Curio: Ingrid Bergman, 1945 Cover Girl

Alexa here. I was inspired by Jose's post on birthday girl Ingrid Bergman to share this vintage Motion Picture magazine of mine from 1945. Ingrid graces the cover, promoting her latest effort in Spellbound, just shy of her 30th birthday.

The interview inside, from the set of Alfred Hitchcock's film, was written in breathless prose by "famous movie reporter" Sidney Skolsky. (A little trivia: Sidney coined the name "Oscar" for the Academy Award.) Here are some gems from his piece:

Ingrid Bergman, on the screen, looks like what an actress should look like. Even more so than the Turners, the Grables, the Fayes. Yet, in everyday life, it is common knowledge that many, even fans, pass her by without recognizing her. She uses almost no makeup at all, except a little lipstick and a slight dab of powder.

She will do practically anything to cooperate except pose for cheesecake art. She says, "I'm not a dancer."

She doesn't care for sweetness and light in her roles and she has an innate dread of being typed. She was happy that Lana Turner played the role of the sophisticated lady-like wife in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, while she played the role of the bad woman.


She likes the popular music of the juke-box variety and even made a special trip to a club to listen to Frank Sinatra. She likes Frankie-boy but still prefers Crosby. She loves to chew gum.

She is a person who sweetly and quietly gets her way. She will not play the role of Sarah Bernhardt.

She is ticklish in the ticklish places.

She is a forthright person and doesn't behave like an actress. One day at the studio she hooked bumpers with another car. A studio policeman found her tugging and heaving at them with all her might. She practically had the cars untangled before he could get to her. "Darndest thing I ever saw," the studio policeman said. "First film star I ever knew that didn't mind getting her hands dirty, or didn't cuss out the other fellow for leaving his car in the way."