Happy Birthday and RIP Ingrid Bergman

30 years ago, today, Ingrid Bergman passed away from cancer.
97 years ago, today, Ingrid Bergman was born in Sweden.

A full circle life that was, luckily, caught on camera and immortalized for everyone, including those of us who weren't around during her lifespan.

A letter:

Dear Ingrid Bergman,

Thank you for existing. Your 67 years on this earth were filled with very public joys and pains. You made films with some of the most historically famous filmmakers of all time; Hitchcock, Jack Cardiff, Roberto Rossellini, Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Michael Curtiz, among others. You worked with some of the most recognizable faces in the "Golden Days" of the industry; Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Lana Turner, Spencer Tracy, Joseph Cotton, Liza Manelli, Mel Ferrer, Anthony Perkins, Yves Montand, Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains and many more. If you showed this resume to anyone, they'd faint.

We, your fans, are glad that you existed. We now have the technology and capability to watch you on Netflix, pop in a DVD and see your films or buy VHS copies of hard to find movies from amazon.com. Longtailing is a wonderful thing. You weren't here to witness the internet... Probably in your best interest.

Your humanity was one of the first revealed to the public. You made some choices in life that remind us that no one in infallible and people have to live with their decisions. None of us care. We all love you.

I personally am grateful for your existence because I am trying to work in the film/TV industry and having you as a guiding light is always an inspiration. It sounds crazy, but you've helped me over the years and always have given me an excuse to write, laugh and cry. Thank you for this.

Happy Birthday Ingrid. You are a shining star that forever burns on celluloid.

TCM's "Summer Under The Stars" Ingrid Bergman Day August 29th

Just like previous summers, Turner Classic Movies will be hosting their annual Summer Under The Stars instillation. 

On August 29th, they will be screening Ingrid Bergman films from 6am - around 3am the next day. As most of you know, that is Ingrid's birthday and the day she died. 

So, if you're lucky enough to have cable and TCM, you will be able to call into work and glue yourself to the television for the following films (Eastern Standar Time): 

6:00am -- Adam Had Four Sons (1941)

7:45am -- Rage In Heaven (1941)

9:30am -- Saratoga Trunk (1945)

12:00pm -- Under Capricorn (1949)

2:00pm -- Stromboli (1950)

4:00pm -- Europa '51 (1951)

6:00pm -- Gaslight (1944) 

8:00pm -- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

10:00pm -- Casablanca (1942) 

12:00am -- Joan Of Arc (1948) 

2:30am -- Elena And Her Men (1956) 

4:15am -- Autumn Sonata (1978)

This arrangement shows a variety in the films she made. The various directors she worked with and styles they all used. 

It's interesting that of the three Hitchcock films Ingrid starred in, Under Capricorn was chosen. The film itself wasn't a hit and it is lacking in some of the plot points, but if you're looking for innovation and risk taking it doesn't get much better than that...

...Jack Cardiff behind the camera, people falling backwards from a puzzle-like table just to pull a dolly holding a giant technicolor camera... It's full of trivia. Also- for about 5 minutes, Ingrid talks like a drunk, Irish woman. Pretty great. 

Be sure to set your DVR to the appropriate times... TCM only functions on Eastern Standard Time, so sometimes it can throw other timezones for a loop. 

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