Polly Bergen, versatile actress, singer dies at 84

Associated Press ^ | September 20, 2014

[rockabyebaby]

Emmy-winning actress and singer Polly Bergen, who in a long career played the terrorized wife in the original “Cape Fear” and the first woman president in “Kisses for My President,” died Saturday, according to her publicist. She was 84.

[jmacusa]

The scene she did with Robert Mitchum in “Cape fear’’ is one of the most terrorizing things I've ever seen on film. Of course Mitchum just had to stand still in any film he ever did and you knew things were going to go south fast. It's one of the reasons I've only ever watched that version of that movie once.

[jocon307]

RIP Polly Bergen, I think I remember her best from the old game shows, those were great and I wish GSN would bring them back.

[pallmallman]

When I was little,... according to my mother,...I had a crush on Polly Bergen.

[pallmallman]

Mitchum was awesome...AWESOME in that film...better than DeNiro in the remake.

[rabidralph]

And here's the money quote: "In lieu of flowers, her family is asking that donations be made to Planned Parenthood, said her publicist, Katz." It's the last line of the story.

[Perdogg]

ping

[miss marmelstein]

Just watched this about two weeks ago. Probably Mitchum’s scariest performance! According to my dvd, he was drunk a lot of the time during filming and pretty hostile to the cast and crew.

Hope all is well with you!

[StayAt HomeMother]

She played the wife of Navy officer Pug Henry, also played by Robert Mitchum, in 1983’s “The Winds of War” and the 1988 sequel, “War and Remembrance.” By then Mitchum, especially, was rather old for the role, but both actors were excellent in these mini-series.

[nycgal]

He was very scary in “Night of the Hunter”

RIP Polly. Always enjoyed her on game shows.

[snoringbear]

“When I was little,... according to my mother,...I had a crush on Polly Bergen.”

You could have done worse. Back in the day she was pretty hot.

[fieldmarshaldj]

She was great in “Cape Fear.” RIP.

[Safetgiver]

I liked his answer to Gene Barry, the Revenue agent, in Thunder Road when Barry said “We have the bumper off your Ford’. Mitchum said “Well, give it BACK.”

[jmacusa]

‘’Night Of The Preacher’’ is about Mitchums scariest I think. Didn't know he was a drunken diva during the filming of “Cape Fear’’. I'm doing okay dear, can't complain. “The long sobs of the violins of Autumn’’ are tuning up here on The Jersey Shore. My back yard maple tree is starting to turn. How's by you? Good Lord stay out of Central Park! That poor woman. Bloody awful bike riders! I'll never forget some thirty years ago how close I came to being flattened crossing Sixth Ave and 42nd. St. by a guy on a bike.Remember bike messengers during the '80s? Bloody kamikazes. That guy came so close to me the tip of my nose brushed his arm, that's how close! Be well my friend.

[pallmallman]

She was!

[pallmallman]

Mitchum...he was just awesome as hell in that one too.....he’s one of my very favorite actors...I think he wipes the floor with today’s motley bunch of hollywood pretenders.

[jmacusa]

She was a beautiful woman in a ''handsome'' feminine way. Tall, slender, slightly dark skin and that brunette hair. She was hot as heck in "Cape Fear'' when she appeared in that white sleeveless "Jackie Kennedy'' style dress and the black heels, grrrrrr!

[pallmallman]

Mitchum, as far as I’m concerned was...along only with the Duke...and perhaps my man Bogart....THE MAN!!

[jmacusa]

De Niro, pfffftt! Don’t even talk! As I said , Mitchum just had to stand still and you knew the poop was going to hit the fan and it wasn’t going to be good. In my opinion he was the best at it. Cagney, Bogart, they had to ‘’act’’ tough. Mitchum was. Seems to me they had to tone him down.

[Sparklite]

My dad had the hots for “I’ve Got a Secret”’s Betsy Palmer.