Date of Birth

29 August 1915, Stockholm, Sweden

Date of Death

29 August 1982, Chelsea, London, England, UK (lymphoma complications following a breast cancer operation)

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 (1932) 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 (1935), 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 (1936/I) as Anita Hoffman. Luckily for her, American producer David O. Selznick saw it and sent a representative from Selznick International Pictures to gain rights to the story and have Ingrid signed to a contract. Once signed, she came to California and starred in United Artists' 1939 remake of her 1936 film, Escape to Happiness (1939), 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 (1939) in 1939 and Juninatten (1940) 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 (1942) 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 (1943), the only film she made that year. The critics and public didn't forget her when she made Murder in Thornton Square (1944) the following year--her role of Paula Alquist got her the Oscar for Best Actress. In 1945 Ingrid played in Spellbound (1945), Saratoga Trunk (1945) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), 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 (1950), 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 (1956), 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 (1978) 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 (1982) (TV), 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 died from cancer on August 30, 1982, the day after her 67th birthday, in London, England.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 29, 1915 - Ingrid Bergman was one of the greatest actresses from Hollywood's lamented Golden Era. Her natural and unpretentious beauty and her immense acting talent made her one of the most celebrated figures in the history of American cinema. Bergman is also one of the most Oscar-awarded actresses, second only to Katharine Hepburn.

Before she came to Hollywood in 1939, she was already an established actress in Sweden. She had completed 11 Swedish films when producer David O. Selznick invited her to come to Hollywood to reprise her role in the American version of her biggest hit, Escape to Happiness (1939) opposite Leslie Howard. Her performance in her American debut captured America's heart. She later appeared in Adam Had Four Sons (1941), Rage in Heaven (1941) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941). However, it was Casablanca (1942) that launched her to superstardom, establishing her as a romantic leading lady. The pairing with Humphrey Bogart made them one of the best romantic cinema couples of all time and the film still vows audiences, more than 60 years after its release. In 2002 the American Film Institute named Casablanca (1942) as the top American love story of all time, beating such favorites as Gone with the Wind (1939) and West Side Story (1961). Ironically enough, both Bogart and Bergman tried to quit the film during shooting, feeling that the story was ridiculous and unbelievable. Bergman herself said at the time that she hoped it would never be shown again after she died.

After Casablanca (1942), she became Hollywood's top box-office draw. All of her films became smash hits; she starred opposite Gary Cooper in Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), which she cited as her personal favorite film. She also gave an Oscar-winning performance as the persecuted wife of Charles Boyer in George Cukor's Murder in Thornton Square (1944) and Leo McCarey's very popular The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). Later, she worked with the master himself, Alfred Hitchcockin Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946) with Cary Grant and the less successful Under Capricorn (1949).

Bergman suffered a sudden and disastrous fall from grace after her affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, which began when she filmed Stromboli (1950) with him, and caused a scandal in the US because she was married at the time. After being exiled from Hollywood for seven years, she came back with Anastasia (1956), which garnered her a second Academy Award. After all the years she spent away from Hollywood, she still managed to maintain her status as a major star, as the success of films like Indiscreet (1958) and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) showed. In the 1960s she concentrated in stage work and television appearances, collaborated with her third husband Lars Schmidt, who was also a theatrical producer, in such plays as The Turn of The Screw (1960) and Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life (1961). She didn't appear in as many films after the 1960s as she had before, but she continued to win awards and accolades from the film industry. One of her last performances was in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), for which she won her final Academy Award. Later she worked in Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata (1978) and a TV mini-series, A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV). In these two pieces Bergman gave the performances of her lifetime, a fitting end to an extraordinary career and life. She died in her sleep at the end of her 67th birthday, 29th of August 1982.

Ingrid Bergman will always be remembered as Bogart's lost love Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942). It's sad because she also gave spectacular performances as Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Paula Alquist in Murder in Thornton Square (1944), Dr. Constance Peterson in Spellbound (1945), Alicia Huberman in Notorious (1946), the title role in Anastasia (1956), Gladys Aylward in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) and Charlotte in Autumn Sonata (1978). She worked in films, television and on the stage in New York, London, Paris, Rome and Stockholm. She worked right up to her death. In 1999 she was ranked #4 in the American Film Institute's list of greatest female screen legends. As Humphrey Bogart said, "Here's looking at you kid", and until this day, we are still looking at you, Ingrid!

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 29, 1915. Her mother died when she was only two and her father died when she was 12. She went to live with an elderly uncle. At 18, after school graduation, the lonely and shy girl decided to become an actress. In 1934 she debuted in the Swedish film Munkbrogreven (1935). She soon rose to stardom and by 1936 was Sweden's leading film star and got first offers from Hollywood. In 1937 she married Dr. Peter Lindstrom, and in 1938 she gave birth to a daughter, Friedel Pia (aka Pia Lindström). In May 1939 she arrived in New York to do a remake of Escape to Happiness (1939). The beginning of WWII in Europe persuaded her and her family to return to America in 1940. In 1942 Casablanca (1942) premiered and made her a star of the first rank. Her acting in her next film, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), won her an Academy Award nomination. In late 1943 she began working on Murder in Thornton Square (1944), which won her the 1944 Academy Award. she followed that film with such classics as Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945) with Gregory Peck and Notorious (1946) with Cary Grant. She returned to Europe after the scandalous publicity surrounding her affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini during the filming of Stromboli (1950). In the same month the film was released she gave birth to a boy, Robertino. A week after her son was born she divorced Dr. Lindstrom and married Rossellini in Mexico. In June of 1952 she gave birth to the twin daughters Isotta and Isabella Rossellini. From 1951 to 1955 she and her husband did a series of films that were ahead of their time but were generally not received well, especially in the US, where many conservative political and religious leaders still raised a hue and cry about her past. Tired and convinced that she would never make a successful film with Rosselini, she returned to Hollywood and triumphed in Anastasia (1956), for which she received another Oscar. In 1957 she divorced Rosselini and the next year she married Lars Schmidt, a theatrical entrepreneur from a wealthy Swedish shipping family. She received a third Oscar for her role in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). By 1975 she was divorced again. In 1978 she starred in Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata (1978), probably her best film from an artistic standpoint. In the late 1970s she first discovered the symptoms of cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Her last role was in the television film A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV). For it she won (posthumously) US television's Emmy Award as outstanding actress in a mini-series. She died in London on August 30, 1982, the day after having a small birthday party with a few friends

Mother of Isabella Rossellini, Isotta Rossellini and Pia Lindström (born 1938). Also, mother of Roberto Ingmar Rosselini (born 1950).

In 1933 she enrolled in the Royal Theatre of Dramatic Art but later changed to films instead.

Married Lars Schmidt in Caxton Hall next to Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK.

Folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote a song in praise of her, titled "Ingrid Bergman," but died before he had a chance to record it. The song can now be heard on Billy Bragg's "Mermaid Avenue" CD.

Ashes scattered at sea off the coast of Sweden.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#30). [1995]

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.

She played the part of Joan of Arc three times in her career: on stage in 1946 (in Maxwell Anderson's 'Joan of Lorraine') and on film in 1948 (Joan of Arc (1948)) and 1954 (Giovanna d'Arco al rogo (1954)).

Former mother-in-law of Martin Scorsese.

Has a type of rose named after her, called the Ingrid Bergman rose.

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.

Turned down the role opposite Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes (1968).

Bergman and Sean Connery had topped a list of "greatest actors of all time" compiled by 50,000 readers of German magazine Funk Uhr.

She and her husband were often invited to dinner parties at the home of Alfred Hitchcock. According to those present, she never seemed to notice that her host was sulking because of his crush on her.

Was fluent in English, Swedish, French, German and Italian.

Sergio Scaglietti, Ferrari's master coachbuilder and aluminum sculptor, shaped some the most beautiful Ferraris of the '50s and '60s, including the 375MM built in 1954 for her. That "Ingrid" car has, in turn, inspired the proportions of today's 612 Scaglietti, the largest Ferrari ever (there's even a silver "Ingrid" paint option).

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 wasn't nominated for Best Actress in her role as the sultry Ilsa, but for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), losing to her close friend Jennifer Jones for The Song of Bernadette (1943). It was also newcomer Jones' 25th birthday, and after winning when Bergman congratulated her, she apologized, saying, "Ingrid, you should have won." Bergman said, "No, Jennifer, your Bernadette was better than my Maria.".

She broke her foot at the beginning of the American run of "The Constant Wife" and played the next five weeks in a wheelchair.

Her daughter, Pia Lindström accepted her Best Leading Actress Emmy for A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV) posthumously. Bergman died 3 weeks prior to the ceremony, after the ballots were cast.

Cary Grant, her great friend, accepted her Anastasia (1956) Oscar at the 29th Annual Academy Awards (1957).

On their last meeting, Alfred Hitchcock was in tears, terrified of his impending death. Suffering from the cancer that would kill her, Bergman told him, "But of course you are going to die sometime, Hitch, we are all going to die." She later recalled that the comment seemed to bring him peace; it was a bittersweet goodbye. Hitchcock died in 1980, followed by Bergman in 1982.

Her famous love affair with the war photographer, Robert Capa was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954).

When Ernest Hemingway told her she would have to cut off her hair for the role of Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), she shot back, "To get that part, I'd cut my head off!" She would rehearse tirelessly until any hour of the night, begging to repeat a scene long after the director was satisfied.

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.

Industrialist Howard Hughes once bought every available seat from New York to Los Angeles to be sure she would accept a ride in his private plane.

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.

Her daughter, Pia Lindström, with first husband Petter Lindstrom, is a television personality and actress. Another daughter, Isabella Rossellini, became a model and actress, and has appeared in such films as Blue Velvet (1986), Immortal Beloved (1994), "Merlin" (1998) and Don Quixote (2000) (TV).

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.

She has the distinction of having inadvertently been one of the first Hollywood performers to help break down the studio contract system.

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.

Swedes are very proud of Bergman. They even have "Ingrid Bergman Square" with a statue of the screen goddess looking out over the water to her former home. Her ashes were scattered over the sea nearby.

Was named #4 on The Greatest Screen Legends actress list by the American Film Institute.

To prepare for her role of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, in A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV), she traveled around Israel and interviewed those who had known Golda. She spent hours studying old newsreels to master Golda's mannerisms. She was 66 years old at the time.

Her father encouraged her play-acting and even helped her find funny hats and costumes to dress up in while he photographed her.

Received a fan letter from James Stewart on his way to combat duty for World War II (1943).

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".

Enjoyed working with Gary Cooper, for she did not have to take off her shoes.

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".

Visited Hotel Panamonte in Panama so frequently, her favorite suite was kept on reserve. Flavored with vibrations from Hollywood's "Golden Heyday," her luxurious rooms retain their original décor.

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".

Cary Grant remembered that she had come on the set one morning and was simply out of it: "We went over and over the scene, and she was in some sort of haze. You know, she just wasn't there. But [director] Alfred Hitchcock didn't say anything. He just sat there next to the camera, pulling on his cigar. Finally, around 11 a.m., I began to see in Ingrid's eyes that she was starting to come around. And for the first time all morning, the lines were coming out right. And just then Hitchcock said, 'Cut.' Hitch just sat and looked up at Ingrid and said, quietly, 'Good morning, Ingrid' ".

In 1971, when Daily Variety had noted filmmakers select the best films and performers of the sound era, she was named Best Actress.

She had a reputation as a tough negotiator. David O. Selznick said of her, "Her angelic nature is not above being tarnished by matters of mere money".

Her arrival for her first day's work; wheeled into the studio on a bicycle and wearing sunglasses.

Price:  £115.00