Polly Bergen

Biography

Polly Bergen was an American actress and singer who began her screen career in the early 1950s, playing the romantic interest in the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies At War with the Army (1950), That's My Boy (1951) and The Stooge (1951). Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, she worked steadily in Westerns such as Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) before taking the female lead opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear (1962). She won an Emmy for playing Helen Morgan on Playhouse 90, hosted her own variety show, and sat on the panel of To Tell the Truth. Her later films included Move Over, Darling (1963), Kisses for My President (1964), in which she played the first female American president, and Cry-Baby (1990). She earned two Emmy nominations for The Winds of War and War and Remembrance and a Tony nomination for the 2001 Broadway revival of Follies.

84years old at death

Born July 14, 1930Knoxville
Died September 20, 2014Southbury
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Nellie Paulina Burgin (birth name)Also credited as Nellie Burgin

Movie Career

Films: 16
Career span: 62 years1950 to 2012

Genres

Comedy56%, 9 films
Drama44%, 7 films
Romance38%, 6 films
Thriller19%, 3 films
Musical13%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Behind the award
Bergen won an Emmy for playing the real-life singer Helen Morgan in a 1950s Playhouse 90 episode, and she also recorded a 1957 album titled Bergen Sings Morgan that included the song Bill.
A role that slipped away
Bergen took over the role from Rue McClanahan in the 2003 Broadway production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, starring opposite Mark Hamill at the Belasco Theatre.
A change of course
Bergen became known as the Pepsi Cola Girl in the 1950s after appearing in a series of commercials for the product.
Behind the camera
Bergen founded the Polly Bergen Company in 1965, a cosmetics line also called Oil of the Turtle. She went on to write three beauty books and start jewelry and shoe lines.

Polly Bergen movies on Netflix

Struck by Lightning2012IMDb rating 6.2as Grandma
Candles on Bay Street2006IMDb rating 6.5as Rosemary
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde1995IMDb rating 4.6
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored1995IMDb rating 7.4as Miss Maybry
Leave of Absence1994IMDb rating 5.6as Janet
Cry-Baby1990IMDb rating 6.5as Mrs. Vernon-Williams
The Haunting of Sarah Hardy1989IMDb rating 5.1as Emily Thetford
Making Mr. Right1987IMDb rating 5.6as Estelle Stone
Murder on Flight 5021975IMDb rating 5.4as Mona Briarly
Kisses for My President1964IMDb rating 5.5as Leslie McCloud
Move Over, Darling1963IMDb rating 6.9as Bianca Steele Arden
Cape Fear1962IMDb rating 7.7as Peggy Bowden
Escape from Fort Bravo1953IMDb rating 6.6as Alice Owens
That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1as Betty 'Babs' Hunter
The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7as Mary Turner
At War with the Army1950IMDb rating 5.5as Helen Palmer

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Cape Fear1962 Crime, Drama, Thrilleras Peggy Bowden
IMDb rating 7.736K votes
Cry-Baby1990 Comedy, Musical, Romanceas Mrs. Vernon-Williams
IMDb rating 6.569K votes
Move Over, Darling1963as Bianca Steele Arden
IMDb rating 6.97.1K votes
Struck by Lightning2012as Grandma
IMDb rating 6.215K votes
The Stooge1951as Mary Turner
IMDb rating 6.71.8K votes
Escape from Fort Bravo1953as Alice Owens
IMDb rating 6.63.5K votes
Making Mr. Right1987as Estelle Stone
IMDb rating 5.63.4K votes
Candles on Bay Street2006as Rosemary
IMDb rating 6.51.3K votes

Most often with

Hal Walker directed two of these films. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Dean Martin

Jerry Lewis

Steve Carruthers

Tommy Farrell

Eddie Mayehoff

Marion MarshallHal WalkerDirector, 2 films

Films together

Dean Martin3 films together, 1950 to 1951
Dean Martin's page
- That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1Bergen as Betty 'Babs' HunterMartin as Bill Baker
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerMartin as Bill Miller
- At War with the Army1950IMDb rating 5.5Bergen as Helen PalmerMartin as 1st Sgt. Vic Puccinelli
Jerry Lewis3 films together, 1950 to 1951
Jerry Lewis's page
- That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1Bergen as Betty 'Babs' HunterLewis as 'Junior' Jackson
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerLewis as Ted Rogers
- At War with the Army1950IMDb rating 5.5Bergen as Helen PalmerLewis as Pfc. Alvin Korwin
Steve Carruthers2 films together, 1951 to 1963
Steve Carruthers's page
- Move Over, Darling1963IMDb rating 6.9Bergen as Bianca Steele ArdenCarruthers as Department Store Employee
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerCarruthers as Audience Member
Tommy Farrell2 films together, 1950 to 1951
Tommy Farrell's page
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerFarrell as Tommy
- At War with the Army1950IMDb rating 5.5Bergen as Helen PalmerFarrell as Cpl. Clark
Eddie Mayehoff2 films together, 1951
Eddie Mayehoff's page
- That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1Bergen as Betty 'Babs' HunterMayehoff as Jarring Jack Jackson
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerMayehoff as Leo Lyman
Marion Marshall2 films together, 1951
Marion Marshall's page
- That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1Bergen as Betty 'Babs' HunterMarshall as Terry Howard
- The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Bergen as Mary TurnerMarshall as Genevieve 'Frecklehead' Tait
Hal WalkerDirector, 2 films, 1950 to 1951
All films by Hal Walker
- That's My Boy1951IMDb rating 6.1Bergen as Betty 'Babs' Hunter
- At War with the Army1950IMDb rating 5.5Bergen as Helen Palmer