Ingrid and Oscar

Cary Grant, who was a very good friend, had promised to stand by at the Academy Awards just in case I got lucky, to go up and collect the prize. I did the evening performance of Tea and Sympathy and went to bed as usual in the Raphael Hotel. I was awakened at seven in the morning by Twentieth Century-Fox publicity men shouting into the phone, "You've won! You've won!"

I went to take my bath, and have a glass of champagne to celebrate, and there was little Robertino carrying his radio around and saying, "Mama, they're talking about you!" He couldn't understand English very well, but he got my name. It was a repeat over the French radio of the Oscar ceremony in Hollywood, and Robertino had heard the announcement of, "Ingrid Bergman" and then the applause. I could still hear the applause as he put the radio on the bathroom floor, and then Cary began his speech: "Dear Ingrid, wherever you are...." And I was saying, I'm in the bath tub! "Wherever you are in the world, we, your friends, want to congratulate you, and I have your Oscar here for your marvelous performance, and may you be as happy as we are for you".

The 1957 Academy Award for best actress was Ingrid Bergman's second Oscar as well as her long awaited apology from the American film industry and the American people. Anastasia was Ingrids first nomination since her exile from American soil. It was back in 1949, that she was last nominated for her beautiful and devout performance in, Victor Flemings, Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc was more than a film to Ingrid, Joan was Ingrid's chance to make a film in which she had waited her entire career to make.

Saint Joan of Arc always had a place in Ingrid's heart and Ingrid was deeply devoted to her in her spiritual life. All Ingrid's followers looked up to her, and one could never imagine that Ingrid, so immortal, and so beloved in the hearts of her fans, would ever have to look up to anyone. How naive the heart of a fan can be at times. Ingrid loved Saint Joan and wanted this to be her masterpiece. Joan of Arc, to me, was the greatest performance of Ingrid's career, however, she lost the Academy Award that year to Jane Wyman for her performance in, Johnny Belinda. And with all due respect to Miss Wyman, I belive this was one of the many examples of injustices within the Academy.

Ingrid was nominated for her first Academy Award in 1944 for her performance as Maria in, Sam Woods version of, Ernest Hemingway's, For Whom the Bell Tolls. She lost to Jennifer Jones for her part in, The Song of Bernadette.

1945 was to be Ingrid's first victory. Ingrid recollects about the making of Gaslight: First David Selznick starts his dealing, and after a little while he calls me up and says, "Sorry, but you're not going to do the picture." "Not do the picture! And Charles Boyer as my leading man!" I nearly died. "Whats gone wrong?" "Charles Boyer wants first billing." "So what! Let him have first billing." "Absolutaly not. You're a big star now. I've worked very hard to make you a big star. You get first billing."

"But the only difference is that Charles Boyer's name is on the left-hand side of the screen and mine will be on the right?" "That's right. And we're not having it." "But both the names are the same size and both are above the title of the movie. I could't care less which side I'm on. I don't care if I'm above the title or below it. I want to work with Charles Boyer." "Nothing doing. Not on your life. This is a matter of prestige. If you're not top billing, we'd sooner not do the picture." "We'd sooner not do the picture. I'm dying to do the picture."
We almost lost that movie - at least I almost lost that movie - because Charles Boyer was very mad and he was not going to give in because he'd been a big star far longer than I had. So I had to cry, I had to sob, I had to plead before David very, very grudgingly, gave way. At the ceremony, before Ingrid was announced as best actress, Bing Crosby and Leo McCarey received Oscars for the best actor and best director, respectively, for Going My Way. Upon receiving her Oscar, Ingrid said: " I am deeply grateful for this award. I am particularly glad to get it this time because I'm working on a picture at the moment with Mr. Crosby and Mr. McCarey. And I'm afraid if I went on the set tomorrow without an award, neither of them would speak to me." In 1946 Ingrid once again was nominated as best actress for her work in, The Bells of St. Mary's, but unfortunatly lost it to Joan Crawford for her performance in, Mildred Pierce.

All together Ingrid was nominated seven times (six times for best actress and once for best supporting actress), She emerced successfully three times. But we must not let these three acheivements overshadow the many pictures in which she made. For truely, every picture Ingrid made was Oscar worthy wether or not the Academy voted her in or not. -Billy Hicks.

Ingrid's Awards and Nominations 1944: N - For Whom the Bell Tolls 1945: B.A. - Gaslight 1946: N - The Bells of St. Mary's 1949: N - Joan of Arc 1957: B.A. - Anastasia 1975: B.S.A - Murder on the Orient Express 1979: N - Höstsonaten

[N: Nominated] [B.A.: Best Actress] [B.S.A.: Best Supporting Actress].

Top image: 1957 Academy Awards. Cary Grant accepting Ingrids best actress award, for Anastasia with (from left) Anthony Quinn - B.S.A., Dorothy Malone - B.S.A., Yul Brynner - B.A., and Cary Grant with Ingrids best actress award.

Middle image: Ingrid Bergman, Leo McCarey and Bing Crosby show off their Oscar Awards while on the set of The Bells of St. Mary's.

Bottom image: Ingrid and her Oscar for her stunning performance in, Anastasia.