# Ingrid Bergman was the loveliest actress of Old Hollywood. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322 "2019-07-19T21:54:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/1 "2019-07-19T21:54:56Z")
[I mean, seriously.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/da/9b/d8/da9bd8dae09d996dbe217762872c9c24.png) Prove me wrong. With pictures. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/2 "2019-07-19T21:56:00Z")
[Starts humming “Baby, Come to Me” by James Ingram](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/casablanca-ingrid-bergman-1942-everett.jpg)… ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/3 "2019-07-19T21:58:03Z")
[Wasn’t just the B&W effect either…](https://mojeh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/aabe001238-1.jpg) … [But the B&W shots are incredible.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/editorial_content_posts/hero/6483-/JGTrTLJ3UGVReTVNg6FVqgNNNWkU5k_original.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/4 "2019-07-19T22:00:58Z")
Her best feature was one you can’t really see in those photos, her overbite. In fact that line in Casablanca about what she was doing 10 years ago, “I was having my teeth straightened” always makes me chuckle a bit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/5 "2019-07-19T22:07:46Z")
It’s more pronounced in her [younger shots](https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/98r5hp/ingrid_bergman_actress_1940s/). Would not be surprised if she had training to hide it. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/6 "2019-07-19T22:26:56Z")
Ingrid Bergman was very cute, and was flawlessly cast as the spineless, indecisive Ilsa Lund Laszlo. But if you want the loveliest actress of Old Hollywood, look no further than [Greta](http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/greta-garbo/) [Garbo](https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/garbo-at-m-g-m/). “What, when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober.” – Kenneth Tynan ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/7 "2019-07-19T22:38:43Z")
[Olivia de Havilland](https://kirkhamamovieaday.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/e2b22-olivia_de_havilland252c_a_world_treasure1465055315.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/8 "2019-07-19T22:44:46Z")
I agree that Ms. Bergman was among the most lovely, and I can’t find an image of anyone MORE lovely than she was, but there might be a few whom were AS lovely as she was on their best days. I always believed **Linda Darnell** was adorable as the underage niece in **THE MARK OF ZORRO**. > **[Portrait of actress Linda Darnell wearing an old fashioned dress with...](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-actress-linda-darnell-wearing-an-old-fashioned-news-photo/563913783?adppopup=true)** > > Portrait of actress Linda Darnell wearing an old fashioned dress with puff sleeves, for 20th Century Fox, circa 1950. In addition, I never thought _Vivian Leigh_ was hard to look at: > **['Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind, directed by Victor Fleming, 1939 (b/w...](https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Vivien-Leigh-Gone-with-the-Wind-directed-by-Victor-Fleming-1939-b-w-photo-Posters_i15646909_.htm?UPI=Q1C3VPS0&PODConfigID=8363142&sOrigID=5935)** > > Find great deals on 'Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind, directed by Victor Fleming, 1939 (b/w photo)' Photo at AllPosters.com, with fast shipping, free returns, and custom framing options you'll love! I also understand \*Kate Hepburn \*was easy on the eyes when she was younger (sorry, no image), and that reminds me that the other actress named _Hepburn, Audrey_ was a looker too. (Although she might have been after ‘old Hollywood’ but I am pretty old guy and I remember her from movies on the late, late show which were rarely current. I do seem to recall her being cast in romantic leads after the others were being cast as mothers or bosses but that might be a faulty memory.) ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/9 "2019-07-19T22:46:51Z")
Ingrid has always had my vote. Others you can call beautiful, cute, sexy, glamorous, whatever, but watching her come down the stairs in _Gaslight_ in that white dress… she’s incandescent. ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/10 "2019-07-19T22:56:46Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > Ingrid Bergman was very cute, and was flawlessly cast as the spineless, indecisive Ilsa Lund Laszlo. > > But if you want the loveliest actress of Old Hollywood, look no further than [Greta](http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/greta-garbo/) [Garbo](https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/garbo-at-m-g-m/). > > “What, when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober.” – Kenneth Tynan Now I don’t believe I have ever seen a \*Greta Garbo \*movie, and perhaps there is an essence I am missing, but I have never seen a single still photograph of Garbo that makes me think she was any more than average looking. In addition, every shot of her I can recall seeing looks like she is actively trying to look seductive or attractive. Perhaps she had a very expressive face that does not translate well into stills. Also, it was the style of the time – and the photos I linked to above show women fully made-up, but Garbo always looks overdone in that regard to me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/11 "2019-07-19T23:07:10Z")
[Claudia](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d9/ae/1a/d9ae1a654a3ff0b4b12663bd162f72d9.jpg) [Cardinale](https://image.posterlounge.com/img/products/620000/612196/612196_poster_l.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/12 "2019-07-19T23:09:59Z")
[Grace Kelly](https://www.biography.com/actor/grace-kelly). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/13 "2019-07-19T23:32:18Z")
I am not going argue against Ingrid…but [Audrey Hepburn](https://www.avsforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=281986&cat=2180242) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/14 "2019-07-19T23:33:14Z")
I always thought that [Hedy Lamarr](https://media.kasperskydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/85/2015/11/05131651/hedy-lamarr-featured.jpg) topped the list of old Hollywood beauties. BTW, it only recently struck me how similar Hedy Lamarr and a young [Lucille Ball](http://i.imgur.com/a59J9Qk.jpg) look. Does anyone else see it? ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/15 "2019-07-19T23:44:59Z")
You’re all picking classy but boring dames. I’m going for [Veronica Lake](https://lisawallerrogers.com/tag/veronica-lake-told-to-change-hair/). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/16 "2019-07-19T23:49:26Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I always thought that [Hedy Lamarr](https://media.kasperskydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/85/2015/11/05131651/hedy-lamarr-featured.jpg) topped the list of old Hollywood beauties. > > BTW, it only recently struck me how similar Hedy Lamarr and a young [Lucille Ball](http://i.imgur.com/a59J9Qk.jpg) look. Does anyone else see it? Young Lucy didn’t have the personality or voice or body to go with that look, which I think is why she didn’t stay with it long. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/17 "2019-07-19T23:50:24Z")
Ingrid Bergman was a very ‘modern’ actress in many ways. (she supposedly boinked every leading man and director she came across.) . But she was as different from simpering ladies of the screen of the time as could be - bold, brash, fresh, and very modern in looks and acting ability. A strong, beautiful woman. Greta Garbo was in a class of her own, a classic, iconic ageless beauty. She didn’t even CARE for her career much and showed up to work filmed in gowns, wearing grubby old bedroom slippers on her feet. I am pleased she retired early before descending into ‘character actress’. She and Marilyn Monroe, something about them, the camera captured …something. They were transformed. Not just makeup or wardrobe, I think, that was a big part, but something more. (it’s said without makeup, in everyday clothing, no one would even recognize them on the street.) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/18 "2019-07-19T23:51:14Z")
Another vote for [Hedy Lamarr](https://www.xyht.com/gnsslocation-tech/got-gps-thank-hedy-lamarr/) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/19 "2019-07-20T00:12:26Z")
I think the thing with Ingrid which stands out for me is that [her face](https://www.biography.com/.image/ar_1:1%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cg_face%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_300/MTE1ODA0OTcxNTU0MDgwMjY5/ingrid-bergman-9208952-1-402.jpg) doesn’t reference the troubled times of the 1930s-1950s (1940s if you’re an American) - there is no sharpness to her features ala Leigh and Garbo, far more softness is expressed by Bergman. But not characterless, of course not. There’s a… sadness, a wistfulness… about her expression which I find appealing, as well as the simple fact that I prefer brunettes. Anyway, I think she’s just devastatingly lovely and is possibly the finest looking woman to grace this planet. But, again… prove me wrong, with pics. 🙂 (I appreciate the counters so far. Keep 'em coming!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322/20 "2019-07-20T00:13:40Z")
I believe cigarettes lit themselves in the presence of [Jane Greer](http://www.imfdb.org/images/1/1c/JaneGreerActor.jpg). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ingrid-bergman-was-the-loveliest-actress-of-old-hollywood/837322.md?page=2)