POLLY BERGEN

Polly Bergen, who died at 84, had a fascinating and varied career. She began as a radio singer at the age of 14. She was nominated for a Tony award for her performance in Follies. She was also nominated for an Emmy for The Helen Morgan Story. Most recently she was seen as Stella Wingfield, Felicity Huffman’s mother, on Desperate Housewives. And she was quite an entrepreneur, founding and running a highly successful cosmetics corporation. 

Her filmography is equally varied and interesting. Her best, and most famous role, was as the terrified mother Peggy Bowden in Cape Fear (1962). This is a genuinely scary film with Robert Mitchum just eerily creepy. He is the stalker who is out to kill the Bowden children who may have witnessed him committing a murder. The final chase and confrontation at the ocean is riveting. The 1991 Martin Scorsese remake with Robert DeNiro is every bit as good, but of course Ms. Bergen isn’t in that one.

Escape From Fort Bravo (1953) is an above-average western with William Holden and Eleanor Parker involved with a Civil War prison camp, hostile Indians, a prison escape attempt and some good action scenes. As Alice Owens, Polly Bergen doesn’t have a whole lot to do but stand around and look pretty. 

Polly Bergen snared a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as a mental patient in The Caretakers (1963). And she is quite convincing- not over the top as many playing this role would be. This film demonstrates how little we have progressed in the treatment of mental illness. 

Move Over, Darling (1963) is a remake of the 1940 screwball comedy My Favorite Wife. The plot sounds like something Shakespeare might have cooked up- Doris Day and husband James Garner are lost at sea but he survives and she apparently does not. He waits a while then decides to marry the lovely Bianca (Polly Bergen). Of course it turns out that the first wife not only isn’t dead but shows up on the day of the Mr. Garner’s second wedding. Hilarity ensues!

Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored (1995) is based on the true story of Clifton Taulbert and his travails as a Black boy growing up in the South. Polly Bergen is okay in a frankly minor part as a fairly nice White lady. 

Paradise, Texas (2005) features Timothy Bottoms as an overworked actor knocked out of a part in a blockbuster movie because he decides to work on a small-budget independent film shot in his home town. The film is quite good in portraying the problems confronted by actors who often have to choose between family and work. Polly Bergen is quite effective in a small role as the actor’s mother.

All of the films in this column are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.