Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, TV host, writer, and entrepreneur best known for Cry-Baby (1990), Cape Fear (1962), and Playhouse 90 (1957).
She was married to Jerome Courtland, Freddie Fields, and Jeffrey Endervelt and had three children, including step-daughter Kathy Fields.
Bergen died in 2014 at the age of 84 from natural causes.
Works by Polly Bergen:
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Film roles
- 1949: Champion as Radio and Jukebox Singer (Uncredited Role)
- 1949: Across The Rio Grande as Cantina Singer
- 1950: The Men as Nightclub Singer (uncredited)
- 1950: At War With The Army as Helen Palmer
- 1951: Thats My Boy 1951 as Betty 'Babs' Hunter
- 1951: Warpath as Molly Quade
- 1951: The Stooge as Mary Turner Miller
- 1953: Cry Of The Hunted as Janet Tunner
- 1953: Fast Company as Carol Maldon
- 1953: Arena as Ruth Danvers
- 1953: Half A Hero as Polly Bergen
- 1953: Escape From Fort Bravo as Alice Owens
- 1962: Belle Sommers as Belle Sommers
- 1962: Cape Fear as Peggy Bowden
- 1963: The Caretakers as Lorna Melford
- 1963: Move Over Darling as Bianca Steele Arden
- 1964: Kisses for My President as Leslie McCloud
- 1967: A Guide for the Married Man as Technical Adviser (uncredited)
- 1974: Death Cruise as Sylvia Carter
- 1975: Murder on Flight 502 as Mona Briarly
- 1977: Telethon as Dorothy Goodwin
- 1978: How To Pick Up Girls as Dana Greenberg
- 1978: Lil Abner In The Dogpatch Today as Phyllis Shoefly
- 1981: The Million Dollar Face as Jo Burns
- 1982: Born Beautiful as Marion Carmody
- 1984: Velvet as Mrs. Vance
- 1987: Making Mr Right as Estelle Stone
- 1988: Addicted To His Love as Vivien Langford
- 1988: She Was Marked For Murder as Laura Lee Webster
- 1989: The Haunting Of Sarah Hardy as Emily Stepford
- 1989: My Brothers Wife as Myra Gilbert
- 1990: Cry-Baby as Mrs. Vernon-Williams
- 1991: Lightning Field as Carol
- 1992: Lady Against The Odds as Cleo Storrs
- 1993: Perry Mason The Case Of The Skin Deep Scandal as Barbara Fox
- 1993: Arly Hanks as Ruby Bee
- 1994: Leave Of Absence as Janet (also writer and producer)
- 1995: Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde as Mrs. Unterveldt
- 1995: The Surrogate as Sandy Gilman
- 1995: Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored as Miss Maybry
- 1996: In The Blink Of An Eye as Murial
- 1996: For Hope as Molly Altman
- 2006: Paradise Texas as Beverly Cameron
- 2006: A Very Serious Person as Mrs. A
- 2006: Candles On Bay Street as Rosemary
- 2012: Struck by Lighting as Grandma
Television roles
- 1952: Schlitz Playhouse as Dellie
- 1954: The Pepsi Cola Playhouse as Self
- 1954-1955: The Elgin Hour as Betty West/Dawn Desmond (2 episodes)
- 1956: General Electric Theater as Susan Barry
- 1957: Playhouse 90 as Helen Morgan
- 1958: Lux Playhouse as Lamy
- 1960: The United States Steel Hour as Lillith Smalwood
- 1961: Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Crystal Coe
- 1961: Wagon Train as Kitty Albright
- 1963: The Dick Powell Theatre as Paula Miles
- 1963: Dr. Kildare as Janice Graham/Cathy Brandon
- 1965: Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre as Jennifer Randolph
- 1965-1967: The Ed Sullivan Show as Singer (2 episodes)
- 1966-1968: The Red Skelton Hour as Clara Appleby/Sally Suey (2 episodes)
- 1973: Thriller as Suzy Hunter
- 1973: The Wide World Of Mystery as Suzy Hunter
- 1976: Ellery Queen as Dina Carroll-Winer
- 1977: Harold Robbins 79 Park Avenue as Vera Keppler
- 1977-1982: The Love Boat as Dana Pierce/Maisie Nolan (3 episodes)
- 1983: The Winds Of War as Rhoda Henry
- 1984: Fantasy Island as Esther Brandell
- 1985: Hotel as Elizabeth Hastings
- 1985: Murder, She Wrote as Dr. Jocelyn Laird
- 1988: My Two Dads as Evelyn Taylor
- 1988-1989: War And Remembrance as Rhoda Henry
- 1990: Jake and the Fatman as Emma Julian
- 1991-1992: Baby Talk as Doris Campbell (23 episodes)
- 1994: Burke's Law as Rachel Doucet
- 1998: Touched by an Angel as Stella Applegate
- 1999: Twice in a Lifetime as Judge Deborah
- 2004: The Sopranos as Fran Felstein
- 2005-2006: Commander in Chief as Kate Allen (10 episodes)
- 2007-2011: Desperate Housewives as Stella Winfield (10 episodes)
Short film roles
- 1964: Selena as Selena
- 1989: Mother Mother 1989 as Barbara Cutler
- 1990: Steel Magnolias 1990 as Clairee Belcher
Theatre roles
- 1953-1954: John Murray Andersons Almanac as Various
- 1955: Champagne Complex as Allyn Macy
- 1959: First Impressions as Elizabeth Bennett
- 1989-1990: Love Letters as Melissa Gardner
- 1998-2004: Cabaret as Fraulein Schneider
- 2001: Follies as Carlotta Campion
- 2003: Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks as Lily Harrison
Studio albums
- 1955: Little Girl Blue
- 1957: The Party's Over
- 1957: Bergen Sings Morgan
- 1958: My Heart Sings
- 1958: Polly and Her Pop (with Bill Bergen)
- 1959: All Alone by the Telephone
- 1960: Four Seasons of Love
- 1960: Country Girl (with Bill Bergen)
- 1961: Sings the Hit Songs from Do-Re-Mi and Annie Get Your Gun
- 1963: Act One, Sing Too
Books
- 1962: The Polly Bergen Book of Beauty, Fashion and Charm
- 1974: Polly's Principles
- 1978: I'd Love to, But What'll I Wear?
