Ingrid Bergman
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Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary '' Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. According to the '' St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture'', upon her arrival in the U.S. Bergman quickly became "the ideal of American womanhood" and a contender for Hollywood's greatest leading actress.
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...
once called her "the most completely conscientious actress" he had ever worked with. In 1999, the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...
recognised Bergman as the fourth greatest female screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema. She won numerous accolades, including three
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
, four Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Award and a Volpi Cup. She is one of only four actresses to have received at least three acting Academy Awards (only
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
has four). Born in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
to a Swedish father and a German mother, Bergman began her acting career in Swedish and German films. Her introduction to the U.S. audience came in the English-language remake of '' Intermezzo'' (1939). Known for her naturally luminous beauty, she starred in ''
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
'' (1942) as Ilsa Lund, her most famous role, opposite
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
. Bergman's notable performances in the 1940s include the dramas ''
For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigne ...
'' (1943), '' Gaslight'' (1944), ''
The Bells of St. Mary's ''The Bells of St. Mary's'' (1945) is an American musical comedy-drama film, produced and directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. Written by Dudley Nichols and based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a priest ...
'' (1945), and ''
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
'' (1948), all of which earned her nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
; she won for ''Gaslight''. She made three films with
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
: '' Spellbound'' (1945), with
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
, ''Notorious'' (1946), opposite
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
and '' Under Capricorn'' (1949), alongside Joseph Cotten. In 1950, she starred in
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
's ''
Stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Si ...
'', released after the revelation she was having an affair with Rossellini; that and her pregnancy prior to their marriage created a scandal in the U.S. that prompted her to remain in Europe for several years. During this time she starred in Rossellini's ''Europa '51'' and ''
Journey to Italy ''Journey to Italy'', also known as ''Voyage to Italy'', is a 1954 drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders play Katherine and Alex Joyce, a childless English married couple on a trip to Italy whose marriage i ...
'' (1954), now critically acclaimed, the former of which won her the
Volpi Cup for Best Actress The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor o ...
. She had a successful return to working for a Hollywood studio in ''
Anastasia Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning " resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the mo ...
'' (1956), winning her second Academy Award for Best Actress. Soon after, she co-starred with Grant in the romance '' Indiscreet'' (1958). In 1969, she starred in the acclaimed and highly successful film '' Cactus Flower''. In later years, Bergman won her third Academy Award, this one for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974). In 1978, she starred in
Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known as "profoun ...
's (no relation) Swedish '' Autumn Sonata'' receiving her sixth Best Actress nomination. Bergman spoke five languages – Swedish, English, German, Italian and French – and acted in each. In her final role, she portrayed the late Israeli Prime Minister
Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and '' kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to ...
in the television miniseries '' A Woman Called Golda'' (1982) for which she posthumously won her second
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Best Actress. In 1974, Bergman discovered she was suffering from breast cancer but continued to work until shortly before her death on her sixty-seventh birthday.


Early life

Ingrid Bergman was born on 29 August 1915 in Stockholm, to a Swedish father, Justus Samuel Bergman (2 May 1871 – 29 July 1929), and his
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
wife, Frieda "Friedel" Henriette Auguste Louise (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Adler) Bergman (12 September 1884 – 19 January 1918), who was born in
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...
. Her parents married in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
on 13 June 1907. She was named after Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Although she was raised in Sweden, she spent her summers in Germany and spoke fluent German. Bergman was raised an only child, as two older siblings had died in infancy before she was born. When she was two and a half years old, her mother died. Justus Bergman had wanted his daughter to become an opera star and had her take voice lessons for three years. He sent her to the Palmgrenska Samskolan, a prestigious girls' school in Stockholm where Bergman was reportedly neither a good student nor popular. Since Justus was a photographer, he loved to document his daughter's birthdays with his camera. He made his daughter one of his favorite photographic subjects. She enjoyed dancing, dressing up and acting in front of her father's lenses. "I was perhaps the most photographed child in Scandinavia", quipped Bergman in her later years. In 1929, when Bergman was around 14, her father died of stomach cancer. Losing her parents at such a young age was a trauma that Bergman later described as "living with an ache", an experience she was not even aware of. After her father's death, Bergman was sent to live with her paternal aunt, Ellen, who died of heart disease six months later. Bergman then lived with her maternal aunt Hulda and her husband Otto, who had five children of their own. She also visited her other maternal aunt, Elsa Adler, whom the young girl called ''Mutti'' (Mom) according to family lore. She later said she "knew from the beginning that hewanted to be an actress," sometimes wearing her deceased mother's clothing, and staging plays in her father's empty studio. Bergman spoke Swedish and German as
first language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother to ...
s, English and Italian (acquired later, while living in the US and Italy), and French (learned in school). She acted in each of these languages at various times. Bergman received a scholarship to the state-sponsored Royal Dramatic Theatre School, where
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...
had some years earlier earned a similar scholarship. After several months, she was given a part in a new play, ''Ett Brott'' (''A Crime''), written by Sigfrid Siwertz. This was "totally against procedure" at the school, where girls were expected to complete three years of study before getting such acting roles. During her first summer break, Bergman was hired by a Swedish film studio, which led her to leave the Royal Dramatic Theatre after just one year to work in films full-time.


Career


1935−1938: Swedish years

Bergman's first film experience was as an extra in the 1932 film ''Landskamp'', an experience she described as "walking on holy ground". Her first speaking role was a small part in '' Munkbrogreven'' (1934). Bergman played Elsa, a maid in a seedy hotel, being pursued by the leading man,
Edvin Adolphson Gustav Edvin Adolphson (25 February 1893 – 31 October 1979) was a Swedish film actor and director who appeared in over 500 roles. He made his debut in 1912. He appeared with Ingrid Bergman in '' Only One Night'' (1939), and is noted for h ...
. Critics called her "hefty and sure of herself", and "somewhat overweight ... with an unusual way of speaking her lines". The unflatteringly striped costume that she wore may have contributed to the unfavorable comments regarding her appearance. Soon after, ''Munkbrogreven'', Bergman was offered a studio contract and placed under director Gustaf Molander. Bergman starred in '' Ocean Breakers'', in which she played a fisherman's daughter, and then in '' Swedenhielms'', where she had the opportunity to work alongside her idol Gösta Ekman. Next, she starred in ''Walpurgis Night'' (1935). She played Lena, a secretary in love with her boss, Johan, who is unhappily married. Throughout, Lena and the wife vie for Johan's affection, with the wife losing her husband to Lena at the end. In 1936, in ''On the Sunny Side'', Bergman was cast as an orphan from a good family who marries a rich older gentleman. Also in 1936, she appeared in '' Intermezzo'', her first lead performance, where she was reunited with Gösta Ekman. This was a pivotal film for the young actress and allowed her to demonstrate her talent. Director Molander later said: "I created ''Intermezzo'' for her, but I was not responsible for its success. Ingrid herself made it successful." In 1938, she starred in ''
Only One Night ''Only One Night'' (german: Nur eine Nacht) is a 1950 West German drama film directed by Fritz Kirchhoff and starring Marianne Hoppe, Hans Söhnker and Willy Maertens.Bock & Bergfelder p. 52 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in West Berli ...
'', playing an upper-class woman living on a country estate. She didn't like the part, calling it "a piece of rubbish". She only agreed to appear if only she could star in the studio's next film project, ''En kvinnas ansikte.'' She later acted in ''Dollar'' (1938), a Scandinivian screwball comedy. Bergman had just been voted Sweden's most admired movie star in the previous year and received top billing. ''Svenska Dagbladet'' wrote in its review: "Ingrid Bergman's feline appearance as an industrial tycoon's wife overshadows them all." In her next film, a role created especially for her, '' En kvinnas ansikte'' (''A Woman's Face''), she played against her usual casting, as a bitter, unsympathetic character, whose face had been hideously burned. Anna Holm is the leader of a blackmail gang that targets the wealthy folk of Stockholm for their money and jewellery. The film required Bergman to wear heavy make-up, as well as glue, to simulate a burned face. A brace was put in place to distort the shape of one cheek. In her diary, she called the film "my own picture, my very own. I have fought for it.". The critics loved her performance, citing her as an actor of great talent and confidence. The film was awarded a Special Recommendation at the 1938 Venice Film Festival, for its "overall artistic contribution". It was remade in 1941 by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
with the same title, starring
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
. Bergman signed a three-picture contract with UFA, the German major film company, although she only made one picture. At the time, she was pregnant, but, nonetheless, she arrived in Berlin to begin filming '' The Four Companions'' (Die vier Gesellen) (1938), directed by
Carl Froelich Carl August Hugo Froelich (5 September 1875 – 12 February 1953) was a German film pioneer and film director. He was born and died in Berlin. Biography Apparatus builder and cameraman From 1903 Froelich was a colleague of Oskar Messter, one of ...
. The film was intended as a star vehicle to launch Bergman's career in Germany. In the film, she played one of four ambitious young women, attempting to set up a graphic design agency. The film was a light-hearted combination of comedy and romance. At first, she did not comprehend the political and social situation in Germany. Later, she said: "I saw very quickly that if you were anybody at all in films, you had to be a member of the Nazi party." By September, she was back in Sweden, and gave birth to her daughter, Pia. She was never to work in Germany again. Bergman appeared in eleven films in her native Sweden before the age of twenty-five. Her characters were always plagued with uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. The early Swedish films were not masterpieces, but she worked with some of the biggest talents in the Swedish film industry, such as Gösta Ekman, Karin Swanström, Victor Sjöström, and Lars Hanson. It showcased her immense acting talent, as a young woman with a bright future ahead of her.


1939−1949: Hollywood and stage work breakthrough

Bergman's first acting role in the United States was in '' Intermezzo: A Love Story'' by
Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; russian: Григорий Васильевич Ратнер, tr. ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was bes ...
which premiered on 22 September 1939. She accepted the invitation of Hollywood producer
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...
, who wished her to star in the English-language remake of her earlier Swedish film '' Intermezzo'' (1936). Unable to speak English, and uncertain about her acceptance by the American audience, she expected to complete this one film and return home to Sweden. Her husband, Dr Petter Aron Lindström, remained in Sweden with their daughter Pia (born 1938). In ''Intermezzo'', she played the role of a young piano accompanist, opposite Leslie Howard, who played a famous violin virtuoso. Bergman arrived in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
on 6 May 1939 and stayed at the Selznick home until she could find another residence. According to Selznick's son Danny, who was a child at the time, his father had concerns about Bergman: "She didn't speak English, she was too tall, her name sounded too German, and her eyebrows were too thick". Bergman was soon accepted without having to modify her looks or name, despite some early suggestions by Selznick. "He let her have her way", notes a story in ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
'' magazine. Selznick understood her fear of Hollywood make-up artists, who might turn her into someone she wouldn't recognize, and "instructed them to lay off". He was also aware that her natural good looks would compete successfully with Hollywood's "synthetic razzle-dazzle". During the following weeks, while ''Intermezzo'' was being filmed, Selznick was also filming '' Gone with the Wind''. In a letter to William Hebert, his publicity director, Selznick described a few of his early impressions of Bergman: ''Intermezzo'' became an enormous success and as a result, Bergman became a star. Ratoff, said, "She is sensational." This was the "sentiment of the entire set", wrote a retrospective, adding that workmen went out of their way to do things for her and that the cast and crew "admired the quick, alert concentration she gave to direction and to her lines". Film historian David Thomson notes that this became "the start of an astonishing impact on Hollywood and America", where her lack of make-up contributed to an "air of nobility". According to ''Life'', the impression that she left on Hollywood, after she returned to Sweden, was of a tall girl "with light brown hair and blue eyes who was painfully shy, but friendly, with a warm, straight, quick smile". Selznick appreciated her uniqueness. Bergman was hailed as a fine new talent, and received many positive reviews. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' noted her "freshness and simplicity and natural dignity" and the maturity of her acting which was nonetheless, free of "stylistic traits - the mannerisms, postures, precise inflections - that become the stock in trade of the matured actress". Variety noted that she was warm and convincing, and provided an "arresting performance" and that her "charm, sincerity" ...and "infectious vivaciousness" would "serve her well in both comedy and drama". There was also recognition of her natural appearance, in contrast to other film actresses. ''
The New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the dom ...
'' critic wrote: "Using scarcely any make-up, but playing with mobile intensity, she creates the character so vividly and credibility that it becomes the core of henarrative." Bergman made her stage debut in 1940 with ''
Liliom ''Liliom'' is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical ''Carousel''. P ...
'' opposite Burgess Meredith, at a time when she was still learning English. Selznick was worried that his new starlet's value would diminish if she received bad reviews. Brooks Atkinson of ''The New York Times'' reviewed that Bergman seemed at ease, and commanded the stage that evening. That same year she starred in ''
June Night ''June Night'' ( sv, Juninatten) is a 1940 Swedish language drama film directed by Per Lindberg.Charlotte Chandler ''Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, A Personal Biography'' 71 141653914X - 2007 -"... more films in Germany ended, Ingrid started the la ...
'' (''Juninatten''), a
Swedish language Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic cou ...
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
film directed by Per Lindberg. She plays Kerstin, a woman who has been shot by her lover. The news reaches the national papers. Kerstin moves to Stockholm under the new name of Sara, but lives under the scrutiny and watchful eye of her new community. ''Öresunds-Posten'' wrote, "Bergman establishes herself as an actress belonging to the world elite." Bergman was loaned out of David O. Selznick's company, to appear in three films which were released in 1941. On 18 February, Robert Sherwood Productions' released her second collaboration with Gregory Ratoff, '' Adam Had Four Sons.'' On 7 March,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
released W. S. Van Dyke's '' Rage in Heaven''. On 12 August, Victor Fleming's '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', another Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production, had its New York opening. Bergman was supposed to play the "good girl" role of Dr Jekyll's fiancée but pleaded with the studio that she should play the "bad girl" Ivy, the saucy barmaid. Reviews noted that "she gave a finely-shaded performance". A New York Times review stated that "...the young Swedish actress proves again, that a shining talent can sometimes lift itself above an impossibly written role...". Another review said: "...she displays a canny combination of charm, understanding, restraint and sheer acting ability." On 30 July 1941 at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, Bergman made her second stage appearance in ''
Anna Christie ''Anna Christie'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work. According to historian Paul Avrich, the ...
.'' She was praised for her performance as a whore in the play based on Eugene O'Neill's work. A San Francisco paper said she was as unspoiled as a fresh Swedish snowball. Selznick called her "The Palmolive Garbo", a reference to a popular soap, and a well-known Swedish actress of the time. Thornton Delaharty said, "Lunching with Ingrid is like sitting down to an hour or so of conversation with an intelligent orchid." ''
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
'', by Michael Curtiz, opened on 26 November 1942. Bergman co-starred with
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
in the film; this remains her best-known role. She played the role of Ilsa, the former love of Rick Blaine and wife of Victor Laszlo, fleeing with Laszlo to the United States. The film premiered on 26 November 1942 at New York's Hollywood Theater. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' wrote, "The events are shot with sharp humor and delightful touches of political satire." It went into more general release, in January 1943.''Casablanca'' was not one of Bergman's favorite performances. "I made so many films which were more important, but the only one people ever want to talk about is that one with Bogart." In later years, she stated, "I feel about ''Casablanca'' that it has a life of its own. There is something mystical about it. It seems to have filled a need, a need that was there before the film, a need that the film filled". Despite her personal views regarding her performance, Bosley Crowther of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that "... Bergman was surprisingly lovely, crisp and natural...and lights the romantic passages with a warm and genuine glow". Other reviewers said that she " laysthe heroine with...appealing authority and beauty" and "illuminates every scene in which she appears" and compared her to "a youthful Garbo." ''
For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigne ...
'' had its New York premiere on 14 July 1943. With "Selznick's steady boosting", she played the part of Maria, it was also her first color film. For the role, she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film was adapted from
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
's novel of the same title and co-starred
Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
. When the book was sold to
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, Hemingway stated that "Miss Bergman, and no one else, should play the part". His opinion came from seeing her in her first American role, ''Intermezzo''. They met a few weeks later, and after studying her, he declared, "You ''are'' Maria!".Carlile, Thomas, and Speiser, Jean. ''Life'', 26 July 1943, pp. 98–104. James Agee, writing in ''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper t ...
'', said Bergman..."bears a startling resemblance to an imaginable human being; she really knows how to act, in a blend of poetic grace with quiet realism, which almost never appears in American pictures." He speaks movingly of her character's confession of her rape, and her scene of farewell, "which is shattering to watch". Agee believed that Bergman has truly studied what Maria might feel and look like in real life, and not in a Hollywood film. Her performance is both "devastating and wonderful to see..." '' Gaslight'' opened on 4 May 1944. Bergman won her first
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
for her performance. Under the direction of
George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...
, she portrayed a "wife driven close to madness" by her husband, played by
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
. The film, according to Thomson, "was the peak of her Hollywood glory." Reviewers noted her sympathetic and emotional performance, and that she exercised restraint, by not allowing emotion to "slip off into hysteria". ''The New York Journal-American'' called her "one of the finest actresses in filmdom" and said that "she flames in passion and flickers in depression until the audience - becomes rigid in its seats". ''
The Bells of St. Mary's ''The Bells of St. Mary's'' (1945) is an American musical comedy-drama film, produced and directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. Written by Dudley Nichols and based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a priest ...
'' premiered on 6 December 1945. Bergman played a nun opposite
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, for which she received her third consecutive nomination for Best Actress. Crosby plays a priest who is assigned to a Roman Catholic school where he conflicts with its headmistress, played by Bergman. Reviewer Nathan Robin said: 'Crosby's laconic ease brings out the impishness behind Bergman's fine-china delicacy, and Bergman proves a surprisingly spunky and spirited comic foil for Crosby'. The film was the biggest box office hit of 1945.
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's '' Spellbound'' premiered on 28 December 1945. In ''Spellbound'', Bergman played Dr. Constance Petersen, a psychiatrist whose analysis could determine whether or not Dr. Anthony Edwardes, played by
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
, is guilty of murder. Artist
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
was hired to create a dream sequences but much of what had been shot was cut by Selznick. During the film, she had the opportunity to appear with
Michael Chekhov Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов; 29 August 1891 – 30 September 1955), known as Michael Chekhov, was an American actor, director, author and theatre practitioner. He was a nephew ...
, who was her acting coach during the 1940s. This would be the first of three collaborations she had with Hitchcock. Next, Bergman starred in '' Saratoga Trunk'', with Gary Cooper, a film originally shot in 1943, but released on 30 March 1946. It was first released to the armed forces overseas. In deference to more timely war-themed and patriotic films, Warner Bros held back the theatrical opening in the United States. On 6 September premiered Hitchcock's '' Notorious.'' In it, Bergman played a US spy, Alicia Huberman, who had been given an assignment to infiltrate the Nazi sympathizers in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...
. Along the way, she fell in love with her fellow spy, played by
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
. The film also starred Claude Rains in an Oscar-nominated performance by a supporting actor. According to
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, ''Notorious'' is the most elegant expression of Hitchcock's visual style. "''Notorious'' is my favorite Hitchcock", he asserted. Writing for the
BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, Samuel Wigley called it a "perfect" film. ''Notorious'' was selected by the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...
in 2006 as culturally and significantly important. On 5 October 1946, Bergman appeared in ''Joan of Lorraine'' at the Alvin Theatre in New York. Tickets were fully booked for a twelve-week run. It was the greatest hit in New York. After each performance, crowds were in line to see Bergman in person. ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' called her 'Queen of the Broadway Season.' She reportedly received roughly $129,000 plus 15 percent of the grosses. ''The Associated Press'' named her "Woman of the Year". ''Gallup'' certified her as the most popular actress in America. On 17 February 1948, ''Arch of Triumph'', by Lewis Milestone was released with Bergman and
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
as the leading roles Based on Erich Maria Remarque's book, it follows a story of Joan Madou, an Italian-Romanian refugee who works as a cabaret singer in a Paris nightclub. Distressed by her lover's sudden death, she attempts suicide by plunging into the Seine, but rescued by Dr Ravic, a German surgeon (Charles Boyer). On 11 November 1948, ''
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
'' had its world premiere. For her role, Bergman received another Best Actress nomination. The independent film was based on the Maxwell Anderson play '' Joan of Lorraine'', which had earned her a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
earlier that year. Produced by
Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of ''Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Param ...
and initially released through RKO. Bergman had championed the role since her arrival in Hollywood, then chose to appear on the Broadway stage in Anderson's play. The film was not a big hit with the public, partly because of the Rossellini scandal, which broke while the film was still in theatres. Even worse, it received disastrous reviews, and, although nominated for several Academy Awards, did not receive a Best Picture nomination. It was subsequently cut by 45 minutes, but restored to full length in 1998, and released in 2004 on DVD. '' Under Capricorn'' premiered on 9 September 1949, as another Bergman and Hitchcock collaboration. The film is set in the Australia of 1831. The story opens as Charles Adare, played by Michael Wilding, arrives in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
with his uncle. Desperate to find his fortune, Adare meets Sam Flusky ( Joseph Cotten), who is married to Charles's childhood friend Lady Henrietta (Bergman), an alcoholic kept locked in their mansion. Soon, Flusky becomes jealous of Adare's affection for his wife. The film met with negative reactions from critics. Some of the negativity may have based on disapproval of Bergman's affair with the Italian director
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
. Their scandalous relationship became apparent, shortly after the film's release.


1950−1955: Italian films with Rossellini

''Stromboli'' was released by Italian director
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
on 18 February 1950. Bergman had greatly admired two films by Rossellini. She wrote to him in 1949, expressing her admiration and suggesting that she make a film with him. As a consequence, she was cast in ''Stromboli''. During the production, they began an affair, and Bergman became pregnant with their first child.Bondanella, Peter E. ''The Films of Robert Rossellini'', Cambridge University Press (1993) This affair caused a huge scandal in the United States, where it led to Bergman being denounced on the floor of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...
. On 14 March 1950, Senator Edwin C. Johnson insisted that his once-favorite actress "had perpetrated an assault upon the institution of marriage", and went so far as to call her "a powerful influence for evil". "The purity that made people joke about Saint Bergman when she played Joan of Arc," one writer commented, "made both audiences and United States senators feel betrayed when they learned of her affair with Roberto Rossellini." Art Buchwald, permitted to read her mail during the scandal, reflected in an interview, "Oh, that mail was bad, ten, twelve, fourteen huge mail bags. 'Dirty whore.' 'Bitch.' 'Son of a bitch.' And they were all Christians who wrote it." Ed Sullivan chose not to have her on his show, despite a poll indicating that the public wanted her to appear. However, Steve Allen, whose show was equally popular, did have her as a guest, later explaining "the danger of trying to judge artistic activity through the prism of one's personal life". Spoto notes that Bergman had, by virtue of her roles and screen persona, placed herself "above all that". She had played a nun in ''
The Bells of St. Mary's ''The Bells of St. Mary's'' (1945) is an American musical comedy-drama film, produced and directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. Written by Dudley Nichols and based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a priest ...
'' (1945), and a virgin saint in ''
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
'' (1948). Bergman later said, "People saw me in ''Joan of Arc'', and declared me a saint. I'm not. I'm just a woman, another human being."Spoto, Donald. ''Notorious: The Life of Ingrid Bergman'', HarperCollins (1997), p. 300. As a result of the scandal, Bergman returned to Italy, leaving her first husband and went through a publicized divorce and custody battle for their daughter. Bergman and Rossellini were married on 24 May 1950. In the United States, the film was a box office bomb but did better overseas, where Bergman and Rossellini's affair was considered less scandalous. In all, RKO lost $200,000 on the picture. In Italy, it was awarded the Rome Prize for Cinema as the best film of the year.Dagrada, Elena. "A Triple Alliance for a Catholic Neorealism: Roberto Rossellini According to Felix Norton, Giulio Andreotti and Gian Luigi Rondi." ''Moralizing Cinema: Film, Catholicism, and Power.'' Eds. Daniel Biltereyst and Daniela Treveri Gennari. Routledge, 2014. The initial reception in America, however, was very negative. Bosley Crowther of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' opened his review by writing: "After all the unprecedented interest that the picture "Stromboli" has aroused — it being, of course, the fateful drama which Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini have made — it comes as a startling anticlimax to discover that this widely heralded film is incredibly feeble, inarticulate, uninspiring and painfully banal." Crowther added that Bergman's character "is never drawn with clear and revealing definition, due partly to the vagueness of the script and partly to the dullness and monotony with which Rossellini has directed her." The staff at '' Variety'' agreed, writing, "Director Roberto Rossellini purportedly denied responsibility for the film, claiming the American version was cut by RKO beyond recognition. Cut or not cut, the film reflects no credit on him. Given elementary-school dialog to recite and impossible scenes to act, Ingrid Bergman's never able to make the lines real nor the emotion sufficiently motivated to seem more than an exercise ... The only visible touch of the famed Italian director is in the hard photography, which adds to the realistic, documentary effect of life on the rocky, lava-blanketed island. Rossellini's penchant for realism, however, does not extend to Bergman. She's always fresh, clean and well-groomed." '' Harrison's Reports'' wrote: "As entertainment, it does have a few moments of distinction, but on the whole it is a dull slow-paced piece, badly edited and mediocre in writing, direction and acting." John McCarten of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' found that there was "nothing whatsoever in the footage that rises above the humdrum", and felt that Bergman "doesn't really seem to have her heart in any of the scenes."
Richard L. Coe Richard Livingston Coe (New York City, November 8, 1914 – Washington, D.C., November 12, 1995) was a theater and cinema critic for The Washington Post for more than forty years. Coe became known as one of the most influential theater critics outsi ...
of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' lamented, "It's a pity that many people who never go to foreign-made pictures will be drawn into this by the Rossellini-Bergman names and will think that this flat, drab, inept picture is what they've been missing." Recent assessments have been more positive. Reviewing the film in 2013 in conjunction with its DVD release as part of The Criterion Collection,
Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the '' Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a ...
called the film "one of the pioneering works of modern European filmmaking." In an expansive analysis of the film, critic Fred Camper wrote of the drama, "Like many of cinema's masterpieces, ''Stromboli'' is fully explained only in a final scene that brings into harmony the protagonist's state of mind and the imagery. This structure...suggests a belief in the transformative power of revelation. Forced to drop her suitcase (itself far more modest than the trunks she arrived with) as she ascends the volcano, Karin is stripped of her pride and reduced — or elevated — to the condition of a crying child, a kind of first human being who, divested of the trappings of self, must learn to see and speak again from a personal "year zero" (to borrow from another Rossellini film title)." The
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
ranked ''Stromboli'' among the 100 most important Italian films (" 100 film italiani da salvare") from 1942 to 1978. In 2012, the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's '' Sight & Sound'' critics' poll also listed it as one of the 250 greatest films of all time. In 1952, Rossellini directed Bergman in ''
Europa '51 ''Europe '51'' ( it, Europa '51), also known as ''The Greatest Love'', is a 1952 Italian neorealist film directed by Roberto Rossellini, starring Ingrid Bergman and Alexander Knox. The film follows an industrialist's wife who, after the death ...
'', where she plays Irene Girard who is distraught by the sudden death of her son. Her husband played by
Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...
soon copes, but Irene seems to need a purpose in life to assuage her guilt of neglecting her son. Rossellini directed her in a brief segment of his 1953 documentary film, ''Siamo donne'' (''We, the Women''), which was devoted to film actresses. His biographer, Peter Bondanella, notes that problems with communication during their marriage may have inspired his films' central themes of "solitude, grace, and spirituality in a world without moral values". In December 1953, Rossellini directed her in the play '' Joan of Arc at the Stake'' in Naples, Italy. They took the play to Barcelona, London, Paris and Stockholm. Her performance received generally good reviews. Their following effort was '' Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy)'' in 1954. It follows a couple's journey to Naples, Italy to sell off an inherited house. Trapped in a lifeless marriage, they are further unnerved by the locals' way of living. According to John Patterson of ''The Guardian'', the film started The French New Wave.
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
picked this film to be among his favorites in his documentary short in 2001. On 17 February 1955, ''Joan at the Stake'' opened at the Stockholm Opera House. The play was attended by the prime minister and other theatrical figures in Sweden. ''Swedish Daily'' reported that Bergman seems vague, cool and lacking in charisma. Bergman was hurt by mostly negative reviews from the media of her native land. Stig Ahlgren was the most harsh when he labelled her a clever businesswoman, not an actress. "Ingrid is a commodity, a desirable commodity which is offered in the free market." Another effort they released that year was ''
Giovanna d'Arco al rogo ''Joan of Arc at the Stake'' (Italian: ''Giovanna d'Arco al rogo'') is a 1954 Italian film directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring his wife Ingrid Bergman, which shows a live performance in December 1953 at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. I ...
.'' Their final effort in 1955 was ''La Paura'' (''Fear''), based on a play by Austro-Jewish writer Stefan Zweig's 1920 novella ''Angst'' about adultery and blackmail. In ''Fear'', Bergman plays a businesswoman, who runs a pharmaceutical company founded by her husband (
Mathias Wieman Mathias Wieman (Carl Heinrich Franz Mathias Wieman; 23 June 1902 – 3 December 1969) was a German stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture actor. Life and career Early life Wieman was born in Osnabrück, the only son of Carl Philipp ...
). She is having an affair with a man whose ex-lover, turns up and blackmails her. The woman demands money, threatening to tell her husband about the affair if Bergman doesn't pay her off. Under constant threats, Bergman is pressed to the point of committing suicide. Rossellini's use of a Hollywood star in his typically "neorealist" films, in which he normally used non-professional actors, provoked some negative reactions in certain circles. Rossellini, "defying audience expectations ..employed Bergman ''as if'' she were a nonprofessional," depriving her of a script and the typical luxuries accorded to a star (indoor plumbing, for instance, or hairdressers) and forcing Bergman to act "inspired by reality while she worked", creating what one critic calls "a new cinema of psychological introspection". Bergman was aware of Rossellini's directing style before filming, as the director had earlier written to her explaining that he worked from "a few basic ideas, developing them little by little" as a film progressed. Rossellini then was accused of ruining her successful career by taking her away from Hollywood, while Bergman was seen as the impetus for Rossellini abandoning the aesthetic style and socio-political concerns of Neo-Realism. While the movies Bergman made with Rossellini were commercial failures, the films have garnered great appreciation and attention in recent times. According to Jordan Cronk in his article reviewing the movies, their work has inspired a beginning of a modern cinematic era. Rossellini's films during the Bergman era ponder issues of complex psychology as depicted by Bergman in films like ''Stromboli'', ''Europa '51'' and ''Journey to Italy''. The influence of Bergman and Rossellini's partnership can be felt in the movies by Godard, Fellini and
Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...
to more recently,
Abbas Kiarostami Abbas Kiarostami ( fa, عباس کیارستمی ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of ...
and
Nuri Bilge Ceylan Nuri Bilge Ceylan (, born 26 January 1959) is a Turkish photographer, filmmaker and actor best known for the Palme d'Or winning ''Winter Sleep'' (2014). Early life Ceylan was born in Istanbul on 26 January 1959. His interest in photography star ...
. David Kehr from ''The New York Times'' commented that their works now stand as one of the pioneering works whose influence can be felt in European modern filmmaking.


1956−1972: Hollywood return

After separating from Rossellini, Bergman starred in
Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s. His films '' ...
's '' Elena and Her Men'' (''Elena et les Hommes'', 1956), a romantic comedy in which she played a Polish princess caught up in political intrigue. Bergman and Renoir had been wanting to work together. In ''Elena and Her Men'', which Renoir had written for her, she plays a down-on-her-luck Polish princess, Elena Sorokowska. The film was a hit in Paris when it premiered in September 1956. Candice Russell, commented that Bergman is the best thing in the film. Roger Ebert wrote, "The movie is about something else - about Bergman's rare eroticism, and the way her face seems to have an inner light on film. Was there ever a more sensuous actress in the movies?" In 1956, Bergman also starred in a French adaptation of stage production of ''Tea and Sympathy''. It was presented at the
Théâtre de Paris The Théâtre de Paris is a theatre located at 15, rue Blanche in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It includes a second smaller venue, the Petit Théâtre de Paris. History The first theatre on the site was built by the Duke of Richelieu in 1730 ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
. It tells a story of a "boarding school boy" who is thought to be homosexual. Bergman played the wife of the headmaster. She is supportive of the young man, grows closer to him and later has sex with him, as a way to "prove" and support his masculinity. It was a smash hit. Twentieth Century Fox had bought the rights to ''Anastasia'' with
Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...
slated to direct. Buddy Adler, the executive producer wanted Bergman, then a still controversial figure in the States, to return to the American screen after a seven-year absence. Fox agreed to take a chance, making her a box-office risk to play the leading role. Filming was going to be made in England, Paris, and Copenhagen. ''
Anastasia Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning " resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the mo ...
'' (1956) tells the story of a woman who may be the sole surviving member of the Romanov family.
Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in th ...
is the scheming general, who tries to pass her off as the single surviving daughter of the late Tsar Nicholas II. He hopes to use her to collect a hefty inheritance. ''Anastasia'' was an immediate success. Bosley Crowther wrote in the ''New York Times'', "It is a beautifully molded performance, worthy of an Academy Award and particularly gratifying in the light of Miss Bergman's long absence from commendable films." With her role in ''Anastasia'', Bergman made a triumphant return to working for a Hollywood studio (albeit in a film produced in Europe) and won the
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
for a second time. Cary Grant accepted the award on her behalf. Its director,
Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...
, described her as "one of the greatest actresses in the world": After Anastasia, Bergman starred in ''Indiscreet'' (1958), a romantic comedy directed by Stanley Donen. She plays a successful London stage actress, Anna Kalman, who falls in love with Philip Adams, a diplomat played by
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
. The film is based on the play Kind Sir''' written by Norman Krasna. Although unmarried, he tells her that he is married but cannot get a divorce. He does so, in order to remain single. Cecil Parker and Phyllis Calvert also co-starred. Bergman later starred in the 1958 picture '' The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'', based on a true story about Gladys Aylward, a Christian missionary in China who, despite many obstacles, was able to win the hearts of the natives through patience and sincerity. In the film's climactic scene, she leads a group of orphaned children to safety, to escape from the Japanese invasion. The ''New York Times'' wrote, "the justification of her achievements is revealed by no other displays than those of Miss Bergman's mellow beauty, friendly manner and melting charm." The film also co-starred
Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...
and Curd Jurgens. Bergman made her first post-scandal public appearance in Hollywood at the 30th Academy Awards in 1959, as presenter of the award for Best Picture, and received a standing ovation when introduced. Bergman made her television debut in an episode of '' Startime'', an anthology show, which presented dramas, musical comedies, and variety shows.,Tim Brooks and Earl March, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946–Present'' (Random House, 2007) p. 976.  The episode presented '' The Turn of the Screw'', an adaptation of the horror novella by
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
and directed by John Frankenheimer. She played a governess to two little children, who are haunted by the ghost of their previous caretaker. For this performance, she was awarded the 1960 Emmy for best dramatic performance by an actress. Also in 1960, Bergman was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star at 6759 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1961, Bergman's second American television production, ''Twenty-four Hours in a Woman's Life'', was produced by her third husband, Lars Schmidt. Bergman played a bereaved wife, in love with a younger man she has known for only 24 hours. She later starred in '' Goodbye Again'' as Paula Tessier, a middle-aged interior decorator who falls in love with Anthony Perkins' character, who is fifteen years her junior. Paula is in relationship with Roger Demarest, a womanizer, played by Yves Montand. Roger loves Paula but reluctant to give up his womanizing ways. When Perkins starts pursuing her, the lonely Paula is suddenly forced to choose between the two men. In his review of the film, Bosley Crowther wrote that Bergman was neither convincing nor interesting in her part as Perkins's lover. In 1962, Schmidt also co-produced his wife's third venture into American television, '' Hedda Gabler'', made for BBC and CBS. She played the titular character opposite Michael Redgrave and Ralph Richardson. David Duprey wrote in his review, "Bergman and Sir Ralph Richardson on screen at the same time is like peanut butter and chocolate spread on warm toast." Later in the year, she took the titular role of '' Hedda Gabler'' in Paris's Theatre Montparnasse. On 23 September 1964, ''The Visit'' premiered. Based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1956 play, ''Der Besuch der alten Dame; eine tragische Komödie,'' it starred Bergman and Anthony Quinn. With a production budget of $1.5 million, principal photography took place in Capranica, outside of Rome. She plays Karla Zachanassian, the world's richest woman, who returns to her birthplace, seeking revenge. On 13 May 1965, Anthony Asquith's '' The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' premiered. Bergman plays Gerda Millett, a wealthy American widow who meets up with a Yugoslavian partisan, Omar Sharif. For her role, she was reportedly paid $250,000. That same year, although known chiefly as a film star, Bergman appeared in London's West End, working with stage star Michael Redgrave in '' A Month in the Country.'' She took on the role of Natalia Petrovna, a lovely headstrong woman, bored with her marriage and her life. According to ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...
'', "The production would hardly have exerted this special appeal without the presence of Ingrid Bergman." In 1966, Bergman acted in only one project, an hour-long television version of
Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...
's one-character play, The Human Voice. It tells a story of a lonely woman in her apartment talking on the phone to her lover who is about to leave her for another woman. ''The New York Times'' praised her performance, calling it a tour-de-force. ''The Times of London'' echoed the same sentiment, describing it as a great dramatic performance through this harrowing monologue. In 1967, Bergman was cast in a short episode of Swedish anthology film, ''Stimulantia''. Her segment which is based on the Guy de Maupassant's ''The Jewellery'' reunited her with Gustaf Molander. Next,
Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...
's '' More Stately Mansions'' directed by José Quintero, opened on 26 October 1967. Bergman,
Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...
, and Arthur Hill appeared in the leading roles. The show closed on 2 March 1968 after 142 performances. It was reported that thousand of spectators bought tickets, and travelled across the country, to see Bergman perform. Bergman returned as both a presenter and a performer during the 41st Annual Academy Awards in 1969. Bergman wished to work in American films again, following a long hiatus. She starred in '' Cactus Flower'' released in 1969, with Walter Matthau and Goldie Hawn. Here, she played a prim spinster, a dental nurse-receptionist who is secretly in love with her boss, the dentist, played by Matthau. Howard Thompson wrote in the ''New York Times'':
The teaming of Matthau, whose dour, craggy virility now supplants the easy charm of
Barry Nelson Barry Nelson (born Robert Haakon Nielsen; April 16, 1917 – April 7, 2007) was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond. Early life Nelson was born in San Francisco, the son of Norwegian immi ...
, and the ultra-feminine Miss Bergman, in a rare comedy venture, was inspirational on somebody's part. The lady is delightful as a (now) "Swedish iceberg", no longer young, who flowers radiantly while running interference for the boss's romantic bumbling. The two stars mesh perfectly.
On 9 April 1970, Guy Green's '' A Walk in the Spring Rain'' had its world premiere. Bergman played Libby, the middle-aged wife of a New York professor ( Fritz Weaver). She accompanies him on his sabbatical in the Tennessee mountains, where he intends to write a book. She meets a local handyman, Will Cade ( Anthony Quinn), and they form a mutual attraction. The screenplay was based on the romantic novel written by Rachel Maddux. ''The New York Times'' in its review wrote, "Striving mightily and looking lovely, Miss Bergman seems merely a petulant woman who falls into the arms of Quinn for novelty, from boredom with her equally bored husband, eaver pecking away on a book in their temporary mountain retreat." On 18 February 1971, ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'', a play based on George Bernard Shaw's work, made a debut at London theatre. She took on the role of a woman whose husband has taken up with a woman half her age. Although the play was a commercial success, critics were not very receptive of Bergman's British accent. She made an appearance in one episode of The Bob Hope Show in 1972. Also that year, U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy entered an apology into the '' Congressional Record'' for the verbal attack made on Bergman on 14 March 1950 by Edwin C. Johnson. Percy noted that she had been "the victim of bitter attack in this chamber 22 years ago." He expressed regret that the persecution caused Bergman to "leave this country at the height of her career". Bergman said that the remarks had been difficult to forget, and had caused her to avoid the country for nine years. Although she had paid a high price, Bergman had made peace with America, according to her daughter, Isabella Rossellini.


1973−1982: Later years and continued success

On 27 September 1972, Fielder Cook's ''From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'' premiered. She plays the titular character, a wealthy recluse who befriends two children who are seeking "treasure" in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
. Also that year, Bergman was the president of the jury at the 1973
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
. In an interview with '' The Daytona Beach Sunday News'' in 1978, she recalled this event because she met with Ingmar Bergman once again. This gave her the opportunity to remind him about the letter she had written, some ten years ago, asking him to cast her in one of his pictures. Knowing that Ingmar would be attending, she made a copy of his long-ago reply, and put it in his pocket. He didn't reply again, for two years. Next, Bergman returned to London's West End and appeared with John Gielgud in '' The Constant Wife,'' which was a critical success. The theatre was consistently packed. ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' found the play "unusually entertaining", while Harold Hobson of ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' was still peeved at Bergman for playing yet another English woman with a "strange accent". Bergman became one of the few actresses ever to receive three Oscars when she won her third (and first in the category of Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974). Director Sidney Lumet had offered Bergman the important part of Princess Dragomiroff, with which he felt she could win an Oscar. She insisted on playing the much smaller role of Greta Ohlsson, the old Swedish missionary. Lumet discussed Bergman's role: At the 1975 Academy Awards, film director
Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s. His films '' ...
was to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the motion picture industry. As he was ill at the time, he asked that Ingrid Bergman accept this award on his behalf. Bergman made a speech of acceptance that praised his films and the "compassion that marked all his works" as well as his teaching of both young filmmakers and audiences. Although she had been nominated for the new Best Supporting Actress Award, she considered her role in ''Murder on the Orient Express'' to be quite minor and did not expect to win. When the award was announced, in her surprised and unrehearsed remarks, she remarked to the audience that
Valentina Cortese Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''Day for Night'' (1973). Personal life Cortese was born ...
should have won the award for her role in ''
Day for Night Day for night is a set of cinematic techniques used to simulate a night scene while filming in daylight. It is often employed when it is too difficult or expensive to actually shoot during nighttime. Because both film stocks and digital image se ...
'', by Truffaut. Bergman and Cortese spent the rest of the evening in each other's company, and were the subject of many photographs. Also in 1975, Bergman attended the AFI tribute to
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
. The audience gave her a standing ovation when she appeared on stage. She joked that she hardly knew Welles and they only invited her because she was working across the street. In 1976, Bergman was the first person to receive France's newly created Honorary César, a national film award. She also appeared in ''A Matter of Time'', by Vincente Minnelli, which premiered on 7 October 1976. Roger Ebert in his review wrote, ""A Matter of Time" is a fairly large disappointment as a movie, but as an occasion for reverie, it does very nicely. Once we've finally given up on the plot - a meandering and jumbled business - we're left with the opportunity to contemplate Ingrid Bergman at 60. And to contemplate Ingrid Bergman at any age is, I submit, a passable way to spend one's time." From 1977 to 1978, Bergman returned to the London's West with Wendy Hiller in '' Waters of the Moon.'' She played Helen Lancaster, a rich, self-centred woman whose car becomes stuck in a snowdrift. The play became the great new hit of the season. In 1978, Bergman appeared in '' Autumn Sonata'' (''Höstsonaten''), by accomplished Swedish filmmaker,
Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known as "profoun ...
(no relation), for which she received her seventh — and final — Academy Award nomination. She did not attend the awards, due to her illness. This was her final cinema performance. The film gave her the opportunity to work with
Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and film director. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent partner of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She acted in m ...
, another well-known and respected Scandinavian artist. In the film, Bergman plays a celebrity pianist, Charlotte, who travels to Norway intending to visit her neglected eldest daughter, Eva, played by Ullmann. Eva is married to a clergyman and they care for her sister, Helena, who is severely disabled, paralyzed, and unable to speak clearly. Charlotte has not visited either of her two daughters for seven years. Upon arrival at Eva's home, she is shocked and dismayed to learn that her younger daughter is also in residence, and not still in the institution "home". Very late that night, Eva and Charlotte have an impassioned and painful conversation about their past relationship. Charlotte leaves the next day. The film was shot in Norway. Bergman was battling cancer at the time of the filming. The final two weeks of the shooting schedule required adjustment because she required additional surgery. Believing that her career was nearing its end, Bergman wanted her swan song to be honourable. She was pleased with the overwhelming critical acclaim for '' Autumn Sonata''.
Stanley Kaufmann Stanley Kauffmann (April 24, 1916 – October 9, 2013) was an American writer, editor, and critic of film and theater. Career Kauffmann started with ''The New Republic'' in 1958 and contributed film criticism to that magazine for the next fifty ...
of ''The New Republic'' wrote, "The astonishment is Bergman's performance. We've all adored her for decades but not many of us have thought her a superb actress. Here, she exalted in the hands of a master." ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' wrote, "An expressive force we can't even remember seeing since Hollywood grabbed her." ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...
'' (London) concurred that it was "a tour-de-force, such as the cinema rarely sees". Both Bergman and Ullmann won the ''New York Film Critic's Award'' and Italy's ''Donatello'' award, for their roles. Bergman later recalled that Ingmar had possibly given her the best role of her career, that she would never make another movie again. "I don't want to go down and play little parts. This should be the end." In 1979, Bergman hosted the AFI's Life Achievement Award Ceremony for
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. At the program's finale, she presented him with the wine cellar key that was crucial to the plot of ''Notorious''. "Cary Grant kept this for 10 years, then he gave it to me, and I kept it for 20 years for good luck and now I give it to you with my prayers," before adding "God bless you, Hitch." Bergman was the guest of honour in the Variety's Club All Star Salute program in December 1979. The show was hosted by Jimmy Stewart and was attended by Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, Helen Hayes, Paul Henreid and many of her former co-stars. She was honored with the ''Illis Quorum'', the medal given to artists of significance by the King of Sweden. In the late '70s, Bergman appeared on several talk shows and was interviewed by Merv Griffin, David Frost, Michael Parkinson, Mike Douglas, John Russell and Dick Cavett, discussing her life and career. In 1980, Bergman's autobiography, ''Ingrid Bergman: My Story'', was written with the help of Alan Burgess. In it, she discusses her childhood, her early career, her life during her time in Hollywood, the Rossellini scandal, and subsequent events. The book was written after her son warned her that she would only be known through rumors and interviews if she did not tell her own story. In 1982, she was awarded the David di Donatello's Golden Medal of the Minister of Tourism, given by The Academy of Italian Cinema. Finally that year, Bergman played the starring role in a television mini-series, '' A Woman Called Golda'' (1982), about the late Israeli
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and '' kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to ...
. It was to be her final acting role and she was honored posthumously with a second
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Best Actress. Bergman was surprised to be offered the role, but the producer explained, "People believe you and trust you, and this is what I want, because Golda Meir had the trust of the people." Her daughter Isabella added, "Now, ''that'' was interesting to Mother." She was also persuaded that Golda was a "grand-scale person", one that people would assume was much taller than she actually was. Chandler notes that the role "also had a special significance for her, as during World War II, Ingrid felt guilty because she had so misjudged the situation in Germany". According to Chandler, "Ingrid's rapidly deteriorating health was a more serious problem. Insurance for Bergman was impossible. Not only did she have cancer, but it was spreading, and if anyone had known how bad it was, no one would have gone on with the project." After viewing the series on TV, Isabella commented: Her daughter said that Bergman identified with Golda Meir, because she, too had felt guilty. Bergman tried to strike a balance between home and work responsibilities and deal with "the inability to be in two places at one time". Bergman's arm was terribly swollen from her cancer surgery. She was often ill during the filming, recovering from the mastectomy and the removal of lymph nodes. It was important to her, as an actress, to make a certain gesture of Meir's, which required her to raise both arms, but she was unable to properly raise one arm. During the night, her arm was propped up, in an uncomfortable position, so that the fluid would drain, and enable her to perform her character's important gesture. Despite her health problems, she rarely complained or let others see the difficulties she endured. Four months after the filming was completed, Bergman passed away on her 67th birthday. After her death, her daughter Pia accepted her Emmy.


Personal life


Marriages and children

On 10 July 1937, at the age of 21, in
Stöde Stöde is a locality situated in Sundsvall Municipality, Västernorrland County Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county (''län'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Vä ...
, Bergman married a dentist, Petter Aron Lindström (1 March 1907 – 24 May 2000), who later became a neurosurgeon. The couple had one child, a daughter, Friedel Pia Lindström (born 20 September 1938). After returning to the United States in 1940, she acted on Broadway before continuing to do films in Hollywood. The following year, her husband arrived from Sweden with Pia. Lindström stayed in
Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, where he studied medicine and surgery at the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of ...
. Bergman travelled to New York and stayed at their small rented stucco house between films, her visits lasting from a few days to four months. According to an article in ''Life'', the "doctor regards himself as the undisputed head of the family, an idea that Ingrid accepts cheerfully". He insisted she draw the line between her film and personal life, as he has a "professional dislike for being associated with the tinseled glamor of Hollywood". Lindström later moved to San Francisco, California, where he completed his internship at a private hospital, and they continued to spend time together when she could travel between filming. Petter did not view Bergman as the rest of the world did. He thought she was too absorbed with her popularity and image, and was full of vanity. According to Bergman's biographer, Donald Spoto, Petter managed her career and financial matters. He was very frugal with money. Petter had been aware of his wife's affairs. When asked by the biographer why he didn't ask for a divorce, he replied bluntly, "I lived with that because of her income". In 1945, she and Lindström became United States citizens. On 27 August, two days before her 30th birthday, as Ingrid Lindstrom, she and her husband both filed " Declaration of Intention" forms with the United States District Court, Southern District of California, in order to become US citizens. Bergman returned to Europe after the scandalous publicity surrounding her affair with Italian director
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
during the filming of ''
Stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Si ...
'' in 1950. She begged Petter for a divorce and contact with Pia. She had asked him before but he refused. In the same month the film was released, she gave birth to a boy, Renato Roberto Ranaldo Giusto Giuseppe ("Robin") Rossellini (born 2 February 1950). A week after her son was born, according to Mexican law, she divorced Lindström and on 24 May 1950 married Rossellini by proxy. On 18 June 1952, she gave birth to twin daughters Isotta Ingrid Rossellini and Isabella Rossellini. Isabella became an actress and model, and Isotta Ingrid became a professor of
Italian literature Italian literature is written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian, includin ...
. It was not until 1957 that Bergman was reunited with Pia, in Rome. Petter, however, remained bitter towards Bergman. During the scandal, Bergman received letters in support from Cary Grant, Helen Hayes, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and other celebrities. This public scandal is remembered as a major
sex scandal Public scandals involving allegations or information about possibly immoral sexual activities are often associated with the sexual affairs of film stars, politicians, famous athletes, or others in the public eye. Sex scandals receive attenti ...
of 20th century Hollywood. It received an extraordinary amount of media attention, not only in the US, but also abroad, including in Bergman's native Sweden. Bergman was treated harshly by the conservative Swedish press, with some Swedish journalists going as far as claiming that she had destroyed the international reputation of Sweden. The scandal also took ethnocentric overtones, with Rossellini being described as the immoral, highly sexed, aggressive Latin lover. On the other hand, Bergman was defended by Swedish feminists, and the whole situation (especially after Bergman returned for the first time in Sweden after the scandal in 1955) caused friction in Sweden between conservative journalists and the emerging feminist movement. In the US, the scandal also took xenophobic turns, Sen. Edwin C. Johnson stated that "under the law, no alien guilty of turpitude can set foot on American soil again" and that Bergman had "deliberately exiled herself from this country that was so good to her". Isabella Rossellini said that " .she was chased out of America because they felt that foreigners and stars, we come to America, and then behave immorally and are bad examples to the younger generations." Although the morals of the times played a role in the public outrage, as the affair scandal took place during the post-war era of social conservatism, the fact that Bergman had a public image of a pure, saint-like character played a major role too; later Bergman would comment on the scandal "People saw me in Joan of Arc, and declared me a saint. I'm not. I'm just a woman, another human being." and "It was because so many people, who knew me only on the screen, thought I was perfect and infallible and then were angry and disappointed that I wasn't ... A nun does not fall in love with an Italian." Her marriage with Rossellini experienced several problems and eventually ended in divorce in 1957. Rossellini's cousin, Renzo Avanzo, was worried that Bergman would deflect Rossellini from making pictures he should be making. Rossellini didn't like her friends for fear of them trying to lure her back to Hollywood. He was possessive and would not allow Bergman to work for anyone else. In 1957, Rossellini had an affair with Sonali Das Gupta while filming in India. Bergman met with the Prime Minister of India,
Pandit Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
, in London to get permission for Rossellini to leave India. They divorced in 1957. On 21 December 1958, Bergman married Lars Schmidt, a theatrical entrepreneur from a wealthy Swedish shipping family. She met Schmidt through her publicist, Kay Brown. They spent summers together in Danholmen, Lars's private island off the coast of Sweden. The couple and their children stayed at
Choisel Choisel () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. People *Michel Tournier See also *Communes of the Yvelines department An intentional community is a voluntary residential communit ...
, close to Paris. With Bergman constantly off to filming, Lars was all over Europe, producing plays and television shows. Their work schedules put a strain on their marriage. While vacationing with Schmidt in Monte Gordo beach (Algarve region, Portugal) in 1963, right after recording the TV movie ''Hedda Gabler'', she got ticketed for wearing a bikini that showed too much, according to the modesty standards of conservative Portugal. After almost two decades of marriage, the couple divorced in 1975. Nonetheless, he was by her side when she died on 29 August 1982, her 67th birthday. In October 1978, Bergman gave an interview, regarding what was to be her last film role. ''Autumn Sonata'' explored the relationship between a mother and daughter. She played a classical concert pianist, who valued her career more than motherhood and caring for her two daughters. Bergman said that this role reminded her of the times when she had to "leave" her own daughters. She stated that "A lot of it is what I have lived through, leaving my children, having a career." She recalled instances in her own life, "when she had to pry her children's arms from around her neck, 'and then go away' to advance her career." Before her death in 1982, Bergman made a few alterations in her will. The bulk of her estate was divided among her four children. She left some provisions for Rossellini's niece, Fiorella, her maid in Rome, and her agent's daughter, Kate Brown.


Relationships

Bergman had affairs with her directors and co-stars in the 1940s. Spencer Tracy and Bergman briefly dated during the filming of ''Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''. She later had an affair with Gary Cooper while shooting ''For Whom The Bell Tolls''. Cooper said, "No one loved me more than Ingrid Bergman, but the day after filming concluded, I couldn't even get her on the phone." Jeanine Basinger, when reviewing Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master''' by Michael Sragow writes, "Fleming fell deeply in love with the irresistible Swede and never really got over it". While directing his final film ''Joan of Arc'', he was completely enthralled with Bergman. She had a brief affair with musician Larry Adler when she was travelling across Europe entertaining the troops in 1945. In Anthony Quinn's autobiography, he mentions his sexual relationship with Bergman, among his many other affairs.
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in t ...
was also quite taken by Bergman. They met through Cary Grant and Irene Selznick. He phoned one day to inform her that he had just bought RKO as a present for her. During her marriage to Lindström, Bergman had affairs with the photographer
Robert Capa Robert Capa (born Endre Ernő Friedmann; October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954) was a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist as well as the companion and professional partner of photographer Gerda Taro. He is considered by some to b ...
and the actor
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
. It was through Bergman's autobiography that her affair with Capa became known.p. 176 In June 1945, Bergman was passing through Paris, on her way to Berlin to entertain American soldiers. In response to a dinner invitation she met Capa and novelist Irwin Shaw. By her account, they had a wonderful evening. The next day, she departed for Berlin. Two months later, Capa was in Berlin, photographing ruins, and they met again. Distressed over her marriage to Lindström, she fell in love with Capa, and wished to leave her husband. During their months together in Berlin, Capa made enough money to follow Bergman back to Hollywood. Although ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
'' magazine assigned him to cover Bergman, he was unhappy with the "frivolity" of Hollywood. Bergman's brief affair with '' Spellbound'' co-star Gregory Peck was kept private until Peck confessed it to Brad Darrach of ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' in an interview five years after Bergman's death. Peck said, "All I can say is that I had a real love for her (Bergman), and I think that's where I ought to stop ... I was young. She was young. We were involved for weeks in close and intense work." Bergman was a
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
, once saying of herself, "I'm tall, Swedish, and Lutheran". Later, her daughter Isabella Rossellini said: "She showed that women are independent, that women want to tell their own story, want to take initiative, but sometimes, they can't because sometimes, our social culture doesn't allow women to break away from certain rules." After the making of '' Intermezzo: A Love Story'' (1939), producer
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...
and his wife
Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United State ...
became friends with Bergman and remained so throughout her career. Bergman also formed a lifelong friendship with her ''Notorious'' co-star, Cary Grant. They met briefly in 1938 at a party thrown by David O. Selznick. Scot Eyman in his book, ''Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise'' wrote, "Grant found that he liked Ingrid Bergman a great deal," Mr. Eyman notes. "She was beautiful, but lots of actresses are beautiful. What made Bergman special was her indifference to her looks, her clothes, to everything except her art." Bergman and Hitchcock also formed a sustained friendship out of mutual admiration.


Illness and death

During the run of '' The Constant Wife'' in London, Bergman discovered a small hard lump on the underside of her left breast. On 15 June 1974, she entered a London clinic and had her first operation. While working on '' Autumn Sonata'', Bergman discovered another lump, and flew back to London for another surgery. Afterward, she began rehearsals for '' Waters of the Moon'' (1978). Despite her illness, she agreed to play
Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and '' kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to ...
in 1981. Bergman retired to her apartment in Cheyne Gardens, London after the film had finished where she underwent chemotherapy. Photographers had camped outside on the pavement of her London apartment. As the cameras had
telephoto lens A telephoto lens, in photography and cinematography, is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a ''telephoto ...
es, Bergman refrained from approaching the front window. At this point, the cancer had spread to her spine, collapsing her twelfth vertebra. Her right lung no longer functioned, and only a small part of her left lung had not collapsed. On 29 August 1982 at midnight on her 67th birthday, Bergman died in London. Her ex-husband, Lars Schmidt, and three others were there, where they drank their last toast to her hours earlier. A copy of ''
The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (french: Le Petit Prince, ) is a novella by French aristocrat, writer, and military pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 an ...
'' was at her bedside, opened to a page near the end. The memorial service was held in Saint Martin-in-the-Fields church in October with twelve hundred mourners in attendance. Her children were in attendance. In addition to the Rossellinis and relatives from Sweden, numerous fellow actors and costars, including Liv Ullmann, Sir John Gielgud, Dame Wendy Hiller,
Birgit Nilsson Märta Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano. Although she sang a wide répertoire of operatic and vocal works, Nilsson was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner ...
, Joss Ackland, attended. As part of the service, quotations from
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
were read. Musical selections included " This Old Man" from ''The Inn of the Sixth Happiness,'' a piece by Beethoven, and strains of " As Time Goes By". Bergman's grandson, Justin Daly, recalled the event as hundreds of photographers were waiting and taking pictures. One of their cameras hit him on the head. He added, "In the middle of all this chaos, I could sense that she wasn't just my grandmother. She belonged to everyone else. She belonged to the world." Ingrid Bergman was cremated at a private funeral ceremony attended only by close relatives and five friends. After cremation at Kensal Green Cemetery (London), her ashes were taken to Sweden. Most were scattered into the sea, around the islet of Dannholmen near the fishing village of
Fjällbacka Fjällbacka is a locality situated in Tanum Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 859 inhabitants in 2010. Fjällbacka is mostly known as a summer tourist resort, with a long history, and as the setting for many of best-selling Swe ...
in
Bohuslän Bohuslän (; da, Bohuslen; no, Båhuslen) is a Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North ...
. The location is on the west coast of Sweden, a place where she had spent most of the summers from 1958 until her death. The remainder of her ashes were placed next to her parents' ashes in Norra Begravningsplatsen (Northern Cemetery),
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
, Sweden.


Acting style, public image and screen persona

Bergman was often associated with vulnerable yet strong characters who were in love but were also troubled by anxiety and fear. As preparation for ''Gaslight'' she went to a mental hospital and observed a particular patient. For ''A Woman Called Golda'', she reviewed tapes, to master Meir's mannerisms. In ''Autumn Sonata'', she moves across the screen like a caged animal but always keeps a ladylike composure that makes her words even more "silent but deathly". Bergman could be rigid and stubborn in her acting approach. Ingmar Bergman stated that they argued frequently, on set. "She went to a limit and objected to go beyond the limit." Jan Göransson of the Swedish Film Institute described Bergman as stubborn and loved to question her directors, whose innovative ideas to acting eventually won her over. Bergman's ability to instantly change emotions was one of her greatest talents. Dr Funing Tang from the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
asserted, "even a moment of reticence, a little glance, or even an eye movement can alter the film's direction and provide her film and character with suspense, ambiguity and mysteriousness, which are rooted in her singular characteristics."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
echoed the same observation when he cited that Bergman has her way of looking into a man's face. He added, "She doesn't simply gaze at his eyes, as so many actresses do, their thoughts on the next line of dialogue. She peers into the eyes, searching for meaning and clues, and when she is in a close two-shot with an actor, watch the way her own eyes reflect the most minute changes in his expression." For writer Susan Kerr, Bergman might have the greatest downcast eyes in history. "She got her greatest effects in ''Casablanca'' and ''Gaslight'' and ''Spellbound'' and ''Notorious'' by swooping her eyes down to the floor and darting them back and forth, as if watching a mouse scurry across the room", Kerr wrote. According to ''Stardom and the Aesthetics of Neorealism: Ingrid Bergman in Rossellini's Italy'', Alfred Hitchcock was responsible for transforming the Bergman's screen persona towards a "less is more". He coaxed her to be more understated and neutral, while his camera concentrated the expression in the micro-movement of her face. Much of his work with her involved efforts to quell her expressiveness, gestures and body movements. Susan White, one of the contributing authors in ''A Companion to Alfred Hitchcock'', argued that while Bergman was one of his favorite collaborators, she is not the quintessential Hitchcock blonde. She is more like "a resistant and defiant blonde", in contrast to Grace Kelly type ... more malleable and conformative. For Bergman, the face became a central aspect to her persona. In many of her films, her body is covered up in what are often elaborate costumes; nun's habits, doctor's coats, soldier's armors, and Victorian dresses. The technique of ''
chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...
'', had been used in many of Bergman's films to capture the ambience and the emotional turmoils of her characters through her face. In the case of ''Casablanca'', shadows and lighting were used to make her face look thinner. Peter Byrnes of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' wrote that ''Casablanca'' is perhaps the world's best close-up movie, in which he added, "after the initial set-up, they just keep coming, a series of stunningly emotional close-ups to die for". Byrnes asserted that these close-ups is the start of the seduction process between Bergman and the audience. He added, "She is so beautiful, and so beautifully lit, that the audience feels they've had their money's worth already." Bergman's daughter, Pia Lindstrom felt that her mother gave some of her best acting in her later films once her mother had finally been freed of her youthful, radiant physical beauty. Dan Callahan, a prominent film writer commented that there is an element of suspense when watching how Bergman, who was a polyglot, emotes, enhanced by her voice and the way she read her lines. He wrote that Bergman was less effective while speaking in French and German, as if she were void of creative energy. Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture echoed the same sentiment, that Bergman's secret weapon is her voice and her accent. Bergman portrayed women in extra-marital affairs in ''Intermezzo'' and ''Casablanca'', prostitutes in ''Arch of Triumph'' and ''Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'', and a villainess in ''Saratoga Trunk''. Nonetheless, the public seemed to believe that Bergman's off-screen persona was similar to the saintly characters she played in ''Joan of Arc'' and ''The Bells of St. Mary's''. Although the preponderance of "fallen woman" roles did not besmirch Bergman's saintly status, the publicized affair with Rossellini resulted in a public sense of betrayal. David O. Selznick testified later, "I'm afraid I'm responsible for the public's image of her as Saint Ingrid. We deliberately built her up as the normal, healthy, unneurotic career woman, devoid of scandal and with an idyllic home life. I guess that backfired later." Charles River Editors called Bergman the first international movie star. He profiles her international career in his book, how Bergman was the unique star who was willing to act in different languages produced in different countries. However, he admits her European pictures have been neglected and relegated in favor of her much more popular Hollywood films, thus preventing most people from gaining a complete understanding of her filmography. As a result, Bergman, today is recognized as a Hollywood star rather than an international actress. To American culture, Bergman is the heroine of ''Casablanca'' who later became the darling of Hollywood, thus reducing the equally important phase of her career.


Legacy

The news of Bergman's death was widely reported by mainstream media across the United States and Europe. Both the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' and the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' printed front page notices. The ''New York Post'' announcement was in bold red. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' stated: "Ingrid Bergman, Winner of Three Oscars Is Dead." ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' paid its tribute in an article that called her "an actress whose innocent yet provocative beauty made her one of the great stars of stage and screen". Bergman's death was mourned by many, especially her fellow co-stars. They praised her tenacity, spirit, and warmth. Joseph Cotten considered her a great friend and a great actress. Paul Henreid commented, "She was so terribly beautiful in her youth. She was a very strong lady with great desires and emotions and she led a colorful life." Liv Ullmann said that she would mourn her because "She made me very proud to be a woman," she added. Leonard Nimoy praised her tenacity and courage. "I developed enormous respect for her as a person and talent. She was a marvelous lady and actress". On 30 August 1983, stars, friends and family came to
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
to honour the late Bergman on the first anniversary of her death. Among the many guests were Gregory Peck, Walter Matthau, Audrey Hepburn, Roger Moore,
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...
, Prince Albert of Monaco, Claudette Colbert and
Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...
. They dined, and wined for five days while remembering Bergman and the legacy she left behind. Despite suffering from cancer for eight years, Bergman continued her career and won international honours for her final roles. "Her spirit triumphed with remarkable grace and courage", added biographer Donald Spoto. Director
George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...
once summed up her contributions to the film media when he said to her, "Do you know what I especially love about you, Ingrid, my dear? I can sum it up as your naturalness. The camera loves your beauty, your acting, and your individuality. A star must have individuality. It makes you a great star." Writing about her first years in Hollywood, ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
'' stated that "All Bergman vehicles are blessed", and "they all go speedily and happily, with no temperament from the leading lady". She was "completely pleased" with her early career's management by
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...
, who always found excellent dramatic roles for her to play, and equally satisfied with her salary, once saying, "I am an actress, and I am interested in acting, not in making money." ''Life'' adds that "she has greater versatility than any actress on the American screen ... Her roles have demanded an adaptability and sensitiveness of characterization to which few actresses could rise". Biographer Donald Spoto said she was "arguably the most international star in the history of entertainment". After her American film debut in the film '' Intermezzo: A Love Story'' (1939), Hollywood saw her as a unique actress who was completely natural in style, and without need for make-up. Film critic James Agee wrote that she "not only bears a startling resemblance to an imaginable human being; she really knows how to act, in a blend of poetic grace with quiet realism". Film historian David Thomson, said she "always strove to be a 'true' woman", and many filmgoers identified with her: According to her daughter, Isabella Rossellini, her mother had a deep sense of freedom and independence. She then added, "She was able to integrate so many cultures... she is not even American but she is totally part of American culture like she is totally part of the Swedish, Italian, French, European film making." Wesleyan University hosts the "Ingrid Bergman Collection" of Bergman's personal papers, scripts, awards, portraits, photos, scrapbooks, costumes, legal papers, financial records, stills, clippings and memorabilia.


Activism

During a press conference in Washington, D.C. for the promotion of the play ''Joan of Lorraine'', she protested to the newspapers regarding
racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Intern ...
after seeing it first hand at Lisner Auditorium, the theater where she was working. This led to significant publicity and some hate mail. A bust of Bergman has been placed outside the Lisner Auditorium, in recognition of her protest, and as a reminder of the venue's segregated past. Bergman went to
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
during World War II to entertain US Army troops. Soon after the war ended, she also went to Europe for the same purpose, where she was able to see the devastation caused by the war. She arrived in Paris on 6 June 1945 with
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
, Larry Adler and Martha Tilton where they stayed at The Ritz Hotel. Bergman's performance was rather limited; she couldn't sing, she couldn't play an instrument, she didn't have the humour of Jack Benny. In Kassel, she ran offstage in tears. When they went to see a concentration camp, she stayed behind. After the onset of World War II, Bergman felt guilt for her initial dismissal of the Nazi state in Germany. According to her biographer Charlotte Chandler, she had at first considered the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
s only a "temporary aberration, 'too foolish to be taken seriously'. She believed Germany would not start a war." Bergman felt that "the good people there would not permit it". Chandler adds that she "felt guilty all the rest of her life because when she was in Germany at the end of the war, she had been afraid to go with others to witness the atrocities of the
Nazi extermination camps Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...
".


Centennial celebration

In 2015, to celebrate the Bergman centennial, exhibitions, film screenings, books, documentaries and seminars were presented by various institutions. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) held a screening of her films, chosen and introduced by her children. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center presented an extensive retrospective of her Hollywood and Italian films.
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, University of Califor ...
, Berkeley hosted a lecture, where journalist and film critic, Ulrika Knutson called Bergman "a pioneering feminist".
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
continued with ''Notorious: Celebrating the Ingrid Bergman Centenary'' which featured a series of her best-known films. ''Ingrid Bergman at BAM'' was screened at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rose Cinemas. BAMcinématek presented "Ingrid Bergman Tribute" on 12 September 2015, an event co-hosted by Isabella Rossellini and Jeremy Irons, which featured a live reading by Rossellini and Irons taken from Bergman's personal letters. The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center in Patchogue, New York held a special screening of Bergman's films. Screenings and tributes occurred in other cities; London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo and Melbourne. The Bohuslän Museum in Uddevalla, north of Gothenburg opened an exhibition titled "Ingrid Bergman in Fjällbacka". A pictorial book titled ''Ingrid Bergman: A Life in Pictures'' was published by the Bergman estate. '' Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words'', is a 2015 Swedish
documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
, directed by Stig Björkman, which was made to celebrate her centennial. It was screened in the Cannes Classics section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a special mention for
L'Œil d'or ''L'Œil d'or, le prix du documentaire'' — Cannes (, "The Golden Eye, The Documentary Prize — Cannes") is a documentary film award created in 2015. It is awarded to the best documentary presented in one of the sections of the Cannes Film Festi ...
. A photograph of Bergman, by David Seymour featured as the main poster at Cannes. The festival described Bergman as a "modern icon, an emancipated woman, an intrepid actress, and a figurehead for the new realism". The New York Film Festival and The Tokyo International Film Festival also presented the documentary. At the 2015 Vancouver International Film Festival, the film was chosen as "Most Popular International Documentary", based on audience balloting. The film "loses no chance to illuminate the independence and courage she showed in her private life". Although the viewer may pronounce judgement on " Bergman's free-wheeling, non-conformist maternal lifestyle, there can be no doubt about her determination and professional commitment." Ending with her last screen appearance in Autumn Sonata, in 1978, "Bjorkman leaves behind the image of a uniquely strong, independent woman whose relaxed modernity was way ahead of its time." To celebrate the same occasion, the US Postal Service and Posten AB of Sweden, jointly issued commemorative stamps in Bergman's honor. The stamp art features a circa 1940 image of Bergman taken by Laszlo Willinger, with a colorized still of Bergman from ''Casablanca'' as the selvage photograph. Her daughter, Pia Lindstrom commented, "I think she would be very surprised that she is on a U.S. stamp and I know she would think it is great fun."


Biographical stage plays

Bergman was portrayed by her daughter, Isabella Rossellini in ''My Dad is 100 years Old'' (2005). In 2015, Notorious''', a play based on Hitchcock's ''Notorious'' has been staged at The Gothenburg Opera. Bergman's Italian period has been dramatised on stage in the musical play which is titled, ''Camera; The Musical About Ingrid Bergman''. It was written by Jan-Erik Sääf and Staffan Aspegren and performed in Stockholm, Sweden.


In popular culture

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...
composed "Ingrid Bergman", a song about Bergman in 1950. The lyrics have been described as "erotic", and make reference to Bergman's relationship with
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
, which began during work on the film ''
Stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Si ...
''. Alfred Hitchcock based his film '' Rear Window'' (1954) (starring
James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...
as a ''Life'' wartime photographer) on Bergman and Capa's romance. In 1984, a hybrid tea rose breed was named "Ingrid Bergman", in honor of the star. Her portrayal of Ilsa Lund from ''Casablanca'' was parodied by Kate McKinnon in one episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
''. In the opening montage of the 72nd Academy Awards, Billy Crystal, as Victor Laszlo, made a parody out of ''Casablanca's'' final scene. In the '80s, Warner Bros made Carrotblanca''' as a homage to Bogart and Bergman's character in ''Casablanca''. In ''When Harry Met Sally'' (1989), ''Casablanca'' is a recurring theme, with the lead characters arguing over the meaning of its ending throughout the film. Bogart and Bergman also appeared in Tesco's Clubcard advertisement (2019). As part of the NY mayor's open streets program, residents and volunteers have turned two parking spaces on the block of W. 103rd Street between Broadway and West End Avenue into a mural featuring Bogart and Bergman in ''Casablanca'' (2020). To help educate and inform about the importance of mask-wearing during the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
pandemic, WarnerMedia, the Ad Council, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have released a video featuring Bogart and Bergman in a scene from ''Casablanca'' wearing masks. In one scene from ''Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' (1981)'','' with some creative editing, Steve Martin's character is having a conversation with Alicia Huberman from ''Notorious''. In one scene from the movie ''Lake House'' (2006), Sandra Bullock's character is seen to be watching the kiss scene from ''Notorious''. The kiss scene between Bergman and Spencer Tracy from ''Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is featured in the ''Cinema Paradiso'' (1989) closing montage. Bergman's Sister Benedict is referenced in ''The Godfather'' (1972). There is one episode in the second season of '' The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'', which is titled ''Here's a Little Known Ingrid Bergman Incident''. Bergman's Ilsa also inspired the role of "Ilsa Faust" played by Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson in ''Mission Impossible'' film series. She was told by Tom Cruise and director McQuarrie to review ''Notorious'', ''Casablanca'' as well as several of Bergman's films as preparation for her role. When Tom Cruise made an appearance on ''The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon'' to promote the movie, he mentioned Ingrid Bergman several times. They later played the mad libs sketch with the name Ingrid Bergman among those included. In the movie '' La La Land'' (2016), the lead female character has a poster of Bergman on her bedroom wall. Near the end of the movie, another poster of Bergman can be seen by the side of a road. One of the original soundtracks for the film is named 'Bogart and Bergman.' Bergman's publicity photo from ''Notorious'' was used as the front cover of the book by Dan Callahan, ''The Camera Lies; Acting for Hitchcock'' (2020). In the book by Nora Roberts, ''The Collector'', Ingrid Bergman is mentioned (2014). Bergman's love affair with Robert Capa has been dramatised in a novel by Chris Greenhalgh, ''Seducing Ingrid Bergman'' (2012)''.'' Bergman is also referenced in Donald Trump's 2004 book, '' How to Get Rich'' and in Small Fry''', a memoir by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the daughter of
Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; ...
. As part of its dedication to the female icons of Italian cinema, Bergman was immortalised in a mural on a public staircase off Via Fiamignano near Rome. A mural of her image from ''Casablanca'' was painted on the outdoor cinema wall in Fremont, Seattle. The Dutch National Airline named one of their planes "Ingrid Bergman" in the 2010s. She has a wax figure of her displayed at Madame Tussaud's, Hollywood, California. In Fjällbacka, off the coast of Sweden, a square was named as Ingrid Bergman's Square to honor her memory. A wooden mould of Bergman's feet is on display at Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence, Italy.


Filmography, theatre, television, radio, and audio


Awards and nominations

Ingrid Bergman became the second actress to win three
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for acting: two for Best Actress, and one for Best Supporting Actress. She is tied for second place in Oscars won with Walter Brennan (all three for Best Supporting Actor), Jack Nicholson (two for Best Actor, and one for Best Supporting Actor), Meryl Streep (two for Best Actress, and one for Best Supporting Actress), Frances McDormand (all three for Best Actress), and Daniel Day-Lewis (all three for Best Actor).
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
holds the record, with four (all for Best Actress). In 1960, Bergman became the second actress to complete the American
Triple Crown of Acting The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest accolades recognized in American film, t ...
status, after winning an Emmy Award.


Academy Awards


Primetime Emmy Awards


Tony Awards


Notes


See also

* List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories * List of Academy Award records – first Nordic to win for acting, in Gaslight (1944) * List of actors nominated for Academy Awards for non-English performances – nominated for Best Actress, in Autumn Sonata (1978) * Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie * Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

* * * *
Licensing agent for Ingrid Bergman
, CMG Worldwide {{DEFAULTSORT:Bergman, Ingrid 1915 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Lutherans 20th-century Swedish women writers 20th-century Swedish writers 20th-century Swedish actresses Actresses from Stockholm American people of German descent American people of Swedish descent American autobiographers American film actresses American television actresses American Lutherans Best Actress Academy Award winners Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen César Honorary Award recipients David di Donatello winners Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from breast cancer Donaldson Award winners Nastro d'Argento winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People with acquired American citizenship Swedish autobiographers Swedish emigrants to the United States Swedish expatriates in Italy Swedish film actresses Swedish Lutherans Swedish people of German descent Swedish television actresses Tony Award winners Volpi Cup for Best Actress winners Women autobiographers Recipients of the Illis quorum Rossellini family