Polly Bergen

Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress and singer. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in Helen Morgan (Playhouse 90). For her stage work, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carlotta Campion in Follies in 2001. Her film work included Cape Fear and The Caretakers (1963), for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She hosted her own weekly variety show for one season (The Polly Bergen Show), was a regular panelist on the TV game show To Tell the Truth, and later in life had roles in The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. She wrote three books on beauty, fashion, and charm. She is also the inspiration behind Mother Goose in The Land of Stories.

Early life Bergen was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Lucy (née Lawhorne; 1909–1985) and William Hugh Burgin (1909–1982), a construction engineer. Bill Bergen, as he was later known, had singing talent and appeared with his daughter in several episodes of her 18-episode comedy/variety show The Polly Bergen Show, which aired during the 1957–1958 television season to much fanfare. They released a duet Columbia LP, Polly and Her Pop.

Career

Bergen appeared in many film roles, most notably in the original Cape Fear (1962) opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. She had roles as the romantic interest in three Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy films in the early 1950s: At War with the Army, That's My Boy, and The Stooge. She was featured in a number of Westerns during the 1950s, including Warpath, Arena, and Escape from Fort Bravo. She starred in the horse-racing comedy Fast Company; she starred as the first female United States President in Kisses for My President; and as the wife of James Garner in the romantic comedy Move Over, Darling, which also starred Doris Day. Bergen's later roles included Mrs. Vernon-Williams in Cry-Baby, a John Waters film.

Bergen received an Emmy Award for her portrayal of the true-life title subject in the episode "Helen Morgan" of the 1950s television series Playhouse 90. Signed to Columbia Records, she also enjoyed a successful recording career during this era. She recorded an album in 1957 titled, Bergen Sings Morgan, which included the song "Bill".

In the 1950s, she became known as "the Pepsi Cola Girl", having done a series of commercials for this product.

She was a regular panelist on the game show To Tell the Truth during its original run. She was an occasional panelist and appeared three times as the mystery guest on What's My Line?. She appeared on the interview program Here's Hollywood. She earned two Emmy Award nominations for her role as Rhoda Henry, wife of Captain "Pug" Henry (played by Robert Mitchum), in two miniseries: The Winds of War and its sequel War and Remembrance.

Bergen starred in a 2001 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the Belasco Theater and received a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2003, she starred at the same theatre in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks opposite Mark Hamill in a role she took over from Rue McClanahan.

In 2004, Bergen played Fran Felstein on HBO's The Sopranos, the fictional former mistress of Johnny Soprano and John F. Kennedy. From 2007 to 2011, Bergen had a guest role in Desperate Housewives as Stella Wingfield, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

Personal life

Bergen was married to actor Jerome Courtland from 1950 to 1955. In 1957, she married Hollywood agent-producer Freddie Fields, with whom she had two adoptive children, Pamela Kerry Fields and Peter William Fields, and stepdaughter, Kathy Fields. Bergen converted from Southern Baptist to Judaism upon marrying Fields. The couple divorced in 1975. She was married to entrepreneur Jeffrey Endervelt in the 1980s.

In 1991, Bergen spoke about having had an abortion, for inclusion in the book The Choices We Made: Twenty-Five Women and Men Speak Out About Abortion.

On March 31, 1993, Brandon Lee died accidentally on the set of The Crow, and in early April, Bergen held a memorial at her home in Los Angeles with 200 of Lee's family, friends, and business associates in attendance.

Bergen was a liberal-minded, politically active Democrat and feminist. She was an active advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment, women's education, and Planned Parenthood. Bergen's niece is television producer Wendy Riche.

Death Bergen died of natural causes on September 20, 2014, at her home in Southbury, Connecticut, surrounded by family and close friends. She had been diagnosed with emphysema and other ailments in the late 1990s. Upon her death, she was cremated.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1949 Champion Singer uncredited Across the Rio Grande Singer (as Polly Burgin) 1950 The Men Singer uncredited At War with the Army Helen Palmer a Martin & Lewis comedy 1951 That's My Boy Betty 'Babs' Hunter a Martin & Lewis comedy Warpath Molly Quade 1952 The Stooge Mary Turner a Martin & Lewis comedy 1953 Cry of the Hunted Janet Tunner Half a Hero herself - guest appearance Fast Company Carol Maldon Arena Ruth Danvers Escape from Fort Bravo Alice Owens 1954 The Blue Angel herself - host 1962 Cape Fear Peggy Bowden 1963 The Caretakers Lorna Melford nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Move Over, Darling Bianca Steele 1964 Kisses for My President U.S. President Leslie Harrison McCloud 1967 A Guide for the Married Man Technical Adviser (Clara Brown) 1984 Velvet Mrs. Vance 1987 Making Mr. Right Estelle Stone 1989 Mother, Mother Barbara Cutler short film 1990 Cry-Baby Mrs. Vernon-Williams directed by John Waters 1995 Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde Mrs. Unterveldt Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored Miss Maybry 2005 Paradise, Texas Beverly Cameron 2006 A Very Serious Person Mrs. A 2012 Struck by Lightning Grandma

Television Year Title Role Notes 1954 Your Hit Parade singing ‘Mountain Scenery’ aired October 16 1954–55 The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse herself / host 1956–61 To Tell the Truth herself 165 episodes 1957 Playhouse 90 Helen Morgan "The Helen Morgan Story" (episode 33)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1957–58 The Polly Bergen Show herself 18 episodes 1960 The George Burns Show herself Guest 1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Crystal Coe Season 6 Episode 30: "You Can't Trust a Man" 1961 Wagon Train Kitty Allbright Season 5 Episode 2: "The Kitty Allbright Story" 1962 What's My Line herself episode: January 28, 1962 1962 Belle Sommers Belle Sommers TV movie 1967 The Red Skelton Show Myrtle (Bolivar's Fiancee) Season 17 Episode 12: "Red's Relatives" 1973 Thriller Suzy Hunter Season 1 Episode 4: "An Echo of Theresa" 1974 Death Cruise Sylvia Carter TV movie 1975 Murder on Flight 502 Mona Briarly TV movie 1976 Ellery Queen Dina Carroll-Winer Season 1 Episode 19: "The Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley" 1977 79 Park Avenue Vera Keppler TV movie 1977 Telethon Dorothy Goodwin TV movie 1978 How to Pick Up Girls! Dana Greenberg TV movie 1981 The Million Dollar Face Jo Burns TV movie 1982 Born Beautiful Marion Carmody TV movie 1982 The Love Boat Dana Pierce 3 episodes 1983 The Winds of War Rhoda Henry miniseries (6 episodes)nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1984 Fantasy Island Esther Brandell Season 7 Episode 14: "Lady of the House/Mrs. Brandell's Favorites" 1985 Hotel Elizabeth Hastings Season 2 Episode 19: "Images" 1985 Murder, She Wrote Dr. Jocelyn Laird Season 2 Episode 4: "School for Scandal" 1988 Addicted to His Love Vivien Langford TV movie 1988 She Was Marked for Murder Laura Lee Webster TV movie 1988–89 War and Remembrance Rhoda Henry miniseries (6 episodes)nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1988 My Two Dads Evelyn Taylor Season 1 Episode 13: "Joey's Mother-in-Law" 1989 Jake and the Fatman Emma Julian Season 3 Episode 18: "By Myself" 1989 The Haunting of Sarah Hardy Emily Stepford TV movie 1989 My Brother's Wife Myra Gilbert TV movie 1990 Steel Magnolias Clairee Belcher unsold pilot 1991 Lightning Field Carol TV movie 1991–92 Baby Talk Doris Campbell 23 episodes 1992 Lady Against the Odds Cleo Storrs TV movie 1993 Arly Hanks Ruby Bee TV movie 1994 Burke's Law Rachel Doucet Season 1 Episode 1: "Who Killed the Starlet?" 1995 The Surrogate Sandy Gilman TV movie 1996 In the Blink of an Eye Murial TV movie 1996 For Hope Molly Altman TV movie 1998 Touched by an Angel Stella Season 4 Episode 13: "Deconstructing Harry" 2004 The Sopranos Fran Felstein Season 5 Episode 7: "In Camelot" 2005–06 Commander in Chief Kate Allen 10 episodes 2006 Candles on Bay Street Rosemary TV movie 2007–11 Desperate Housewives Stella Wingfield 10 episodesnominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesSatellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

Radio appearances Year Title Episode 1952 Musical Comedy Theater "On an Island with You"

Discography Albums list adapted from AllMusic and Discogs.

Albums 1955: Little Girl Blue (10-inch LP) 1956: The Girls 1956: Today's Hits (EP) 1957: Bergen Sings Morgan (Billboard 200 – No. 10) 1957: The Party's Over (Billboard 200 – No. 20) 1958: Polly and Her Pop (accompanied on guitar & vocals by her father, Bill Bergen) 1959: My Heart Sings – Columbia #CS 8018 – orchestra conducted by Luther Henderson (re-released in 1996) 1959: All Alone by the Telephone 1959: First Impressions – with Farley Granger and Hermione Gingold 1960: Four Seasons of Love 1961: Sings the Hit Songs from Do-Re-Mi and Annie Get Your Gun 1963: Act One, Sing Too

Singles 1958: "Come Prima" (Billboard Hot 100 – No. 67)