Christmas and Millenium 1999/2000	Issue 8

FROM YOUR EDITOR

Hello to all genuine friends of the great Ingrid Bergman. I hope to make this edition of Chronicle really packed with information, ideas, letters from fans - as many new things as possible. During the past year I have had letters from all over the world, from people who met Ingrid in some context or other - and it has been really thrilling. In some ways, it has been the most exciting year of my life. I have been saving some of those experiences and would now like to share them with you all.

First of all, I want to thank Matt for his page. It’s very professional and is the most comprehensive Ingrid Bergman page on the Internet. There are some other excellent websites, of course, and Matt has links to these. My personal thanks go to Matt for the space to write on his page and for his continued help in wrestling with my computer!

As we go into the year 2000, remember I only have to wait two years before I can approach English Heritage about putting a blue plaque on Ingrid's house in Cheyne Gardens, Chelsea- I can hardly wait!!!!! I feel there ought to be a plaque on number 3 Strandvagen in Stockhom. That was Ingrid's birthplace and really should be noted.

Well, we do have all the wonderful photos of places in Stockholm associated with Ingrid -including 3 Strandvagen - thanks to Mika. You can see these photos in one of our Yahoo club albums.

Perhaps the most satisfying thing this year has been the foundation of Ingrid Bergman International - our Yahoo club. It started in August and now has a large following of fans of all ages. Our youngest member is 14!!!!!! We have several photo albums. Mika took all the photos of Stockholm and Willem took the ones of Cheyne Gardens. I created the album of Ingrid's other homes and used scanned photographs. The club is really lively; members post new messages almost daily, discussing Ingrid’s films.

This year has been marked for me by new contacts with people associated with the making of “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness”. Dennis Yang, who lives in England, was one of the children who crossed the mountains – in Wales! . He was ten years old at the time and his brother, Colin, who was also one of the children, was aged eight. I have heard from Ruth Orkney Work, who lives in Nantmor, near Beddgelert and whose ancient jeep was “requisitioned” by the film crew – she drove them over the less accessible areas and even gave Ingrid a lift one day. Chris Davis, who lives at Rhyd   Ddu, near Beddgelert, was in overall charge of the children in Wales and took some of them back to London for the rest of the studio filming. He has given me much information for my article [to appear on Matt’s page in due course!] .

GUESS WHO’S AN INGRID FAN?

Remember we discovered that Margaret Thatcher is a fan? Now, I have read something about Michael Parkinson. He is Britain’s best known chat show host and interviewed Ingrid twice – once in 1973, when she was appearing in “The Constant Wife” at the Albery Theatre, London and again in 1980, when he discussed the publication of “My Story” with her. In today’s Daily Mail [November 13^th] there is a feature article about Parkinson, in which is mentioned the fact that  he “adored” Ingrid Bergman and , during her final illness, sent her white roses, with a card: “From your greatest fan”. Well – sorry Parky – but I don’t think you are! Who is???? We have had some discussion about this recently and most of us have agreed that we are ALL Ingrid’s greatest fans. We all have our own favourite films; we all love her.

WARREN THOMAS

Talking of fans –and contacting them – I have at last contacted Warren Thomas, of the Alvin Gang. Michelle’s quick eye spotted his In Memoriam advertisement in Variety magazine for the week including August 29^th. I e-mailed Variety and they gave my snail mail address to Warren. I had a lovely letter written by his friend, Ray, telling me that Warren had a stroke in June this year, but is making good progress. He wrote that he and Warren met Ingrid in New York when she was there in June 1982 and he spoke to her on the telephone a couple of days before her death. He misses her dreadfully – as do we all.  Michelle designed a “Get Well” card for Warren and she, too, has had a reply from him. I hope he will keep in contact with all of us.

DIANE BONACCI

Welcome to Diane, who has found Ingrid on the Internet at last. Diane has been a loyal fan of Ingrid since she saw “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, when she was a teenager and can , therefore, claim to have been a fan for longer than most of us. I look forward to some articles from Diane for future editions of Chronicle.

A LETTER FROM MICHELLE FRYOU

Hello everyone,

I was reading a book about the Cannes Film Festival and there was a very
nice quote about Ingrid. Cannes jury secretary Christiane Guespin was
remembering all the different stars at the festival and she said the
most impressive was Ingrid back in 1973 when she president of the jury.
Guespin said, "Every night, when she arrived at the evening screenings,
people would stand and give her an ovation. Every single night. I have
never seen that happen for anyone else."

I love that quote. If I could have been there, I would have been
standing and cheering too. Ingrid certainly deserved every one of those
ovations. Just thought I'd share this little story in case some of you
hadn't read that book.

-Michelle

Thank you, Michelle, for that super piece of information - indeed Ingrid should always have had a standing ovation whenever and where ever she appeared!!!!!!! Her son, Robertino, escorted her during that particular Cannes Film Festival - there is a lovely photograph of them together and Robertino looks so handsome, Ingrid so beautiful.

HOW I BECAME AN INGRID FAN   by Ken Grygrienc  [Ken lives in Chicago, USA]

“I first took notice of Ingrid Bergman during my film class, we were studying the film Notorious. I could care less what the instructor was saying but what the movie was saying and particularly Ingrid. Ever since than I've been a fan of Ingrid and of old movies, sort of a neo-classicist. I've found that new movies bore me, except a few, and they lack certain aspects found in older movies. But I look to Ingrid most of all because I have been able to learn lessons from her. She's been through so much in her life, but has made the best life from it. She should be an inspiration to anybody who thinks they can't or has suffered great losses in their life. Sure everyone makes mistakes in their life, everyone's human. I think Notorious is her best performance because not only was the cast great and the director but Ingrid was going through some tough times during that period and she still managed, as she always has. Notorious also introduced me to Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock, which I took to again in North by Northwest. There's nothing about Ingrid that bores me, and I wish I never stop learning from her.”

Thank you, Ken! At the age of 20, Ken is one of Ingrid’s youngest fans and he now has his own web site dedicated to her- it’s been on the Internet one year now! Congratulations, Ken, on the first anniversary and may you continue to enjoy adding to your web site, as we shall continue to enjoy reading it.

AND…….HOW ANNA ROBERSON BECAME A FAN    [Anna lives in Texas, USA]

Hello Mary,

How are you, and how is your Mom? I hope you both are doing fine. I loved the Chinese notepaper. I tried to print it out, but only got the words and not the picture. Of course, I'm not as computer literate as I should be. I can tell that The Inn of the Sixth Happiness must be your favorite Ingrid movie. I think I mentioned in the first e-mail how I became an Ingrid fan, but I will happily share it with you again and I would love to write about it for your magazine. I was flipping through the channels one night and stopped on the Turner Classic Movies channel. Saratoga Trunk was showing and I recognized Ingrid Bergman as the woman they always talked about when they showed Casablanca ; which I had never actually watched, but had seen many clips over the years. Well, I decided to watch the rest of the movie and I was surprised at her beauty and acting. She was totally different from her role in Casablanca. I only got to see half the movie that night but I was very interested to see what other movies she had played in. I went to the video store to rent anything she was in and I became an instant fan. This was in the middle of 1998. I love classical movies and movie stars, but I can't believe I had not watched any of her movies before. I really became interested in her life when I was watching Casablanca on that same station and before the movie played the announcer mentioned that a Senator had spoken against her on the Senate floor and that she had left her daughter and husband for an Italian director. After hearing this, I began to search the Internet and that is how I discovered your Website.

Well, not my web site, Anna, but Matt’s. Anna has since written a lot of interesting contributions to Bergmania and to our Yahoo club. I think “Saratoga Trunk” now comes out as her firm favourite Ingrid film and I look forward to an article from her all about this film! Anna has written her own poem about Ingrid, which I look forward to including in Chronicle. I hope to be able to put it in THIS edition!

AND……TESTIMONY FROM ULRIKE STRAUB      [Germany]

Hello Mary,

I saw my first film with Ingrid Bergman when I was 14 years old. It was
"Spellbound" (The German title is "Ich kämpfe um dich" which means "I will fight
for you".) To tell the truth it was not only Ingird Bergman I was absolutely
fascinated of. To me "Spellbound" is one of the most brilliant movies ever made.
I adore everything about it! After seeing it I became a fan of Salvadore Dalí
who designed the dream sequences of the movie, I became interested in surrealism
and psychoanalysis, and of cours I wanted to see every film by Hitchcock and
Ingrid. O.K., I found out that psychoanalysis and the interpretation of dreams
are more complex than shown in "Spellbound", but as in most of Hitchcock`s
movies simple effects (as for instance the "white lines" everywhere) create a
great tension.
Well, I lost my interest in Dalí and Freud during the following years, but I
became more and more interested Ingrid`s career! Till now (I am 26 years old
now.) I have seen most of her movies and I am still impressed by her ability to
change. I adore Ingird more than today`s actors, because I had the chance to see
the work of her whole life, and I know how she has developped. In her early
movies she often performed shy young women like Ilsa Lund, but later she got
great roles of strong and emotional women. So I think Ingrid was best in movies
like "Goodbey Again" or "The Visit" performing women loving the wrong man. But
"Spellbound" is an exception. Though it was made in 1945, Dr. Constance Peterson
is already one of those sovereign and encouraged characters Ingrid performed
than in her later movies. To a young woman as I am a woman like Constance
Peterson really can be an idol. She is intelligent, sensitive and strong. Just
like Ingrid.

Greetings, Ulrike.

A PERSONAL VIEW OF “SARATOGA TRUNK”  by  Michelle Fryou

Saratoga Trunk (1945)

Imagine you're a casting director searching for an actress to play a spirited, illegitimate Creole, hell-bent on revenge. Somehow the name Ingrid Bergman just doesn't immediately come to mind. But what an inspired choice she turned out to be! Kudos to the casting director. Clearly relishing the opportunity to play a character so different from her usual good-girl roles, Ingrid gives a devilishly fun and animated performance.

While this genre-jumping movie is a bit long and does contain racially offensive stereotypes (Flora Robson is in blackface for heavens sake!), the chemistry between Ingrid and Gary Cooper more than compensates. Indeed, it's what makes this film so enjoyable. Their delighful bantering fairly crackles with innuendo. It's apparent they had a ball working together.

The story : Clio Dulaine (Ingrid), along with her faithful and unusual companions, arrives into the port of New Orleans in the middle of the night driven by a ravenous hunger for revenge, respectability, and all the rich food she can eat. Displaying a seemingly insatiable appetite, she consumes everything in sight, though in her defense I defy anyone to go to New Orleans and not turn into a gluttonous pig! But Clio's appetite isn't confined solely to food. After devouring numerous succulent delicacies she sets her sight on cowpoke Clint Maroon (Cooper) and soon she devours him as well. She positively leers at him as her eyes roam along his long, lanky frame, down from his boots to the top of his handsome head, shamelessly commenting, "You look so big!". The man doesn't stand a chance!

But even "Cleeeeent" and his big Stetson aren't enough to give Clio her fill, and soon she sets her sights and ambitions on wealthier prey in Sarasota Springs. Watching her audaciously charm her way through the moneyed society of blue bloods and robber barrons is a lesson in the art of bluffing. And even when her bluff is called by one astute society matron, don't count her out. She isn't so easily intimidated or deterred.

Mrs. Bellop, the one who's wise to Clio, says of her at one point, "What a woman! It's sheer genius.....if she can get away with it.". She could have just as well been speaking of Ingrid and her performance. And get away with it she does! She seems to be having such a good time playing such a spoiled and volatile woman, getting to tell lies and trade thinly veiled insults. You can't help but find yourself highly entertained. It's certainly one of her most lively and engaging performances. Ingrid herself said in her autobiography, "It was exactly what I wanted to do. I was a New Orleans bitch and that was completely new.".

Granted, the film's weak ending is a bit hard to swallow and seems to fly in the face of everything that's happened, but this viewer has no doubt that Clio's new docile demeanor is only temporary. After all, it's her spitfire personality that attracted Clint to her in the first place. And whether he wants to admit it or not, she does indeed have him branded

.

 ISABELLA ROSSELLINI  has written as essay as an introduction to a photographic exhibition. Here Michelle tells us about it:

I'm sure the whole thing's great anyway - they really do have some tremendous photographers! Anyway, I read a little excerpt from Isabella's essay in the NY Post and it's similar to what was in the introduction to that "Magnum Cinema" book I have. Here's what the Post said:

<<Isabella says that shortly before her mother's 1982 death from cancer, a nervous and teary Bergman handed her the manuscript of her autobiography, "My Story", so she could read the facts before a new wave of gossip started. "Most of it I knew, with the exception of one event", Isabella recalls. "Mother had been in love with Robert Capa. They had had a passionate affair." From the manuscript she learned her mom had been prepared to leave her then husband, Peter Lindstrom, to marry Capa. "But Bob did not want to marry. He knew he was going to die in one of those terrible wars he photographed (and indeed he did, in Indochina in 1954, killed by a mine)," Isabella writes. "I was stunned," she says of the affair. "Bob Capa had been one of my heroes. His friend Chim Seymour was often at our house, photographing all of us. Chim's photos are, for me, the memory of my family at one of its happiest moments, when Mom and my father, Roberto Rossellini, were still in love." Isabella thinks her mother was attracted to both men through their work. "Dad's films were like Bob's stills in motion," she says.>>

 THE MESSENGER: A new film about “Joan of Arc”

To attempt a critique of the Messenger following upon the eminently literary and eloquent review of Ron Maxwell is intimidating to say the least. Nonetheless, I am made brave by the fact that I have been a devotee of Joan and have been researching her life for fifty years.

My problem with those who condemn the film utterly (and they are legion, I admit!) has to do less with historical accuracy than with a misconception of the goals of the director. Just as the lawyer, Lohier, regretted Joan’s frank but dangerous self-expression during the trial, I regret that Besson named his work: The Messenger, the Story of Joan of Arc. Lohier wanted Joan to say" "I think that such and such was the case and not "I know/am sure..." Besson could have avoided an avalanche of reproach simply by indicating that his film was never intended to be history but a story based loosely upon her life. The exhaustive research of which he boasts patently had little to do with the essential Joan as documented but more with non-essentials such as the particulars of warfare, armor and medieval battles. Otherwise how can one explain the many departures from extant records? How can he have so divorced the spirituality from a mystical woman of God and replaced it with a twitching dynamo of indecision?

In a word, Luc Besson was producing a MOVIE in the good old Hollywood tradition, much more technically developed but just as removed from reality. He knew what he was doing, but do we? Are we not, perhaps, giving it too much importance in the light of his goals?

As Bonnie Wheeler put it, this is "the Joan for the millenium." The Messenger is definitely NOT a documentary, NOT the Joan of Régine Pernoud or Quicherat but of Besson! Yet as such, has it any merits at all? I think so.

Has the artist not the right to express himself symbolically as well as poetically? The Voices depicted as bursts of light accompanied by the bell (as Joan insisted) was quite impressive. The sword falling from the heavens and its subsequent reappearance in future scenes while fanciful was not offensive nor disrespectful.

And even though Ms. Jovavich will not go down as history’s greatest Jeanne d’ Arc, she did offer some poignant moments. I found her dashing off to battle at the start of the campaign stirring. She captured Joan’s horror at the carnage of war as she wept and prayed to be spared another skirmish with the English.

The young and cheerful Joan of unbounded energy and zest, her spiritual yearnings and excessive piety (for which Joan was teased) was on the mark. The regrettable sacrilegious raid on the tabernacle, however, just points up the fact that this can only be an allegorical tale and not at all intended to be taken literally.

Ultimately, even if we are willing to accept the non-history and take the good with the bad, we will have to fault Mr. Besson for destroying the artistic unity of the film as well as for robbing Joan of her redemption. The young mystic of the opening scenes with her unwavering convictions and determination did not, alas, follow through! As the story unfolded, the little spiritual giant began losing impetus. Eventually, the fierce desire for union with her God gave way to simpering and mindless dialog with a hooded trick-or-treater, a superficial dance through the trial and the final plunge into the flames leaving us all to wonder why on earth the Church would canonize this vacillating and tiresome heretic.

Margaret M. Walsh

INGRID’S SONG FROM “THE BELLS OF SAINT MARY’S”      From Mika Raatikainen

Vårvindar Friska (trad. from Sweden)

Vårvindar friska leka
Och viska lunderna kring
Likt älskande par.
Strömmarna ila,
Finna ej vila
Förrän I havet störtvågen far.
|: Klaga mitt hjärta,
Klaga och hör
Vallhornets klang
Bland klipporna dör.
Strömkarlen spelar,
Sorgerna delar
Vakan kring berg och dal. :|

Spring breezes weave and whisper,
All through the trees, now green,
As young lovers be.
Streams flow in a hurry,
No rest or worry
Until their foam meets the sea.
|: Cry out my heart.
Cry out and hear
The herdsman's horn
Now echo, then pale.
River sprites playing,
Sorrows dismaying
They wake in hill and dale. :|

Isn’t that lovely! I am sure we all remember Ingrid singing this song in the film. And it isn’t the only film in which she has sung. Would someone like to make a list of the films in which Ingrid was heard singing and give the names of the songs – please?!!!!! I would love to print it in the next issue of Chronicle.

As you all know, I like to finish each issue with a poem. This time, what more fitting way to end than with a poem by one of our own members, ANNA ROBERSON

A SHINING STAR

Like a shining star, her career did dazzle.
Falling, falling, it took quite a frazzle.
They tried to diminish her from the sky,
those who loved her said, "Why, oh, why?"
Then the mastery of her craft unfolded,
none like her had since been molded.
Return! Return! They shouted from across the ocean.
Inviting her to leave was a vacuous notion.
Rising, rising beyond heights imagined,
once again, her light, mere mortals could revel in.
And yes, her star yet does shine
in the hearts of those she left behind

ANNA ROBERSON  [1999]

You should be reading this as we rush towards the end of  a year – a century – a millennium. And who lit up the twentieth century, who chose this century to be born in and to die in, but to live on in our hearts? INGRID BERGMAN!!!!!!!!! I look forward to entering the year 2000 with the anticipation of  continuing activity on the Internet, in Ingrid ‘s memory, of continuing to meet new fans who become friends and [I really hope for this] of more contact with members of Ingrid’s family. I am sure they appreciate what we are doing and want her to be remembered, for she was a great actress, a singularly beautiful one, and  a unique and complex characater – and, above all, a gracious lady!!!!

Mary      

December 1999

Please e-mail me with comments and contributions:  mhutchings@taunton-cyber.co.uk