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'Ingrid Bergman was far more than just a sweet, virtuous, "natural" Swedish girl - she was a dark sensualist over whom many men might go mad. Her very gaze delivered a climate of adult romantic expectation.' Adored by millions for her luminous beauty and elegance, at the height of her career Ingrid Bergman commanded a love that has hardly ever been matched, until her marriage fell apart and created an international scandal. Here renowned film writer David Thomson gives his own unique and original take on a woman who was constantly driven by her passions and by her need to act, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
The life of Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) is as compelling as that of any of the women she portrayed in dozens of unforgettable movies and plays—a list that includes Casablanca, Intermezzo, Gaslight, The Bells of St. Mary's, Notorious, Anastasia, and Hedda Gabler. Hers is a story that begins with a tragic childhood in Sweden, then moves on to the nightmare of Germany under the Nazis and later to Hollywood in its golden age. From her position as America's most beautiful, admired, and loved actress, she was plunged into national disgrace and branded "an apostle of degradation" for her adulterous love affair with Roberto Rosellini in the late 1940s. But her independent spirit triumphed in the end, winning her honors and accolades even as she fought an eight-year battle with cancer. Donald Spoto, who knew Ingrid Bergman and had unprecedented access to her husbands, friends, lovers, directors, and costars, as well as to her papers, letters, and diaries, has written a biography that the San Francisco Chronicle called "mesmerizing" and "deeply moving"—the definitive account of a consummate actress who dared to live the truth.
Smit studies the woman behind the public image as a natural, wholesome, even saintly person, an image carefully crafted by Bergman's first producer David O. Selznick. Bergman hid behind that image to live her life on her own terms. That life included three difficult marriages, numerous lovers, and a major scandal that stained her reputation but which she survived by creating her own legend. Bergman was filled with contradictions: she was dependent upon men and chafed under their control; she loved her children but constantly left them to perform; she longed for romance but walked away from her affairs without looking back; she desired to make great films but settled for being an entertainer; she hated the scrutiny of the media but learned to charm reporters. The author also assesses Bergman's artistry--her star qualities and her acting skills. She did her best work in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, Roberto Rossellini's Voyage in Italy, and Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata. Her life and image were the inspiration for these films in the first place.
Drawing on her many conversations with Ingrid Bergman and her family, author Charlotte Chandler presents a compellingly intimate biography of one of the most iconic and beloved classic Hollywood stars. During a career spanning five decades, Ingrid Bergman was one of the most acclaimed and glamorous movie stars—until she became one of the most controversial. Now, her full story, from her climb to stardom to the international scandal that nearly destroyed her career and finally to her redemptive return to Hollywood, is explored as never before. Based on extensive conversations with Bergman herself, her one-time husband, Roberto Rossellini, her children, and her many colleagues—such as Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, and more—Ingrid reveals a complex and fascinating woman who lived life intensely.
A full length portrait of a headstrong, working, loving and ambitious woman.
Discover the remarkable life of Ingrid Bergman...The Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman was one of America's most beloved and successful performers. She was drawn to acting at a young age and was delighted to be invited to Hollywood in 1938 for the American remake of Intermezzo. With her flawless natural beauty and talent for acting, she was an instant success. After making several memorable movies, such as Casablanca and Gaslight, Bergman caused an international scandal by leaving her husband and daughter for an affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini. She was effectively ousted from American soil and choose to live in Europe for several years. When she divorced Rossellini in 1957, she ...
Ingrid Bergman was not only an incomparable beauty but one of the finest actresses of cinema’s Golden Age. She made her start in modest productions in Sweden before Hollywood beckoned and soon became one of filmdom’s brightest stars. She appeared in many acclaimed films including Casablanca, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Gaslight. While her personal life was briefly tainted by an affair and a consequent falling out with the American public, Bergman was eventually able to return to Hollywood, and eventually earned two of her three Academy Awards. In The Essential Films of Ingrid Bergman, Constantine Santas and James Wilson look at the most notable performances of the award-winning actressâ...
Who was Ingrid Bergman? For much of her turbulent life, the public could not decide: Was this luminous Swedish actress the embodiment of pious devotion as portrayed in her saintly roles such as Joan of Arc? Or was she an unrepentant harlot who abandoned her husband and child to have an affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini?In this sprawling biography, Bergman emerges as a devoted artist whose refusal to be a caricature caused her endless trouble - but also produced brilliant performances, from her early role opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca to her profound and final appearance as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. In between, there were four children (including actress Isabel...