Inger on Displine

In February 1969, Inger talked to columnist Dorothy Manners about discipline.

I wish the young people of today would not so completely resist discipline. As a generation, they hate authority and confuse it with discipline. As a person who has been very unhappy at times, I can tell them that no true happiness is possible without some measure of self-discipline. 

Of course, you can overdo this self-discipline thing. I used to live by clocks. If I were five minutes late to the set or to an appointment, I actually became physically ill. 

And I had other little ways of tormenting myself. I love to read. But I would not settle down to a favorite book or magazine until I had completely cleaned my house, made the bed, washed the dishes. It was as though I couldn't enjoy myself until I had punished myself a little. One day, out of the blue, I said, ‘To hell with this.’ The house was a mess, the bed unmade, the dishes unwashed and cigarette trays unemptied—and I sat down and read and read. And never enjoyed myself more! 

Sometimes we don’t realize the good of it until much later. For instance, when I was a very young girl in Sweden I had a wild crush on a boy down the block. I was so smitten with him that I’d stand outside his window and listen while he took piano lessons. His mother mistook my interest. She told my mother that I was crazy about music and that I, too, should be given piano lessons. 

So my mother rented a piano and for hours and hours, terrible hours, I’d have to practice every day. I hated and loathed it. My point is—I did learn to play the piano which has brought me a great deal of happiness. At the time, it just seemed it was keeping me away from my true love, that kid of 15.

Inger in Family Weekly (1970)

Inger's final cover story was published by Family Weekly, an insert that appeared in Sunday newspapers across the United States, on March 8, 1970.

 

 

 

 

Inger's Thoughts on Broken Homes, Personal Appearance, and Speaking Voices

The following are quotes from Inger to columnist Lydia Lane in February 1961:

Broken homes leave scars that take time to heal. And I speak from experience. But if you don't indulge in that destructive emotion, self-pity, you come out of your problems toughened and prepared to handle what faces you in life more constructively. When you are able to find peace within yourself, it reflects in everything about you.

No matter how many obligations you may have, you must find time to take care of your appearance. It goes much deeper than vanity, and it is as important for the nonprofessional as for an actress. I personally don't have a sense of completion if I am not well turned out. If my hairstyle is unbecoming or if I'm wearing a dress I'm not comfortable in, it affects how I feel toward myself and how others feel and act toward me.

I find it very disturbing to be around someone with a strident voice—one without modulation. So many people talk much too loudly. They shout when they are right next to you. And unfortunately children are mimics and carry on this bad habit. When I was in school, I was voted the girl you most wanted to listen to. We really don't know how we sound to others, but it is so simple to have a tape recording made to listen to yourself objectively. Having someone listen to you never has the same impact as finding out your faults for yourself. Then you know exactly what you want to correct. 

The Danny Kaye Show (1966)

 

Inger performs on The Danny Kaye Show

Inger was a guest on The Danny Kaye Show on February 23, 1966. She appeared with other guests, including Harvey Korman, Woody Herman and The Herd, and The Clinger Sister and Brother Aaron. 

In the episode, Inger sang "The Lass from the Low Country" and did a song-and-dance routine with Danny to "Let Me Entertain You".  In a separate skit, Inger played an American teacher who visits Giovanni the tailor, an older Italian widower (Kaye). Giovanni and his pal Carlos (Harvey Korman) convince themselves that the young teacher is aiming for a date with the older tailor. 

Jazz great Woody Herman teamed up with The Herd for performances of "After You've Gone" and "Caldonia". The Clinger Sisters and Brother Aaron, a family group featuring youth, sang "Do-Re-Me" and "Old MacDonald". Also, Danny portrayed President George Washington to honor Washington's birthday.

A year before the episode, in 1965, Inger was seated next to Danny at an event at the Cocoanut Grove.

 

The episode is not commercially available at this time. I do have audio recordings of Inger's songs which I will share with you as soon as possible.

 

Source:

"Inger Stevens, Herman Herd Join Kaye." The South Bend Tribune. February 19, 1966. 

Inger, A Dream of Kings, and the Hairstylist

 

Inger in a hair and makeup test for A Dream of Kings

Hairdresser Ginger "Sugar" Blymyer was responsible for the hairstyles of the cast in the 1969 drama A Dream of Kings. In her book, Sugar revealed the atmosphere on the set and what it was like working with Inger, who had been romantically linked with Sugar's husband Pat before Sugar became involved with him. When Sugar told her husband she would be working with Inger, he "was embarrassed. It was sweet. I wasn't jealous. After all I hadn't known Pat when he had slept with her. It was before my time. I thought his response was very funny, but I decided I probably shouldn't tease him anymore and I was sure he regretted sharing his experience."

Sugar recalled that most of the filming was cold, often outdoors on the streets of Chicago and downtown Los Angeles. Sugar also got to know the cast very well. She spoke of Anthony Quinn and Inger Stevens, "Anthony Quinn was a big powerful man, full of energy and could be scary at times. I could imagine he might have a quick temper if he wasn't pleased and I certainly wanted to avoid his anger, if possible. Irene Papas, the Greek actress, was lovely. Inger Stevens was perfect. She was warm, sexy, and easily communicated her feelings. We became friends immediately."

Sugar found Anthony to be "impatient and intimidating" while she worked on his hair. (She used an eyebrow pencil to fill in areas of his head that were balding.) Sugar knew that Anthony and Inger had engaged in an affair during the filming of The Buccaneer (1958) which, like most of her romantic entanglements, resulted in heartbreak for Inger. Sugar noted that ten years after her affair with Tony, Inger was a "nice woman and this was a difficult period for her...it was a real challenge for her to work with Tony in a film that was so similar to her own past experience...it was cathartic for Inger. She had described Tony as a steamroller, but now she felt able to deal with him."

When the shoot ended, Sugar "was sorry to finish working with Inger. I had grown to love her. She was so cute, never mentioning that she knew Pat before or that anything had happened between them. At the end of the film, she gave me a lovely gift and said to give her love to Pat any way that I wanted to. He liked that."

Sugar had a difficult time accepting Inger's death a year later because Inger "seemed so sane and wonderful, like she had done the necessary work to live a full life." 

I purchased Sugar's book mainly because of her seventeen year association with actress Natalie Wood and was very pleasantly surprised to discover a chapter on A Dream of Kings and such insight on Inger during the making of what would become her last theatrical release. 

If you'd like to read more about A Dream of Kings, please check out a post I wrote a while back on the film. It includes interesting quotes, photographs, and details from Inger as well as a film summary. The post can be accessed here: A Dream of Kings.

Source:

 Blymyer, Ginger Sugar. Hairdresser to the Stars. Infinity Publishing. 2002.

Inger's Debut on Broadway (1956)

After gaining experience performing in summer stock and television, Inger made her Broadway debut in a play fittingly titled Debut at the Holiday Theatre in late February 1956. Sadly, the play proved to be a flop but Inger had a sense of humor about it. She told Louella Parsons, “I was on Broadway for six months without actually being there. I opened in a play at the Holiday Theatre called Debut. It lasted four days and was a dismal failure. The theatre closed, but my name remained in lights on the marquee until the theatre reopened six months later.”

Directed by John Gerstad and written by Mary Drayon, the play's stars were Tom Helmore (who was also married to Ms. Drayton) and Inger. The cast and crew had traveled to Boston early on in the month for try-outs at the Wilbur Theatre and one critic asserted that Inger was “a born actress and she shines all over the stage.”. In the play, a Southern belle falls for a newspaperman who doesn’t match her family’s social standards. 

Leading up to the play’s Broadway opening, Inger was the star of a multi-page spread in This Week magazine. She posed with animals in the Central Park Zoo and shared acting techniques she’d learned from Strasberg during her classes at the Actor’s Studio. 

Walter Winchell assured readers that Inger was far from fault for Debut’s failure, stating, “Locals still gab about the fine performance of newcomer Inger Stevens…most critics raved about her.” Though Winchell was a good guy to have in your corner, it is certain that his positive take was not enough to strengthen Inger against the negative reviews of her performance. 

Brooks Atkinson called Inger’s acting “a problem” and her performance “high-strung, aggressive…shallow, frantic.” This complaint of franticness was echoed in Hal Eaton’s assertion that Inger “bounces around like a rubber ball”, Viola Jenning’s reflection that Inger was imitating a “human being shot from a cannon.” Inger’s harshest critic was Isabel Dunn, author of the book Maria and the Captain on which the play was based, who summed Inger up as “absolutely incompetent.” 

Several critics saw promise in the Broadway newcomer, however. John McClain called Inger “extremely lisson” and wondered what she might be able to accomplish with a more realistic role. Noel Mostart was grateful that Debut “brought forward one of the prettiest girls since…well, since Marilyn Monroe gave her press conference a week or two back. The girl is Inger Stevens. She was the only reason I kept my seat until the end.” 

One reason Debut was not a success was due to uncomplimentary comparisons to the recent stage success The Ponder Heart. The Ponder Heart was praised for its imagination and humanness while Debut was deemed humorless and unoriginal. It seems that the main cause of the play’s downfall was its failure to seem authentic in its Southern setting. Critics slammed the exaggerated accents of the performers and found the play dull and completely unconvincing.

Although Debut did not propel Inger to Broadway stardom, it did provide her with invaluable experience which she applied to future theatrical performances. Though disappointed in the failure of Debut, Inger was resilient and continued to move forward with her acting career. By the end of the year, Inger would be living in Los Angeles, signed to a film contract, and preparing for her first major motion picture Man on Fire. 

Empire: Duet for Eight Wheels (1963)

 

Empire was a western series that aired on NBC from 1962 to 1963 then was retailored as Redigo for the 1963 to 1964 season. The show revolved around ranchmen in New Mexico and starred Richard Egan, Charles Bronson, Ryan O'Neal, and Warren Vanders.

Inger Stevens made a guest appearance on the Duet for Eight Wheels episode that aired on April 30, 1963. (Full episode is available on Youtube. This post contains spoilers.) In the episode, Redigo (Egan), Garret (O'Neal), Moreno (Bronson), and Chuck (Vanders) are capturing wild mustangs. Jim Redigo becomes paralyzed after being trampled by one of the horses. 

Redigo's pride makes him struggle to accept his new condition. While Garret is with Redigo in the hospital, Moreno and Chuck are watching the elusive stallion. Moreno says, "Well, there's one sure thing about kings. Titled or untitled, they've got a lot of pride. And, man, that pride...it can be a throne or a trap depending how you use it."

The doctor recommends that Redigo have another wheelchair user with the same condition to advise him on daily functions.Redigo rejects help and is angry when the fellows try to help make his home more accessible. He's even angrier when he realizes his therapy coach is a paraplegic woman named Ellen Thompson (Inger Stevens).

Redigo: This is a ranch. It takes men to run it and it takes men to run the men who run it. A ranch is a contest with nature and nature is built on strength. Your Dr. Karr can't expect men to listen to a man who has to listen to a woman.

After Ellen explains that he's more likely to listen to a woman than a man in his situation, Redigo questions her.

Redigo: Is it always this sort of a contest?

Ellen: Contest? Contest with this. It's always a contest with this [wheelchair]. At first, it's like being born with a number of left hands. Everything seems numb and pointless. And then you adapt. That's the great part of being human. When you run up against something, you find a way around it and this is ours.

Redigo: Yours.

Ellen: Ours.

Redigo submits to the therapy. Ellen shows him how to do indoor tasks, drive, and swim. Redigo learns how much strength it takes to do the smallest of tasks on his own. He's frustrated, but determined.

 

Redigo insists that the stallion be shot, but his men refuse. 

[The following exchange can also be viewed in a clip on the Inger Blog Youtube channel.]

Ellen: Please don't do it.

Redigo: Has Moreno been talking to you about this?

Ellen: Yes, but only because he...

Redigo: Helping to run the ranch is one thing you don't have to worry about. 

Ellen: Only because he was concerned about you.

Redigo: And he's confused about his duties, too. I already have a nurse maid.

Ellen: Why do you want to shoot the stallion? For revenge?

Redigo: No! For something like that...wild and free...in a trap?

Ellen: Oh, you didn't think that way about the trap...

Redigo: But nobody's gonna keep me in this for the rest of my life.

Ellen: Do you think his life will be worthless that way?

Redigo: Worse! When an animal is suffering or injured, then we do away with it out of kindness. For that horse captivity would be torture.

Ellen: That's rather God-like, isn't it? To make the decision about the worth of a life other than your own? You think it would be true for that wild, free thing. You think it would be true for yourself, but you believe you will escape. Well, I've been in this thing six years, Mr. Redigo. Is that what you think of my life? Worse than worthless?

She attempts to throw herself from the wheelchair but he catches her, pulls her close, and they kiss.

The pair falls in love. After seven weeks, Redigo is approved for an experimental surgery but will not undergo the operation unless Ellen does, too. He doesn't realize that Ellen's chances of surviving the operation are slim. 

Knowing he must undergo the surgery and hoping that taking the risk will be a success for her as well, Ellen agrees to the procedure without revealing the danger. As is frequently the case for Inger's television characters, Ellen suffers a tragic fate.

Press photo for the show

The Voice of the Turtle (1962)

The Voice of the Turtle is a comedic play written by John William Van Druten set in New York City during World War II. In the play, aspiring actress Sally Middleton is new to the city, quickly dumped by a married Broadway producer, and feeling conflicted about her own sexual morality. When he is stood up by Sally's friend Olive, army sergeant Bill Page (left bitter by a past relationship) ends up spending time with Sally over the weekend. By the end of the play, Bill and Sally must face their growing attraction to each other.

The play first debuted on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre in December 1943. The first cast included Margaret Sullavan (Sally), Elliott Nugent (Bill), and Audrey Christie (Olive). In 1947, Ronald Reagan, Eleanor Parker, and Eve Arden starred in the film adaptation.

In June 1962, Inger Stevens took on the role of Sally in a production of the play at O'Hare Inn Theater in Chicago. Anthony George performed as Bill and Toni Gilman played Olive. The show opened on June 21st and closed on July 3rd.

Chicago Tribune reviewer Thomas Willis found "something lacking" in the play. He wrote:

Sally is determined to smother a stiff-necked past, though here it is Joplin, MO., which is the culprit. Her aim is to act, her fear is that letting nature take its course again will hurt. Miss Stevens, in every way qualified for the role, takes her about half way. The tension, the nail-biting anxiety, and the sweetness born of part bewilderment are all there, but not yet the gaiety which makes sense of mutability, and which the playwright made so much of, nor the underlying charm.

She is not helped much by Mr. George. His Sgt.—now oddly promoted to Lt.—Page is a very sincere young man, perfectly willing to let things take whatever course they will until the very last moment. The predatory masculinity, only for the moment under the skin, which keeps the duel of the sexes always in mind, is missing altogether. The results--a few moments of tension, several of tenderness, but little of the parry and riposte which is the stuff of the play.

Nor is she helped by Toni Gilman's Olive, blunt vulgarian instead of the case hardened veteran of cocktail parties whose prime weapon is veneer.

The summer of 1962 was a busy one for Inger. She'd been a guest on multiple Tonight Shows with Mort Sahl hosting (listen to a clip on the Inger Youtube channel) and it was highly believed she would join Johnny Carson as a regular guest when he took over that fall. Instead, The Farmer's Daughter received financial backing and Inger focused on preparing to take on the starring role in a sitcom for the following year.

Inger and Mort grew close while working together on The Tonight Show and he visited her several times while she was in Chicago for The Voice of the Turtle. Gossip columnist Herb Lyon reported that Inger had turned "totally turtle over Mort Sahl" and that they were keeping the telephone lines hot. Mort visited Inger during rehearsals, but did not attend the opening night. Mort flew in to visit Inger and dined with her at Singapore restaurant the weekend before the show closed.

While in Chicago, Inger stayed at the Ambassador East hotel and enjoyed many after-show dinners at La Bistro with costar Anthony George, with whom she'd worked on the Checkmate television series in 1960.

The Voice of the Turtle would be Inger's ninth and final performance in a professional play, but she was always open to returning to the live stage. In late 1969, Inger expressed hope that she would one day be cast in a Broadway musical.  

 

Sources:

Denton, Charles. "Television Tidbits." The Blade. July 22, 1962.

Lyon, Herb. "Tower Ticker." Chicago Tribune. June 18, 1962. 

Lyon, Herb. "Tower Ticker." Chicago Tribune. June 22, 1962.  

Lyon, Herb. "Tower Ticker." Chicago Tribune. June 27, 1962.  

Lyon, Herb. "Tower Ticker." Chicago Tribune. July 3, 1962.   

Willis, Thomas. "Something Lacking in New 'Turtle'." Chicago Tribune. June 23, 1962.  

Inger's Friend Robert Redford

Inger and Robert Redford in The Last of the Big Spenders

Inger Stevens considered Robert Redford (1936-2025) a true friend among the Hollywood crowd she encountered. Like Inger, Bob spent considerable time in New York City in the late 1950s and that's where they first became acquainted. He'd studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts from 1957 to 1959. They both were dedicated to the craft of acting, turned off by Hollywood phoniness, and drawn to the Broadway stage. Additionally, they were both artists, Bob having studied art at Pratt Institute prior to attending the Academy.

Following his graduation in 1959, Bob auditioned with the Actor's Studio but ultimately found it to be "contrived". He signed with MCA talent agency in 1959, the same year that Inger also signed with MCA to represent her in both her theater and film work.

In addition to his Broadway career, Bob performed in many television shows before becoming a major film star. Although not featured in the same episodes, Inger and Robert made the rounds in the same classic shows: Playhouse 90, Moment of Fear, Route 66, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Alcoa Premiere, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. 

Fortunately, in 1963, the two friends were able to costar in the same television production. The Last of the Big Spenders was an episode of The Dick Powell Theatre that starred Dana Andrews, Robert Redford, and Inger Stevens. In the teleplay, Dana Andrews plays Paul Oakland, an ailing writer who receives a visit from his estranged son Nick (Robert Redford). Nick has a difficult time understanding his father or his father's relationship with the younger woman Adele Hughes (Inger Stevens). A reviewer for The Sentinel wrote, "If you're in the mood for a literate play with interesting characters and absorbing dialogue, this one easily fills the bill. It's almost all talk, but in the capable hands of Dana Andrews, Robert Redford, Inger Stevens, and Herschel Bernardi, it has the quality of a live TV play." 

Here is a clip from the show that I've shared on the Inger Stevens Blog Youtube channel: 

Inger, Robert, and Dana in a LOTBS scene

You can watch the full episode (colorized) through an external Youtube channel:

Colorized LOTBS 

Several years later, Robert Redford was headed for film stardom and shooting interior scenes for Barefoot in the Park. Inger thought it would be funny to surprise him with a gag gift so she imprinted her footprints in a large cement square and decorated the square with palm trees. Inger's secretary Chris delivered the gift to Robert, who cracked up at the sight of it and Inger's ability to poke fun of revered Hollywood traditions.

Chris told biographer William Patterson that Inger was very impressed with Bob's faithfulness to his wife and that, on one occasion, Bob had driven Inger all the way to Palm Springs for dinner, but didn't make a pass. The two had a nice dinner, enjoyed good conversation, then he drove her home. Inger confided in Chris that she and Redford had never been lovers and that she looked up to him as if he were a trusted brother.

Sources:

Callan, M. F. Robert Redford: The Biography. 2014.

"The Last of the Big Spenders." The Sentinel. April 16, 1963. 

Patterson, William. Farmer's Daughter Remembered. 2000.

One Girl Unafraid in Filmland—Now

Inger in a publicity portrait for The New Interns

As Inger simultaneously filmed the television series The Farmer's Daughter and the film The New Interns, the film's producer remarked, "She's not only the first one on the set—she's the most professional."

Inger reflected on the change in her approach to Hollywood and how it had changed since she first entered the business in the 1950s. She said, "Hollywood doesn't frighten me anymore. I better understand the people and the business, and I no longer take either very seriously."

Although she once lamented being typecast as fragile women in television, Inger embraced the role of Nancy, a traumatized social worker in The New Interns, stating, "I guess I was signed for this because I've acquired a reputation for playing troubled characters. If I played them with any degree of conviction, it's due to the fact that I've had a problem or two during my own lifetime."

Sources:

Archerd, Armand. "One Girl Unafraid in Filmland—Now." Evening Herald. January 18, 1964.

Birthdays for Inger

 

Inger on her 30th birthday in 1964.

A Timeline of Inger's Birthdays

1934: Inger is born on Thursday, October 18th in Stockholm, Sweden.

Inger's entry in the Swedish Birth Index

1953: Inger takes a quick trip back to Manhattan, Kansas, to visit friends on her 19th birthday before returning to New York City

1955: Inger films an episode of Crunch and Des entitled "Salt Water Daffy" in Bermuda. One week shy of her 21st birthday, she writes to a friend about her struggle to find age-appropriate parts:

When I am in the office I must be very mature and businesslike. Here I am twenty, and going to be twenty-one next week, but I have to behave like I'm twenty-eight...then I must dash home and transform myself into a sixteen-year-old (which is getting more complicated everyday) for a theatrical reading. Glamourous one minute and sans makeup, a youngster the next...I wish I could read for a part that suits me. I am not a teenager and I feel terribly uncomfortable when I have to read for teenage parts. For some reason I am not of the young leading type either. I'm what you might call in-between and it's a God-awful fix to be in.

1956: Two weeks before her 22nd birthday, Inger signs a one year contract with Paramount Pictures.

1957: Gossip columnists report that Inger receives a gift certificate for her 23rd birthday from Bing Crosby. Inger sends the certificate as a wedding gift after he eloped with Kathy Grant just six days after Inger's birthday.

1958: Two days after her 24th birthday, Inger is in New York City shooting exterior scenes on The World, The Flesh, and The Devil.

1960: Four days before her 26th birthday, Inger's episode "Pearl Flower" of Hong Kong airs on television.

1961: Inger travels to Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania to appear in the Route 66 episode Burning for Burning. Ike Jones, whom she would soon marry, sends her a telegram to mark her 27th birthday.

With friend George Maharis on the set of Route 66

1963: Inger turns 29 while shooting The New Interns in October.

1964: 30-year-old Inger is celebrated with cake on the set of The Farmer's Daughter. (Photo at top of post.)

1966: A Guide for the Married Man begins shooting six days before Inger's 32nd birthday. Five days after her birthday, Inger appears on The Andy Williams Show.

1967: Inger spends her 33rd birthday in Rome while filming House of Cards.

Inger in Rome in 1967

Sources:

Miller, John J. "Confidential Memo." San Francisco Chronicle. November 24, 1957.

Patterson, William. Farmer's Daughter Remembered. 2000.

Frisbee-Friendly Inger

The Southwest Regional and United States Western Sectional Frisbee Championships were held at the Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks, California, on Saturday, October 4, 1969. The regional competition took place in the morning and then that competition's winner faced five other competitors in the afternoon. Throughout the demonstration, the boys showed off their curves, skip flights, behind-the-back catches, and distance tosses. 

This is an Inger Stevens site and not a frisbee enthusiast blog, you say?  Well, you'll never guess who served as the guest of honor for the competition and awarded the trophy to the winner at the celebration banquet that followed. 

 

Inger even gave frisbee throwing a shot herself! A trio of lucky fellows received trophies from Inger since there was a three-way tie for first place. 

As a gregarious person full of gratitude for her fans, Inger made personal appearances at many community events. You might enjoy reading about some other events at which Inger appeared that have been featured on this blog.

Blue Ribbon 400 - 1969 

Bonanza Celebration in Reno - 1959 

Lions Bowl - 1964 

Fort Worth Publicity Tour - 1963 

Desert Circus Queen - 1967 

Guide for the Married Man Cruise - 1967 

 

Inger Stevens, Student Nurse

In preparation for her role in the Playhouse 90 production "Diary of a Nurse", Inger worked as a student nurse in a local hospital. This was not a requirement, but something Inger felt would make her portrayal more convincing. Inger said, "They wanted to hire a technical advisor to teach me enough to get by, but I needed the emotional impact that a nurse goes through every day to be convincing on the screen."

While on the job, Inger answered bells for assistance which led to her changing beds, delivering dressing trays, feeding patients, and giving baths. She spoke with the nurses and they gave her insight into how the job made them feel during their daily rounds. Inger reflected on the experience:

I had to bathe a 10-year-old girl who was due to undergo a heart operation the next day. It was heartbreaking. She didn't know what was happening. The first thing I thought about the next morning was how she was pulling through. Fortunately, she is recovering beautifully. Right now I feel very much like a nurse. I'm still thinking about my patients and their lives. 

 

In the teleplay, Inger's character is a student nurse named Gail Lucas who becomes so emotionally involved in the lives of her patients that, as one reviewer said, "life for her becomes sadder with each new admission." Inger remarked on those attachments:

The transition from actress to student nurse seemed natural and normal. I didn't have time to be frightened. As I went my rounds, I heard the problems of each patient, and I learned you can't get too involved emotionally with them. Otherwise, all nurses would break down. 

Certainly, Inger was all too familiar with the routines and relationships discoverable within a hospital by the spring of 1959. She'd spent 16 days as a patient at Columbus Hospital in New York City in January of that year. Inger had survived a suicide attempt, but faced several medical setbacks that required the lengthy stay. Although a Paramount Pictures spokesman predicted that she would vacation in a warm climate to recover, Inger had no plans to take a break. In reality, surviving the attempt seemed to recharge Inger and spur her on to an even busier acting schedule and gave her the independence and confidence to break away from the studio, be more vocal about her desires, and embody the frail yet indestructible characters she so often played with a more knowing approach.

"Diary of a Nurse" would be Inger's first job following her recovery and her hands-on preparation as a student nurse indicates just how dedicated she was to the task. Inger enjoyed the experience, saying:

No, I don't want to become a nurse now. But I realize how badly they're needed. And I do plan to do some volunteer nursing work in the future. It was very pleasant being called 'nurse.' I was proud of it.

True to her word, Inger would go on to volunteer at Kedren Community Health Center and work with children with disabilities in hospitals for the rest of her life. But she also proved herself as a dependable, quality actress by performing in poignant episodes of Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, and 19 other shows between her role in "Diary of a Nurse" in 1959 and starring in her own sitcom The Farmer's Daughter in 1963.

The production ran 1 hour and 30 minutes and was deemed a "well-knit show" with great performances by Inger, Mary Astor, Victor Jury, Mildred Dunnock, and Suzanne Pleshette. It aired on CBS on May 7, 1959. Unfortunately, the show is not available online or on physical media. Fortunately, a copy of the episode does exist and is preserved in the Paley Archive.

 

 

 

Sources:

"Inger Stevens." Los Angeles Mirror. May 7, 1959. 

"Inger Stevens, Student Nurse." TV Guide. June 1959. 

"Overdosed Actress Leaves Hospital." Guam Daily News. January 22, 1959. 

Scott, Vernon. "Inger Stevens Totes Bedpans." The Duncan Banner. May 7, 1959. 

"Talking TV by Jack Miller." The Hamilton Spectator. May 9, 1959.  

"TV and Radio Program Guide." Toledo Blade. May 7, 1959. 

An Early Modeling Job for Inger Stensland

Following her high school graduation in Manhattan, Kansas, Inger briefly settled in Kansas City before pursuing acting in New York City. Eagerly accepting any modeling opportunities, eighteen-year-old Inger even modeled medical equipment! On April 16, 1953, Inger Stensland was featured in the Kansas City Star. Inger demonstrated an oxygen machine at the Mid-West Hospital Association's convention. Inger would make her television debut in a Vel detergent commercial and reluctantly accept the stage name Inger Stevens just one year later.

Five Card Stud (1968) Now on BluRay!

Vinegar Syndrome released a Blu-ray of the 1968 western Five Card Stud earlier this year. VS restored the film into 4K from its 35 mm camera negative and the results are stunning! The Blu-ray includes a commentary track with film historian Brian Hannan and short features on Henry Hathaway and Marguerite Roberts. The movie has always been an enjoyable western but the enhanced quality of the Blu-ray gave me a new appreciation for the love scenes between Dean Martin and Inger as well as the action scenes featuring Dean and Robert Mitchum.

Inger and the Blue Ribbon 400 in 1969

Inger talks to Mrs. Jonathan Larsen at the Blue Ribbon 400 party.

Inger was a member of the Blue Ribbon 400, a group of socialites and celebrities that supported L.A.'s Performing Arts Council. The Blue Ribbon 400 gathered at Mrs. Ingrid Orbach's home for a garden party on Wednesday, June 11, 1969. And who was Mrs. Ingrid Orbach? None other than Swedish actress Ingrid Goude whom Inger posed with for Life Magazine in 1957.

Ingrid Goude (later Orbach), Inger Stevens, and Mai Britt. 1957.

Director George Cukor, actress Rosalind Russell, and actress/dancer Marge Champion gave speeches during the event. In attendance were Polly Bergen, Natalie Trundy, Hope Lange, Shirlee Fonda, and Inger Stevens, of course. The Blue Ribbon 400 aimed for 400 women to pledge to give or raise $1,000 annually to the Los Angeles Music Center. It was revealed during the gathering that the Blue Ribbon 400 had raised over a million dollars to support the arts in less than a year. 

Ingrid Goude Orbach speaks to a guest at the party.

Inger at the 1959 Academy Awards

Inger onstage at the 1959 ceremony.

In April 1959, three months after a heavily publicized suicide attempt, Inger made her first public appearance at the 31st Annual Academy Awards ceremony. The event took place at the Pantages Theater on April 6th. Inger's film The Buccaneer was nominated for Best Costume Design, but lost to Gigi. In fact, Gigi dominated the awards, winning nine categories: Best Motion Picture, Director, Screenplay from Another Medium, Score, Song, Art Direction, Costume Design, Color Cinematography, and Film Editing.

Inger participated in an opening dance routine along with Lori Nelson, Jean Wallace, Terry Moore, Carolyn Jones, Erin O'Brien, Arlene Dahl, Connie Towers, Joanna Moore, and Barbara Rush. She also wore costume and hair from The Buccaneer in an onstage fashion show of the year's Best Costume Design nominees. You can view a clip of the fashion show on Youtube.

Inger with other actresses for the opening dance number.

A close-up of Inger from the group photo.

Inger had flown from New York City (where her suicide attempt and recuperation took place) to Los Angeles in early March, which signaled to the press that "her health's O.K. again." Hedda Hopper remarked that Inger was "looking like her old self again" and Inger assured Louella Parsons that she was thinking of the future and that her troubles were behind her. Gossip columnists and fan magazine writers speculated on which married man had caused Inger's anguish and led her to suicide. Several years later, a couple of writers would correctly identify the man as Harry Belafonte. Inger redirected the questions about her personal life to focus on her career aspirations, letting everyone know that she'd love to play Holly Golightly in the upcoming film production of Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Inger was kindly welcomed back into Hollywood. Columnist Sheilah Graham wrote, "Inger Stevens was hard to recognize. The last time I saw her, Inger's hair was a drab shade of blond and she was a worried gal. This time she looked gay, very French with her soft, scattered, very blond and becoming hairdo." 

Bob Thomas wrote that Inger's appearance at the ceremony received an "unusually warm reception...like an outstretched hand of sympathy for a girl who has undergone emotional stress." 

After that welcome, Inger returned to television work. Audiences would see her Inger in Playhouse 90 in May, Bonanza in September, and Sunday Showcase in December. But Inger would not be seen in a movie for another five years. Unhappy with loanouts, bad scripts, and a suspension, Inger surprised everyone by buying out her contract with Paramount by the end of the year. After her contract buyout in December 1959 and before landing the lead role in The Farmer's Daughter series in August 1963, hardworking Inger would star in twenty-two television productions and three plays.

Several years later, Inger would reflect on the year of heartbreak, survival, and independence. She said:

I don’t think I’m the least bit jaded. Life goes on for me in a very happy fashion. I’ve just gone and had, of course, mistakes and certain unhappiness, but that’s all part of it. You can’t be expected to always be making the right decisions. That’s what makes you grow up, and I don’t regret anything. I’m the sum total of all those things. But I know I’ve learned a lot – and changed. I’m more realistic about people now. I don’t think I’m living in a dream world. I don’t expect too much.

Sources:

Buffalo-Courier Express. March 17, 1959.

The Evening Star. April 10, 1959.

The Ledger-Star. April 10. 1959.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 5, 1959.

San Francisco Examiner. March 9, 1959.

Solano-Napa News Chronicle. February 13, 1959.