997

Born October 11, 1921 in Long Beach, California, Linda Stirling became a prolific western and serial heroine at Republic Pictures during the mid to late 1940s. And she is probably best remembered for her work in cliffhangers THE TIGER WOMAN (1944), ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP (1944), MANHUNT OF MYSTERY ISLAND (1945), THE PURPLE MONSTER STRIKES (1945), THE CRIMSON GHOST (1946), more.

Stirling was under a term player contract(s) with Republic Pictures from April, 1944 through March, 1947. That provided her with security and a regular paycheck but Republic could utilize her as much as they wanted during the contract period. At Republic, she did twenty-four films in 1944 - 1947, and those were a mix of serials, westerns, and other features.

She married screenwriter Sloan Nibley in 1946 (he passed away in 1990). Soon after their marriage, Stirling retired to raise a family.

She did appear in a few 1950s TV programs. Later in life, she earned degrees in English Literature from UCLA and became an English and literature teacher at Glendale College.

Linda received a Golden Boot award at the 1983 awards ceremony.

She passed away from cancer on July 20, 1997 at her Studio City, California home.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Linda Stirling: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0830549/

Death notice for Linda Stirling in the August 9, 1997 Los Angeles Times newspaper: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110497868/death-notice-for-serial-queen-linda/

Find A Grave has a record on Linda Stirling but her interment information is unknown: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40652118/linda-stirling

Daniel Neyer's "The Files of Jerry Blake" website has a webpage on Linda Stirling in serials: https://filesofjerryblake.com/serial-heroines/linda-stirling/

The Images Journal website has a section devoted to the cliffhanger, and the page on Linda Stirling and Allan Lane in THE TIGER WOMAN is at: http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue04/infocus/tigerwoman.htm

(From Old Corral collection)

(Courtesy of Bill Sasser)

Linda at the 1994 Charlotte filmfest.

(Courtesy of Randy Laing)

Linda Stirling as THE TIGER WOMAN (Republic, 1944).

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

On the left are Allan Lane and Linda Stirling captured by three great stunt men doing acting jobs - center is Cliff Lyons, then Duke Green, and on the far right is Eddie Parker. Scene from THE TIGER WOMAN (Republic, 1944) serial.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above are Allan Lane and Linda Stirling in a scene from TOPEKA TERROR (Republic, 1945). She was in two of Lane's westerns. And Lane was the male lead to Linda in THE TIGER WOMAN (Republic, 1944) cliffhanger.

(From Old Corral collection)

George J. Lewis (without his customary mustache) and heroine Linda Stirling in the serial, ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP (Republic, 1944).

(From Old Corral collection)

Above - Linda Stirling and Sunset Carson. Linda worked in four of Sunset's Republic westerns.