Polly Bergen
ActingAbout Polly Bergen
Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in The Helen Morgan Story. For her stage work, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carlotta Campion in Follies in 2001. Her film work included Cape Fear (1962) and The Caretakers (1963), for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She hosted her own weekly variety show for one season (The Polly Bergen Show), was a regular panelist on the TV game show To Tell The Truth and later in life had recurring roles in The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. She wrote three books on beauty, fashion and charm. She is also the inspiration behind Mother Goose in The Land of Stories. Description above from the Wikipedia article Polly Bergen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Polly Bergen Movies & Career Overview
The filmography of Polly Bergen reflects a career marked by diverse experimentation. Across 50 major appearances, the actor has built a reputation through performances in multiple genres and storytelling styles.
Dominant Genre
A large portion of Polly Bergen's work falls within the Drama genre, where audiences tend to respond most strongly to their on-screen presence.
Success Ratio
Approximately 34% of Polly Bergen's films maintain ratings above 6.5, indicating a consistent level of audience approval.
One of the most highly rated entries in their career remains My Brother's Wife, which stands out as a key performance.
Best Polly Bergen Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from Polly Bergen's career based on audience ratings.
Full Filmography
Every movie Polly Bergen has appeared in, with audience ratings and verdicts.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast | Self - Actress | Flop | Similar → |
| 2013 | Struck by Lightning | Grandma | Average | Similar → |
| 2006 | Candles on Bay Street | Rosemary | Average | Similar → |
| 2006 | A Very Serious Person | Mrs. A | Average | Similar → |
| 1998 | Doris Day: It's Magic | Self | Flop | Similar → |
| 1996 | For Hope | Molly Altman | Average | Similar → |
| 1996 | In the Blink of an Eye | Murial | Average | Similar → |
| 1996 | Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored | Miss Maybry | Flop | Similar → |
| 1995 | The Surrogate | Sandy Gilman | Average | Similar → |
| 1995 | Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde | - | Flop | Similar → |
| 1994 | Leave of Absence | Janet | Flop | Similar → |
| 1993 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal | Barbara Fox | Hit | Similar → |
| 1991 | The Lightning Incident | Carol | Average | Similar → |
| 1991 | Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star | Self | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1990 | Cry-Baby | Mrs. Vernon-Williams | Hit | Similar → |
| 1989 | My Brother's Wife | Myra Gilbert | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1989 | The Haunting of Sarah Hardy | Emily Thetford | Flop | Similar → |
| 1989 | Mother, Mother | Barbara Cutler | Average | Similar → |
| 1988 | She Was Marked for Murder | Laura Lee Webster | Average | Similar → |
| 1988 | Addicted to His Love | Vivien Langford | Hit | Similar → |
| 1987 | Making Mr. Right | Estelle Stone | Flop | Similar → |
| 1984 | Velvet | Mrs. Vance | Hit | Similar → |
| 1982 | Born Beautiful | Marion Carmody | Hit | Similar → |
| 1981 | The Million Dollar Face | Jo Burns | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1978 | Li'l Abner in the Dogpatch Today | Phyllis Shoefly | Flop | Similar → |
| 1978 | How to Pick Up Girls! | Dana Greenberg | Flop | Similar → |
| 1977 | Telethon | Dorothy Goodwin | Average | Similar → |
| 1976 | Bob Hope's World of Comedy | Self (archive footage) | Flop | Similar → |
| 1975 | Murder on Flight 502 | Mona Briarly | Average | Similar → |
| 1974 | Death Cruise | Sylvia Carter | Average | Similar → |
| 1973 | An Echo of Theresa | Suzy Hunter | Hit | Similar → |
| 1967 | A Guide for the Married Man | Technical Adviser (Clara Brown) | Average | Similar → |
| 1964 | Kisses for My President | Leslie McCloud | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1963 | Move Over, Darling | Bianca Steele | Hit | Similar → |
| 1963 | The Caretakers | Lorna Melford | Average | Similar → |
| 1962 | Belle Sommers | Belle Sommers | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1962 | Cape Fear | Peggy Bowden | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1958 | The All-Star Christmas Show | Self | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | The Helen Morgan Story | Helen Morgan | Flop | Similar → |
| 1953 | Escape from Fort Bravo | Alice Owens | Average | Similar → |
| 1953 | Arena | Ruth Danvers | Flop | Similar → |
| 1953 | Fast Company | Carol Maldon | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1953 | Cry of the Hunted | Janet Tunner | Average | Similar → |
| 1951 | Warpath | Molly Quade | Average | Similar → |
| 1951 | The Stooge | Mary Turner | Hit | Similar → |
| 1951 | That's My Boy | Betty 'Babs' Hunter | Average | Similar → |
| 1950 | At War with the Army | Helen Palmer | Flop | Similar → |
| 1950 | The Men | Nightclub Singer (Uncredited) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1949 | Across The Rio Grande | Polly Burgin | Flop | Similar → |
| 1949 | Champion | Radio and Jukebox Singer (voice) (uncredited) | Hit | Similar → |
Polly Bergen - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of Polly Bergen?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Polly Bergen is "My Brother's Wife" with a rating of 10.0/10.
How many movies has Polly Bergen acted in?
Polly Bergen has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by Polly Bergen?
Other notable films include "Belle Sommers", "The Million Dollar Face", and "Kisses for My President".