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EDITORIAL BY MARY

In the last issue of Chronicle I sent our sympathy to Pia Lindstrom on the death of her father, Dr Petter Lindstrom. This time, congratulations are in order for Pia, who married Jack Carley on August 3^rd. We send her our heartiest congratulations on her wedding and trust that she and Mr Carley will be very happy. The ceremony took place in New York in the apartment of Pia’s sister, Isabella Rossellini.

In this issue, I hope we have some exciting news and reviews for you all to enjoy. Our featured article has been submitted by Mika Raatikainen and is a rare find indeed!  I shall not be puttting that first, lest you don’t read the rest of the Chronicle!

Ingrid’s name continues to be in the news, mainly through her films being shown on television. We have a few years to wait for the next biography, but, since Mr Spoto’s came just over ten years after Mr Leamer’s, I think we may expect another book about Ingrid in due course. She will always be talked about and written about. Last summer Mika found Ingrid’s “grave” in the same Stockholm cemetery as that of her parents and other members of the family. Some of Ingrid’s ashes were not strewn into the sea off Dannholmen, but were buried in this cemetery – there is a simple stone with the name “Ingrid”, in an imitation of her own handwriting- with the “bold sky-written loop” [Joe Steele] of the I. This grave should be a place of pilgrimage for us now, just as much as Dannholmen itself – and all the other places associated with Ingrid.

Since our last issue appeared, my own beloved mother has died at the age of 89, on September 8^th. I am sure you will not mind my mentioning Mum, as she was always a fan of Ingrid herself. I remember when I burst in through the back door, after seeing “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness” in April 1959 and asked Mum: “Have you heard of an actress called Ingrid Bergman?”, Mum replied that indeed she HAD, not only that, she had seen all her Hollywood films. I found this astounding news…I had just seen Ingrid for the first time and had no idea who this vision was!  Mum told me a bit about “Casablanca” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s”, which had been two of her favourites. I could hardly believe that I had so much catching up to do. Some years later, in the autumn and winter of 1965, Mum came with me to the Cambridge Theatre in London to see Ingrid in “A Month in the Country” and we waited for Ingrid to arrive at the stage door on several occasions. Mum was very impressed with the “real Ingrid” and told me how she noticed that Ingrid was nervous if someone new was waiting to greet her – she had become used to us: the “Famous Four”, sometimes accompanied by my mother and Margaret’s mother, but occasionally there was a new face and Mum noticed that, if it was a man, Ingrid seemed to be more nervous. It’s true that some oddballs do wait at stage doors – that didn’t include US, of course!!!!  Mum also used to remark that Ingrid was very nervous when the curtain went up on the first scene: she was “discovered” reclining on a couch. I must say that I didn’t notice this at first – I was always so excited just to be there and to be seeing Ingrid in real life. But, as the performance progressed, Ingrid’s nerves vanished as she became her character, Natalia Petrovna.

I am certain that my Mum and Ingrid are now enjoying some interesting conversations in Heaven and swapping “smokes”: my Mum smoked miniature cigars and Ingrid, latterly, smoked Gauloises!!

Talking of which – Smoking – did you know?

Ingrid was not a smoker until she had to smoke in “Arch of Triumph”. As with everything in her professional life, she took this new “art” so seriously that she became a smoker. I don’t know what brand she smoked at that time, but by the 1950s she was smoking Kent and a photograph of her in 1973 [at a dinner after a film premiere], shows her with a packet of Marlboro on the table. By the time she made “Golda” she had progressed to the stronger Gauloises! Can anyone make a list of the films in which Ingrid’s character is seen to be smoking? I would like to include it next time. So, “list maniacs”, get writing!

To continue with the editorial!  Thanks again to Matt for the space on his page, which, you will have noticed, has had a major overhaul. Our Yahoo club is still doing well and is attracting new members, some of whom are very young and have discovered Ingrid – isn’t that wonderful!  I would like to thank Pat and Kate, who showed me how to do animations – I am now enjoying making them on various themes and try to change the picture or animation each week. There continues to be lively discussion on the club and it’s always of a high calibre, befitting the person to whom it is dedicated – INGRID. Recently we have all joined in expressing our sadness that Mika has shut down his unique site of Ingrid images. We hope this will only be temporary. It was caused by the blatant “lifting” of many of his carefully planned sets of photos, by people who ought to know better. They cannot be true fans of Ingrid and one wonders why people do such things…. Oh well!

I’ll end by wishing our readers a Merry Christmas – or, as Ingrid would say, “God Jul” and I trust that you will all spend it watching as many Ingrid films as possible.

NEWS:     MANIFESTO!

Isabella Rossellini has now become a successful businesswoman, with her Manifesto range of cosmetics, designed by herself. In the autumn the perfume “Manifesto” was launched: it’s in a practical bottle with a swivel top [no cap to lose!] and is a lovely green colour. Isabella says the perfume reminds her of summers on Dannholmen and at Santa Marinella. In time for Christmas, new items have been added to the perfume range: soap, bath tonic tablets, powdered milk bath, creamy shower mousse and body balm. In a recent interview, Isabella said of the perfume that it is reminiscent of: “The Mediterranean smells around our family house, near Rome. The smell of wet dirt after an August rain…the smell of freshly wet grass, the wood burning in the fireplace in our Swedish house on Dannholmen”

FEATURED ARTICLE:  NEVER BEFORE SEEN INTERVIEW

Contributed by Mika Raatikainen

Very probably the first ever interview of Ingrid Bergman, published in a Swedish movie magazine "Filmjournalen" on October 28^th, 1934 – two months before Ingrid's first film had its premiere in Stockholm!

D E B U T A N T

Ingrid Bergman from the Dramaten-theatre school makes her filmdebute in "Munkbrogreven" (The Count of Monk's Bridge)

Why is Kalle Jonsson lying? He just said that Birgit Tengroth* wasn't in the "filmtown" today. And now we bump into her in the studio.

               

"Hi, Birgit! How are you doing?"

But Birgit isn't quite herself today. Instead of greeting us the way an old friend would do, she looks at us like a total stranger, and wants to introduce herself!

"I'm sorry, I am not Birgit," she says laughing. "I just look like her. I am Ingrid Bergman from Dramaten, and I am doing my first film here in 'Munkbrogreven.'"

And when we, after the initial surprise is gone, look really close, we can notice the differences there is between the "right" Birgit and the "false" one. Ingrid Bergman must be a good half a head taller than Birgit Tengroth.

"Oh how you have grown so much, most people usually remark," says Ms. Bergman. "You see, almost everyone seems to believe that I am Birgit Tengroth. If it stayes like this, it is not going to be fun for either of us in the long run."

                "How did you end up in movies?"

                "Because of a pure coincidence. I went out and talked with Mrs. Swanström**. Of course I could see from the very start that it was hopeless. Half of the theatre school had already talked to her before I did. I saw only little hope in the promise that I would be given an answer later. A few days later I got an offer from "Nordisk Tonefilm" for a little role in Per Axel Banner's "Unga Hjärtan" (Young Heart)***. But it was as if something inside me persuaded me not to accept this offer before I had received an answer from Mrs. Swanström – and after a few more days I did receive it. I was to get a big role in "Munkbrogreven"! I would play a girl, who Edvin Adolphson gets in the end!"

                "So this is a filmdebut for you?"

                "Yes, and it is a debut in all respects. I have never played a role before this, neither on stage nor in film. I have only worked once as an extra in Dramaten. After all, I'm only in my first class there."

                "When was your interest in acting first awaken?"

                "It has always been awake. Already when I was little I was seen as a real joker*** if you like. I played tricks on my family to make them laugh like mad! I never really liked school. I wanted so much more to be in theatre, but my guardians didn't have much understanding on this, which they saw as a totally inconceivable inclination. When I was in eighth class there was a recitation contest – and I won the first price. Of course I took this as a hint from higher powers about invitation for me to become Thalia's godchild. And after that moment nothing could stop me from my decision to become an actress. Which I dearly hope I will be one beautiful day. Maybe the road to that goal is long and bumpy, but I am prepared to walk it through. I am only 18, and I have the future in front of me!"

                "What was it like to be in front of camera for the very first time?"

                "Terrible! Although it was a very simple scene – I just sat at the window – but still! The next scene we did was the final scene, with that much talked about wedding parade through alleys of Old Town. And I had quite regularly stage fright, but Edvin Adolphsons calmness was "infected" to me, too. It was so wonderful to have such an understanding and friendly director and actor to play opposite to. So in your article please write that I'm very happy that everybody here in filmtown are so kind and sweet to me – even after they notice that I am not Birgit Tengroth!"

*) Birgit Tengroth was one of the rising young actresses at this time in Sweden.

**) Karin Swanström; initally celebrated comedy actress in Sweden, at this time also an artistic director in SF, Svensk Filmindustri. This meeting is described in "My Story" in beginning of Chapter 2.

***) This film got produced, and a full-page advertisement for it is published in this very same issue of "Filmjournalen". Ingrid must have made a wise decision, as judging the casting by the advertisement, there were no less than 11 roles of about similar "importance" for young actresses there – i.e. not a perfect debut to make a name for yourself…

****) The word Ingrid used here was "lustigkurra", and there doesn't appear to be a direct to English for it. It means a funny person, who always tells jokes or acts funnily.

Thank you, Mika, for this rare discovery!

Xu Min, a great fan of Ingrid, who lives in Shanghai, included the following observations about “The Inn” in a recent e-mail. She discovered some mistakes and it’s a pity she was not able to be an adviser when they were making the film. Unfortunately she was not born until 1972!  Thank you, Min, for these revealing observations!

“As refer to the wrong scenes in INN, I don't mean those scenes are not very Chinese, I mean this story happened in North China, but in fact, it seemed that it was set in our South. For example,
1. All the Chinese in this flim spoke the Chinese with a terrible local accent. I'm sure they were the Overseas Chinese emigrated from our Duangdong province or Fujian province. I don't konw what Yang said when he taught Ingrid that "no bugs, no fleas" in Chinese. I undertood it when he said in English!!! You see, having such a teacher, how could Ingrid say the proper Chinese?! You know, compare to the real Chinese Robert Donat's Chinese was much standard.
2. The houses, especially the "xianzhengfu", have the style of our South. You know, the sand blown by the wind is very damaging in our North, so, the roof doesn't have such turnup angles. Moreover, the "xianzhengfu" looked like the typical garden in our Jiangsu province and Zhejiang province- the little bridge over the river and the artificial hill.
3. The bamboo hat, the bamboo rice basket and the bamboo ladder which Ms. Lawson used should not appear in our North. You know, the bamboo hat is used mainly to prevent the rain not the sunshine. The climate in our North is dry and rainless and bamboo is grown in south.
So, as mentioned above and the other ones I am not quite sure, the film let me feel it was in South China not the North. But I can understand that, after all, just as I have said, the original work was written by Occidental and the film was made by the foreigners. And I am sure all of them were not familiar with China. And as a Chinese, I must tell you that at that time, in such a remote village, the Chinese people were truly poor and ignorant-that's the fact. Maybe, nowadays, in many foreigners's mind, they still have such impressions on China. “

Personally, as someone whose favourite film IS “The Inn”, I was very interested indeed to read this from Min. I know that the adult Chinese people who were in the film were not immediately from China and the children who had speaking parts spoke with American accents, with the exception of Tsai Chin, who played Jen Ai’s oldest adopted daughter, Sui Lan and Timothy, the leader of the additional fifty children who turned up from Tsechow. I did read in one of the less favourable reviews, that the film contained “the worst Chinoiserie ever seen on film”, but I didn’t take any notice of that at the time. I would have hoped that 20^th Century Fox could have done their homework a bit more thoroughly! Never mind, Min loves the film and has much praise for the story and Ingrid’s acting. I am only too pleased to have these accurate facts from her. As you all know, I am incapable of reviewing this film dispassionately…… I simply LOVE it and that’s it!!!!

A NEW MEMBER OF THE YAHOO CLUB, KIM JIN SU, who lives in South Korea.

has sent me the following contribution about how he became a fan of Ingrid. He is a nineteen year old student. It’s really thrilling to know that such young people are seeing Ingrid’s films for the first time and that she is always gaining new fans.

[How I became an Ingrid fan]




In May of 1996, I, who was 15 year old boy, have entered a educational facilities called "Tae Jun Student-Education Center" for five days. Instructor group consisted of only school commissioner. I was trained as if I had been soldier. I had to take many lessons.

The liberal arts time had come and I moved to the movie theater, which was belonged to the facilities, to see a movie. The teacher said to us with a loud voice, " You'll be seeing one of the greatest movie of the world in a few moments. All you must submit the review of the movie. I'll make some students express his opinion for the movie in front of the people. Do you follow me? (students-Yes, sir¡­!) Ok, good! The movie which you should watch is 'Casablanca'. You there, turn off the light!"

I said to myself in my heart, " I dislike a thriller movie...oh well...". I regarded 'Casablanca' as a thriller movie because the pronunciation of the 'Casablanca' was very, very strange to me. Several students thought so, too.

Such my shameful idea, however, have been broken perfectly in a few minutes after starting. 'Casablanca' was the one of the most beautiful movies I had ever seen. I was spellbound by Ilsa Lund's blue eyes and her dresses above all. But I liked not Ingrid Bergman but Ilsa Lund. I still didn't know even her name after the movie finished.

Afterwards, I wanted to see that movie again always, but failed. Meanwhile, I had a mind to buy "the Set of Famous Classic Movies" to practice English-listening. Accidently I had found that 'Casablanca' was belonged to the set and I bought it without hesitation a month ago. The more I see the movie, the more I like not Ilsa Lund but Ingrid Bergman. And besides, I found that the set had 'For Whom the Bell tolls' and she had starred in it. When I knew that, I was so happy.

Whenever I see her flims(only two), I am sure that she is an outstanding actress, although I don't understand sometimes what she speaks in her films. Undoubtedly there
was, and is, and will be more beautiful actress than Ingrid. But I think there wasn't and isn't and won't be more talented actress than Ingrid

AN E-MAIL OUT OF THE BLUE!

I recently received the following e-mail from David Rosenblatt, who works at Auburn University, Alabama. This story had a profound effect on me, as I first saw “The Inn” at about the same time, when I was 14:

Ms. Hutchings,

Since you are a big fan of the Ingrid Bergman movie, 'The Inn of Sixth
Happiness', as noted in your internet article, I would like to tell you
a brief story about my experience with the movie.

I first saw it in St. Louis at an old neighborhood movie house
(restored, still in operation) on April 25, 1959 on a blind date (we
were both 16). I fell in love with the movie and the girl (Dolores).
The movie touched me deeply as did the girl. We stayed in contact
through the years and for the 40th anniversary of our meeting, I sent
her the video tape of 'The Inn of Sixth Happiness'. Both of us are
happily married now, but my memories of the movie are so strong that I
have the cover of the VT as my computer wallpaper.

Thanks for your wonderful article that brought back so many memories.

David Rosenblatt

A RE-APPRAISAL OF “THE BELLS OF ST MARY’S” BY HILLARY

In "The Bells of St. Mary's," a holiday classic, Bing Crosby returns (from "Going My Way") as Father O'Malley, who is sent to St. Mary's, a Catholic school run by Ingrid Bergman's Sister Benedict. Their ideas on teaching conflict with each other: the scenes of Ingrid teaching Eddie to box to prove Bing wrong and the subsequent fights are amusingly memorable, and the indecision about a favorite student's right to graduate is touching. But when ultimate need calls, the nun and the priest work together to save the run-down building from condemnation. Sister Benedict sets her eyes on the new building next door as the perfect site for St. Mary's and Father O'Malley sets out to find more about the man behind the buiding. While he is busy with that, Sister Benedict falls ill and Father O'Malley is forced to send her away to recover without telling her why, and so she believes she has done something wrong. The very last scenes are bittersweet and wonderfully played.

Leonard Maltin gave "Bells" three stars; I have to agree. Ingrid and Bing are absolutely marvelous, as usual, but the story itself is a little thin. In the way of Hollywood stories, it seems that Ingrid pulled a practical joke. During the filming of the very last scene, where Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict say good-bye, Ingrid did her lines perfectly and then, before turning to go, she flung her arms around Bing's neck and gave him a censor-worthy kiss. Needless to say, the production's Catholic protocol advisor had quite a fit, but Ingrid enjoyed herself making the movie. Afterwards, it has been said that her great ability to play innocent women exploded in her face when her affair with Rossellini broke the good-girl illusion for her fans. She got so involved in each role that she seemed to be that character completely, and that is one reason Ingrid is still enchanting her audiences today.

Hillary

And Finally….the last verse of “The White Birds”, by W.B.Yeats:

“I am haunted by numberless islands,and many a Danaan shore,

Where Time would surely forget us, and Sorrow come near us no more;

Soon far from the rose and the lily and fret of the flames would we be,

Were we only white birds, my beloved, buoyed out on the foam of the sea !”

Could those “numberless islands” be the ones off the west coast of Sweden? And could this verse bring to mind Ingrid’s eternal rest there? Does “the fret of the flames” recall the difficult times Ingrid endured, both from the hounding of 1949 and from her later illness? I leave you all to think about this. If anyone would like the whole poem, please e-mail me.

And now…. I am sure Ingrid would want us all to have a peaceful and holy Christmas and to look forward to many blessings in the New Year!

Mary

mhutchings@abling.co.uk

Comments on this issue of the Ingrid Chronicle are welcomed by myself and by Matt. Contributions for further issues should be e-mailed to me.