Top 10 (English-Language) Films: Ingrid Bergman
- Lindsay Blenkarn
- Aug 2
- 16 min read
Updated: Aug 17
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish-born actress, who managed to find great success both in the USA and abroad. A highly respected actress nominated for seven Academy Awards (winning three), Bergman was known for her luminous natural beauty as well as her memorable dramatic performances. Unlike many female stars of the 1940s, Ingrid Bergman was not known as a glamour girl. On the contrary, she was famous for not wearing much makeup and often played characters who were more humble and practical in their approaches to life.
Outside of the Hollywood studio system, Ingrid also made a number of films with her 2nd husband, celebrated Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Ingrid’s initial affair with Rossellini (which began while both were still married to other people) caused a great scandal in the States, leading to Ingrid being unofficially blacklisted from American films for a number of years. Granted, her famous affair had been made all the more scandalous than it might have been otherwise, due to Ingrid’s reputation for playing virtuous characters.
After some time making films abroad, Ingrid was eventually welcomed back to Hollywood. From that moment on, she continued to enjoy a successful career in America and internationally, winning two more Oscars (and two Emmys) before passing away from cancer in 1982. For this list, I have specifically chosen to focus on Ingrid’s English-language films. However, if you are interested in diving into her foreign language performances, her Swedish film Autumn Sonata is a wonderful place to start. But, the question is: which English-language Ingrid Bergman movies have remained the most popular in 2026...??
10. THE VISIT (1964)
Based on the Broadway play by Friedrich Durrenmatt, The Visit stars Ingrid Bergman in a riveting performance as Karla Zachanassian, an excessively wealthy woman who has finally returned to her small hometown of Gullen for a visit. Gullen has been suffering through a lot of hardship lately so, the townspeople have been hoping that Karla will consider donating some of her wealth to the town during her visit. As it turns out, Karla was already aware of their desperate situation and has, actually, returned specifically to offer them the millions of dollars they desire. However, she will only do it for a price. Karla stipulates that the townspeople will only receive their money if they agree to execute her ex-lover, Serge Miller (Anthony Quinn), as revenge for his betrayal many years earlier.
Although The Visit was filmed entirely in Italy, the exact location of Gullen is kept purposely vague in the film (it’s merely indicated that it’s located somewhere in Europe). Originally, the film was considered as a possible vehicle for real-life acting power couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Then, after Ingrid’s name became attached, William Holden began to campaign heavily for the role of Serge since he had never had the chance to work with Ingrid Bergman and wanted to very badly. However, it was Anthony Quinn who ended up buying the film rights to the play, which allowed him to cast himself in the lead opposite Ingrid. Those who might be familiar with the original play (or even the lesser-known stage musical adaptation) will notice that there are significant differences between the film adaptation and the play. Most notably the film’s ending. However, which version you actually prefer will ultimately depend on your own personal taste.
9. CACTUS FLOWER (1969)
Based on the Broadway play by Abe Burrows (which was itself based on the French play Fleur de Cactus, by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy), this witty romantic comedy was adapted for the screen by I.A.L. Diamond, best known for his many collaborations with director Billy Wilder. This time the film was directed by Gene Saks, who would later earn greater acclaim for his theatre directorial work (eventually winning 3 Tonys) but, at the time, had been enjoying some success directing a string of Broadway-to-Hollywood adaptations: Barefoot in the Park in 1967, The Odd Couple in 1968 and finally, Cactus Flower.
Featuring a young Goldie Hawn in her Oscar-winning film debut, Cactus Flower tells the story of Julian Winston (Walter Matthau), a successful dentist who in an effort to avoid serious commitment has convinced his young girlfriend, Toni (Hawn), that he is already married with 3 kids. Unfortunately, once Julian realizes that he actually wants to marry Toni, he has to deal with the consequences of this ongoing lie. Rather than simply accepting Julian’s claim that he’s going to leave his wife for her, Toni insists on meeting Julian’s wife in person to make sure she really agrees to the divorce and will be well taken care of afterwards. This leaves Julian with no choice but to try and convince his loyal dental assistant, Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman), to pretend to be his wife in order to ease Toni’s mind. But, of course, things are not going to be that simple.
Considered by many critics to be superior to the original play, Cactus Flower actually marked Ingrid Bergman’s official return to the soundstages of Hollywood. Although she had been welcomed back to American films over a decade earlier, Ingrid hadn’t actually made a movie filmed outside of Europe since the 1940s. Fellow film legend Lauren Bacall had actually been the one to originate the role of Stephanie on Broadway and she was very disappointed to be passed over for the film. However, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Ingrid fully pulling off Stephanie's arc in this breezy comedy. A remake of Cactus Flower starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler (called Just Go With It) was actually released in 2011, but it was unable to capture the singular charm of the original.
8. THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945)
Starring Ingrid Bergman opposite Bing Crosby, this sweet family film is, actually, a sequel to the 1944 movie Going My Way. However, The Bells of St. Mary’s very much stands on its own even if you haven't seen the original. The film follows Bing Crosby’s character from Going My Way, Father O’Malley, as he is transferred to an inner-city parochial school called St. Mary’s. The school has seen better days and Father O’Malley immediately finds himself butting heads with St. Mary’s strong-willed Sister Superior, Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid). Their most pressing disagreement is what they should do about the dilapidated school building, itself. Sister Mary Benedict is convinced that the money they need to fix the school will eventually be gifted to them by the old miser who lives nearby. But, Father O’Malley thinks she needs a much more realistic plan.
This uplifting family film was massively popular when it was first released, becoming the very first movie sequel to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. The Bells of St. Mary’s can technically be considered a musical, though it really only contains a small handful of songs, mostly sung by Crosby. However, Ingrid does get to sing one song in the film in her native Swedish called Vårvindar Friska, which translates as “It’s Spring”. Although this film was actually an original story written by writer/director Leo McCarey alongside co-screenwriter Dudley Nichols, their screenplay was also later adapted into a full-length novel by George Victor Martin (best known for his novel Our Vines Have Tender Grapes).
Ingrid gives a delightful performance in The Bell's of St. Mary's as the likable and vivacious Sister Mary Benedict, who Leo McCarey had actually written as a tribute to his beloved aunt (also called Sister Mary Benedict). To help with the film’s accuracy, McCarey had a real Catholic priest working as an onset advisor throughout the production. However, he was a bit of stickler, so Ingrid and Bing decided to play a prank on him by having the Father and Sister suddenly give each other a passionate kiss during their last scene together. Unfortunately, the priest didn’t find the joke quite as funny as they did.
7. ANASTASIA (1956)
The film that won Ingrid Bergman her 2nd Oscar for Best Actress, Anastasia is based on the play by Guy Bolton and Marcelle Maurette, which is, itself, inspired by the real-life story of Anna Anderson, who had famously claimed to be the lost Russian royal Anastasia (the story is, also, influenced by the many other Anastasia imposters that sprung up after the Russian Revolution). Set in the 1920s, the film stars Yul Brynner as former Russian general Bounine, who has decided to capitalize on the rumors that the young Grand Duchess Anastasia somehow survived the execution of the Romanov family. He saves an amnesiac girl named Anna Anderson from committing suicide and convinces her that she might actually be the real Anastasia. Considering Anna does bear a resemblance to Anastasia and she conveniently does not remember her true past, Bounine hopes that he can use her to get his hands on Anastasia’s large inheritance, which is still sitting unclaimed in an English bank. But, in order for Anna to receive the inheritance, she must convince the former members of the imperial court and, most importantly, Anastasia’s grandmother the Dowager Empress (Helen Hayes), that she actually is the real Anastasia.
This quiet character study was considered Ingrid Bergman’s Hollywood comeback film after spending nearly 7 years working exclusively in international art films (usually made by her husband, Roberto Rossellini). Although marketed as Ingrid’s “return to Hollywood”, Anastasia was still entirely shot in Europe — specifically, London, Copenhagen, and Paris. As some viewers will quickly recognize, this movie famously served as the main inspiration for the popular 1997 animated film Anastasia, as well as, the Broadway musical adaptation that followed. Although this original version has a much more grounded and dramatic tone, fans of the animated and/or stage version will likely still recognize certain costumes and scenes that were carried over into the later adaptations.
As for the real Anna Anderson, she was actually still alive when the movie was released, forcing the filmmakers to rush to her home in Germany to get permission to use her name in the film. While she always maintained her story, Anderson was later proven to be a fraud through DNA evidence. However, the legend of Anastasia's survival continues to live on through the films that bear her name.
6. THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS (1958)
Based on the 1957 book The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness tells the true story of Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman), a British woman who became a missionary in China shortly before the Second Sino-Japanese War. When Gladys first applies to become a missionary, she’s deemed too unqualified due to her lack of education. But, Gladys is determined and finds a way to get to China anyway, becoming the assistant to an older missionary running an inn in a rural Chinese village. The culture shock hits Gladys hard, but she soon finds her place in China, earning the respect of the local Mandarin (Robert Donat) as well as many of the people in the village. Eventually, Gladys is even given the Chinese nickname Jian-Ai, meaning “universal love”. But, as the war with Japan begins to move closer to their remote village, Jian-Ai will find herself tested like never before.
Although set primarily in China, the majority of The Inn of the Sixth Happiness was, actually, shot in North Wales. Most of the extras were played by people living in Liverpool’s Chinatown (i.e. the oldest Chinatown in Europe). The real Gladys Aylward was still living when the film premiered and had actually just founded a children’s home in Taiwan that she would continue to run until her death in 1970. The real Aylward was not entirely happy with some of the changes/embellishments made about her life story in the film, including the casting of Ingrid Bergman. A tall, blonde Swede like Bergman was the complete opposite of the real Aylward, who was a short, brunette English Cockney girl.
Another significant change in the film involved the name of Jian-Ai’s titular inn (The Inn of the 6th Happiness), which is said to be related to the real Chinese concept of wufu — the Five Blessings/Happinesses. However, the real name of Gladys Aylward’s inn was The Inn of the Eight Happinesses, which was actually named after the Eight Virtues (a well-known set of values in China), while also being a reference to the traditional Chinese belief that 8 is a lucky number. Even Gladys’ Chinese name was changed for the film. In reality, she was known as “Ai-Wei-De”, meaning “virtuous one”. Most likely this was changed simply due to the name Jian-Ai being slightly shorter and easier for most English speakers to pronounce. Despite its many creative licenses, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness features one of Ingrid’s strongest performances and was pretty popular in the west. However, the film was banned when it was first released by the communist governments of China and Indonesia as it was deemed as not properly aligning with the values of the Communist party.
5. JOURNEY TO ITALY (1954)
Loosely based on the novel Duo by Colette, Journey to Italy marks Ingrid Bergman’s 3rd time working with her 2nd husband, director Roberto Rossellini. Often considered Rossellini’s masterpiece, the film was filmed in English but, was actually an entirely Italian production (the Italian dub was even released into cinemas first). The movie stars Ingrid opposite George Sanders as married couple, Katherine and Alex Joyce. Katherine and Alex have traveled to Italy from their home in England to sell a villa in Naples that they’ve just inherited from a relative. The couple’s marriage is a bit strained and this trip to Naples doesn’t seem to be helping matters. Even though they’ve already been married for 8 years, Alex is a shameless workaholic, which means that they don’t normally spend that much time together. So, in many ways, they still feel like they barely know each other. As the trip slowly brings up all of their pre-existing issues, it becomes questionable whether their relationship can actually survive past this Italian vacation.
At its heart, Journey to Italy is a quiet slice-of-life film and a fascinating travelogue of 1950s Naples. It's, also, the very last film that Rossellini would produce himself. Rossellini had originally intended for the movie to be a more direct adaptation of Colette’s Duo but, when he couldn’t secure the rights, it meant that the film would only be able to follow the novel’s plot line vaguely at most. Staying true to his trademark naturalistic style, Rossellini would often not give the actors their lines until shortly before scenes were shot. George Sanders, in particular, was not a big fan of this technique, finding it both exasperating and uncomfortable. It’s even been said that Sanders broke down into tears more than once over the course of filming out of pure frustration.
When Journey to Italy was first released in the US, it was largely ignored and the Italian dub was not received particularly well in Italy either. However, the film ended up having a profound influence on the French New Wave movement that was just beginning at the time and over the years has grown significantly in prestige, even occasionally making its way onto some notable “greatest films of all time” lists. If you’re already a fan of New Wave films like Breathless, this is definitely the Ingrid Bergman film for you.
4. SPELLBOUND (1945)
Directed by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock, Spellbound is loosely based on the book The House of Dr. Edwardes by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer (written under the collective pseudonym, Francis Beeding). The film stars Ingrid Bergman as Dr. Constance Petersen, a psychoanalyst working at a mental hospital called Green Manors. The hospital’s director, Dr. Murchison, is being forced into retirement and when his replacement (Gregory Peck) arrives, he is much younger than expected. The new director introduces himself as Dr. Anthony Edwardes, and even as Constance finds herself falling for this charming man, she also realizes that he may not be who he claims to be. But, if he’s not really Dr. Edwardes, who is he? And what happened to the real Dr. Edwardes?
Spellbound was one of the first Hollywood films to deal with psychoanalysis directly. Producer David O. Selznick was inspired to make the film due to his own successful psychoanalysis treatments. Selznick’s therapist, Dr. May Romm, even served as a technical advisor on the film (to Hitchcock’s occasional annoyance). Although Hitch did not appreciate Dr. Romm butting in during filming, screenwriter Ben Hecht did consult multiple psychiatrists while writing the film’s script.
Spellbound, also, includes a memorable dream sequence conceived and designed by famous artist Salvador Dali. Hitchcock respected Dali immensely and worked closely with him to create the surrealist sequence. Although Hitch was involved in its design and conception, the dream sequence actually ended up being filmed by director William Cameron Menzies.
3. GASLIGHT (1944)
A remake of the 1940 British film of the same name, this American adaptation directed by George Cukor has nevertheless become the more well-known of the two. It’s, also, the film that won Ingrid Bergman her first Oscar for Best Actress. Both versions of Gaslight are adaptations of the 1938 play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton. Although the play first premiered on London’s West End under the title Gas Light, its 1941 run on Broadway (under the new title Angel Street) proved to be significantly more successful, running for 1,295 performances.
Set in the late 1800s, the film version stars Ingrid opposite Charles Boyer as Paula and Gregory Anton. After a whirlwind courtship in Italy, the newlyweds are planning to move into Paula’s old childhood home in London. The house used to belong to Paula’s late aunt but, was passed on to Paula after her aunt’s brutal murder years earlier. Haunted by the tragedy, Paula has so far avoided returning to the house but, Gregory has encouraged her to return so she can put her traumatic memories behind her. Not long after they move in, Paula starts to notice strange things about the house: lights dimming for no reason, unusual noises, and pictures disappearing from the walls. Paula starts to feel like she might be going crazy but, is she? Or is she just being manipulated into believing that she is?
For those that haven’t already guessed, this psychological thriller has continued to live on in the collective memory as the source of the popular psychological term “gaslighting”, which was originally coined as a reference to this gothic film. Ingrid was initially hesitant to take the role of Paula, considering it one of the greatest acting challenges of her career. To help her prepare, Cukor suggested Ingrid visit a mental hospital to study patients that were suffering from nervous breakdowns. Ingrid ended up picking up some nervous habits from one patient in particular that she later incorporated into her performance as Paula. Gaslight is, also, notable for featuring the screen debut of a 17-year-old Angela Lansbury as a particularly saucy maid. Since Lansbury was playing an older character, a scene that featured her character smoking, actually, had to be postponed until after Lansbury’s 18th birthday (at which point she became legally able to smoke).
2. NOTORIOUS (1946)
Known as the first mature love story of Alfred Hitchcock's career, Notorious represents the director’s take on the espionage genre. It stars Ingrid Bergman as Alicia Huberman, the American-raised playgirl daughter of a convicted Nazi spy. After her father’s conviction, Alicia is approached by government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to become a spy herself. The U.S. government already has evidence that she holds no Nazi sympathies but, she might be able to leverage her father’s Nazi reputation to infiltrate the inner circle of a group of Nazi spies living in Brazil. Alicia reluctantly agrees, but her espionage work gets complicated when a romance begins to bloom between her and Devlin right at the same time she is tasked with seducing Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), an old Nazi acquaintance of her father’s.
Often listed as one of Hitchcock’s greatest films, Notorious marked Ingrid’s 2nd time working with the famous director after Spellbound and she was, actually, Hitch’s first and only choice for the role of Alicia. Ingrid got along quite well with Hitchcock and he was noticeably more open to her input on scenes than he tended to be with most actors. Granted, it was no secret that Hitchcock had a bit of a crush on Ingrid Bergman, but the fact that it was unrequited never seemed to negatively impact their rapport.
Despite her pleasant relationship with Hitch, Ingrid was very nervous when filming first began and was extremely grateful for the helpful kindness of her co-star, Cary Grant, leading to a lifelong friendship between the two stars. After filming finished, Grant took home a prop key that is prominently featured in the film and, years later, gifted it to Ingrid for good luck. Decades later, Ingrid would eventually pass the key on to Alfred Hitchcock, himself, when she hosted his AFI Lifetime Achievement ceremony in 1979.
1. CASABLANCA (1942)
For an Ingrid Bergman Top 10, there is really only one choice for the number one spot. This legendary romantic drama is still considered by many to be one of the greatest movies ever made and is, unquestionably, Ingrid Bergman’s most iconic role.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca stars Ingrid opposite Humphrey Bogart and Paul Henreid. Set before America’s entry into World War II, the film stars Bogart as American expatriate Rick Blaine, who runs a nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco. Rick’s clientele includes both Nazis and various WWII refugees attempting to flee to the United States. The cynical Rick intends to remain neutral politically but, that becomes much harder when his old flame, Ilsa (Ingrid), appears in Casablanca alongside her husband, Victor Laszlo (Henreid). Laszlo is a well-known Czechoslovakian Resistance leader who has just managed to escape a Nazi concentration camp. So, he needs all the help he can get to make it out of Casablanca and continue his fight against the Germans. But, Rick is still bitter about the way his relationship with Ilsa ended and he may not be ready to break his personal vow of neutrality.
Based on an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett & Joan Alison called Everybody Comes to Rick’s, Casablanca ended up winning Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. A masterful blend of comedy, drama, suspense and romance, Casablanca was a career-defining film for both Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Even the film’s theme song “As Time Goes By” has become the unofficial theme song for Warner Bros. Studios, itself. An instrumental version has acted as the WB logo fanfare in various TV & film productions since 1999. However, the song was not even originally written for the film. It was a holdover from the original play script: a little known song from an obscure 1930s stage musical called Everybody’s Welcome. The film’s composer, Max Steiner, actually wanted to replace it with something original but, since the film had already been shot and Ingrid had already cut her hair for her next role, reshoots were off the table. So, he decided to lean into it and work the song into his score, cementing it as one of the greatest love themes in film history.
HONORABLE MENTION: STROMBOLI (1950)
While it may be questionable whether or not Stromboli should really be considered an English-language or Italian-language film (since Ingrid originally filmed her scenes in English, while her co-stars were all originally filmed in Italian), I simply couldn't finish an Ingrid Bergman Top 10 without mentioning it. This Italian/American co-production is the film that forever changed Ingrid Bergman’s life and career. Marking Ingrid’s first collaboration with her future husband, Roberto Rossellini, Stromboli is a classic of the Italian neorealism movement.
It tells the story of Karin (Ingrid), a Lithuanian girl displaced in Italy who has been confined to a refugee camp. While staying at the camp, she manages to connect with a former POW named Antonio, who charms her with tales of his home in Stromboli, a volcanic island off the coast of Italy. Soon Antonio and Karin are married, which finally secures Karin’s release from the internment camp. Antonio takes his bride back to his hometown, but Stromboli is nothing like Karin imagined and the locals all treat her like an unwanted outsider. And it doesn’t take long before these influences begin to take their toll on the newlyweds’ marriage.
Made in a realistic documentary visual style, most of the characters in Stromboli were played by local villagers rather than professional actors, a tactic that was quite common in Italian neorealism. There wasn’t even an official script for the film; Rossellini instead relied on just a handful of notes. Of course, Ingrid and Rossellini quite famously began a scandalous affair during production of the film, resulting in the birth of their son, Robertino Rossellini, a few weeks before the film was to be released. The backlash against the affair was massive, motivated in part by the public’s shock given Ingrid’s largely virtuous onscreen image. Women’s groups, churches, and even senators criticized Ingrid publicly and called for the film to be banned. The scandal even found its way to Ingrid’s native Sweden where she was treated excessively harshly by the Swedish press. Unsurprisingly, Stromboli was a box office bomb in the States. However, the film did much better in some European countries where Ingrid’s affair with Rossellini was considered much less controversial.
(Fair Warning: this film does include some footage of real animal violence, including traditional tuna fishing with a grappling hook and a ferret killing a rabbit).
To see this list on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/z8b7a
Which Ingrid Bergman Movie Is Your Favorite?
0%Casablanca
0%The Visit
0%Notorious
0%Stromboli
Comments