Ingrid Bergman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 29, 1915. The woman who would be one of the top stars in Hollywood in the 1940s had decided to become an actress after finishing her formal schooling. She had had a taste of acting at age 17 when she played an uncredited role of a girl standing in line in the Swedish film Landskamp in 1932--not much of a beginning for a girl who would be known as "Sweden's illustrious gift to Hollywood." Her parents died when she was just a girl and the uncle she lived with didn't want to stand in the way of Ingrid's dream. The next year she enrolled in the Swedish Royal Theatre but decided that stage acting was not for her. It would be three more years before she would have another chance at a film. When she did, it was more than just a bit part. The film in question was Munkbrogreven, where she had a speaking part as Elsa Edlund. After several films that year that established her as a class actress, Ingrid appeared in Intermezzo as Anita Hoffman. Luckily for her, American producer David O. Selznick saw it and sent a representative from MGM to gain rights to the story and have Ingrid signed to a contract. Once signed, she came to California and starred in MGM's 1939 remake of her 1936 film, Intermezzo: A Love Story, reprising her original role. The film was a hit and so was Ingrid. Her beauty was unlike anything the movie industry had seen before and her acting was superb. Hollywood was about to find out that they had the most versatile actress the industry had ever seen. Here was a woman who truly cared about the craft she represented. The public fell in love with her. Ingrid was under contract to go back to Sweden to film En enda natt in 1939 and Juninatten in 1940. Back in the US she appeared in three films, all well-received. She made only one film in 1942, but it was the classic Casablanca opposite the great Humphrey Bogart.

Ingrid was choosing her roles well. In 1943 she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls, the only film she made that year. The critics and public didn't forget her when she made Gaslight the following year--her role of Paula Alquist got her the Oscar for Best Actress. In 1945 Ingrid played in Spellbound, Saratoga Trunk and The Bells of St. Mary's, for which she received her third Oscar nomination for her role of Sister Benedict. She made no films in 1947, but bounced back with a fourth nomination for _Joan of Arc (1948). In 1949 she went to Italy to film Stromboli, directed by Roberto Rossellini. She fell in love with him and left her husband, Dr. Peter Lindstrom, and daughter, Pia Lindström. America's "moral guardians" in the press and the pulpits were outraged. She was pregnant and decided to remain in Italy, where her son was born. In 1952 Ingrid had twins, Isotta and Isabella Rossellini, who became an outstanding actress in her own right, as did Pia. Ingrid continued to make films in Italy and finally returned to Hollywood in 1956 in the title role in Anastasia, which was filmed in England. For this she won her second Academy Award. She had scarcely missed a beat. Ingrid continued to bounce between Europe and the US making movies, and fine ones at that. A film with Ingrid Bergman was sure to be a quality production. In her final big-screen performance in 1978's Autumn Sonata she had her final Academy Award nomination. Though she didn't win, many felt it was the most sterling performance of her career. Ingrid retired, but not before she gave an outstanding performance in the mini-series A Woman Called Golda, a film about Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. For this she won an Emmy Award as Best Actress, but, unfortunately, she didn't live to see the fruits of her labor. Ingrid had died on her birthday, from cancer, on August 29, 1982 in London, England. She was 67.



A Matter of Time (1976): $250,000
Murder on the Orient Express (1974): $100,000.00
Cactus Flower (1969): $800,000.00
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964): $275,000
Indiscreet (1958): $75,000.00 + 10% of gross profits above $4,000,000
Anastasia (1956): $250,000
Stromboli (1950): $175,000.00 plus 40% of net profits.
Joan of Arc (1948): $245,000
Arch of Triumph (1948): $175,000 + 25% of net profits.
Gaslight (1944): $75,156.25
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943): $31,770.83
Casablanca (1942): $25,000
Rage in Heaven (1941): $34,000.00
Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939): $20,000.00
Munkbrogreven (1935): SEK 1,000

Mother of Isabella Rossellini, Isotta Rossellini and Pia Lindström (born 1938). Also, mother of Roberto Ingmar Rosselini (born 1950). Married Lars Schmidt in Caxton Hall next to Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK. Ashes scattered at sea off the coast of Sweden. Attempts were made by Hollywood producers to change her name in 1939, with possibilities discussed such as Ingrid Berriman and Ingrid Lindstrom (actually her legal married name). Bergman refused, in part because she felt she had worked too hard to establish herself as an actress in Europe under her real name. Former mother-in-law of Martin Scorsese. Many of her shorter male co-stars, such as Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains, had to wear lifts to avoid looking small next to this 5' 10" beauty. Bergman and Sean Connery had topped a list of "greatest actors of all time" compiled by 50,000 readers of German magazine Funk Uhr. Was fluent in English, Swedish, French, German and Italian. At her funeral service held at Saint Martin's-in-the-fields Church, there was nothing that was as touching as the moment when, a violin played the strains of 'As Time Goes By'. She broke her foot at the beginning of the American run of "The Constant Wife" and played the next five weeks in a wheelchair. Cary Grant, her great friend, accepted her Anastasia (1956) Oscar at the 29th Annual Academy Awards (1957). Her famous love affair with the war photographer, Robert Capa was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954). Her luck was as phenomenal as her talent. In New York City, a Swedish couple praised a film of hers to their son, an elevator operator in the apartment building where one of film producer David O. Selznick's young talent scouts lived. Six months later, Ingrid was on her way to Hollywood. "I owe my whole career to that elevator boy", she would say laughingly. During the making of Casablanca (1942), Humphrey Bogart's wife Mayo Methot continually accused him of having an affair with Bergman, often confronting him in his dressing room before a shot. Bogart would come onto the set in a rage. MGM had originally cast her in the Beatrix Emery role in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) and Lana Turner in the Ivy Peterson role. Bergman felt the role of Ivy was more challenging and persuaded the studio to let her switch roles with Turner. On the first anniversary of her death, stars, friends and family came to Venice Film Festival to honor her. Among the many guests were Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, Charlton Heston, Roger Moore, Claudette Colbert, Olivia de Havilland and Prince Albert of Monaco. Was named #4 on The Greatest Screen Legends actress list by the American Film Institute. Her father encouraged her play-acting and even helped her find funny hats and costumes to dress up in while he photographed her. One day at the studio she hooked bumpers with another car. A studio policeman found her tugging and heaving with all her might. The policeman said, "Darndest thing I ever saw. First film star I ever knew that didn't mind getting her hands dirty". Received a fascinating 1939 telegram from the great Greta Garbo reading, "I would like to see you when I am free, if you would be willing". Cannes jury secretary Christiane Guespin was remembering all the different stars at the festival and she said the most impressive was Bergman back in 1973 when she was President of the jury. Guespin said, "Every night, when she arrived at the evening screenings, people would stand and give her an ovation and applause. Every single night. I have never seen that happen for anyone else". In 1971, when Daily Variety had noted filmmakers select the best films and performers of the sound era, she was named Best Actress. Her arrival for her first day's work; wheeled into the studio on a bicycle and wearing sunglasses. Lived in five interesting cities in five different countries; Stockholm, Hollywood, Rome, Paris and London. Received the (at the time) enormous amount of $129,000 for her role in Maxwell Anderson's "Joan of Lorraine" on Broadway. She also received at least 21 awards for that play. She and her third husband, Lars Schmidt, had their own island called Danholmen, off the coast of Sweden. In 1960 she became the third performer to win the Triple Crown of Acting: Oscars for Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), a Tony for "Joan of Lorraine" (1947) and Emmys in 1960 and 1982. Was a good friend of author Ernest Hemingway, whom she called "Papa." He, in turn, called her "Daughter.". She was ranked #5 in the Premiere's list of "The 50 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time" She and Roberto Rossellini made 6 movies together: Europa '51 (1952), Giovanna d'Arco al rogo (1954), La paura (1954), Siamo donne (1953), Stromboli (1950) and Viaggio in Italia (1954). One of the first tall leading ladies in Hollywood in an era where most famous actresses were just over five feet. Upon accepting her Oscar for Murder on the Orient Express (1974), she apologized to fellow actress Valentina Cortese, who was nominated for La nuit américaine (1973), saying that she would have deserved the award more. Her former French estate was up for sale for $3 million. The country compound, comprising five buildings on 18.5 acres in the pastoral town of Choisille, is located 30 minutes from the center of Paris. The property includes 10 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a greenhouse, a 55-foot indoor-outdoor pool and a small barn. Shares the distinction with actors José Ferrer, Helen Hayes and Fredric March of being the first winners of acting Tony Awards when the annual event was established in 1947. Bergman and Humphrey Bogart were voted the second greatest on-screen couple of all time in a poll commissioned by British chain store Woolworths for their work in Casablanca (1942). (2005) In DigitalDreamdoor's 100 Greatest Movie Actresses, Bergman ranked third, only Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep topped her in the list. According to her daughter, whenever anyone would come up to her and say "I loved you in Casablanca (1942)", she would look at them like she didn't know what they were talking about. Aigner's Autumn/Winter collection was held at a runway on the Cavenagh Bridge next to the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. The collection is inspired by Bergman, with relaxed elegance, sophistication and, of course, the trenchcoat from her scene in Casablanca (1942). The "It" bag this season is the Stromboli (named after Stromboli (1950), another of Bergman's famous movies). Famed French director Jean Renoir adored Ingrid. When she was in desperate straits after splitting with Roberto Rossellini, Renoir quickly got to work and wrote two things for her, the film Elena et les hommes (1956) (Elena and Her Men) and the play "Carola". The San Francisco Chronicle's "The Objects Of Our Affection" ranked her fourth in the female category after Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. In Israel, under The Jewish National Fund, a memorial forest for Ingrid Bergman has been established as part of the Kennedy Memorial Forest near Jerusalem. On the plaque wrote, 'In Memory of Ingrid Bergman, A Great Actress and An Outstanding Person'. Frank Sinatra was a good friend of hers. She was sitting in a Paris bathtub in 1957, listening to the Oscars broadcast on the radio, when she heard Cary Grant, her friend for many years, accept her Best Actress award. Her Notorious (1946) and Indiscreet (1958) costar also introduced her when she returned to the Oscars in 1959 to present Gigi (1958) with Best Picture honors. The standing ovation that followed was as thunderous as any in Oscar history. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 67-69. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Was the first choice to play Terry McKay in An Affair to Remember (1957). Anthony Quinn had said about her, "Sometimes in motion pictures you love someone so much, but it doesn't work on the screen. And you don't like somebody and you're wonderful on the screen. The two greatest talents I worked with were Ingrid and Anna Magnani. But I would prefer to work with [Magnani], whom I didn't like, than Ingrid, whom I loved". On file at the Berlin Document Center, an archive of documents from the Nazi era, is a special certificate for her to appear in a German film. This must have been from a time very early in her career when she was still acting in Sweden, long before she came to America and is no reflection on her political views or ideals. In both her first American film (Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939)) and her last feature film, (Höstsonaten (1978)), she played a concert pianist. Was ranked fifth in the list of Best Classic Actress online poll chosen by the 12,000 readers of EW magazine, behind Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe. Her children convinced her to write her autobiography. Returned to work eight months after giving birth to her daughter Pia Lindström in order to film Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939).