In Inger's Footsteps

Welcome to a virtual tour of notable Inger places. This list is just a small selection as there are more Inger-related adventures and discoveries to come.

8000 Woodrow Wilson Drive, Los Angeles

The Hollywood Hills home that Inger shared with her husband Ike Jones is located at 8000 Woodrow Wilson Drive in Los Angeles. Inger lived at this property from 1963 until her death in 1970. According to Zillow, the 2620 square foot home was built in 1948, includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and sits on almost half an acre. 

Inger was proud of her home, sharing decoration and style tips with the press in 1969. You can read an earlier blog post that includes that article here. It was inside this home that Inger spent her final moments on April 30, 1970.

Below are pictures of the house from my visit in 2021.

The mailbox at 8000 Woodrow Wilson

The home and garage in December 2021.
A major landscaping project was taking place.

The front fence and garage

The garage

Inger inside 8000 Woodrow Wilson in 1969

The house and garage as it looked on the day of Inger's death.
Policemen and newsmen stand outside.

1355 North Laurel Ave, West Hollywood

Built by the Davis Brothers in 1927, the luxury apartment building currently includes 11 separate residences. Inger lived at this location in 1959 as she was filming her memorable appearances in Twilight Zone and Bonanza, among others. Silent film actresses Theda Bara, Mabel Normand, and Pola Negri lived at this address in the 1920s. 

Although I'm not certain when she moved, Inger was living at 1619 3/4 North Martel in Los Angeles by summer 1961.

The Laurel Ave address is listed on Inger's November 1959
passenger record following a trip to Colombia by way of Panama.

Inger lived in an apartment at this location in 1959.

My phone photos above don't do the gorgeous place justice,
so here's a more impressive photo from the Trulia website.

A view of the entrance with front fountain from the Trulia website.

648 Midvale Avenue, Los Angeles

After being signed by Paramount Pictures, Inger lived in a condo at 648 Midvale Avenue in Los Angeles in 1956. Filming on her first motion picture Man on Fire began in December of that year.

View of Inger's Midvale residence in December 2021

A daytime view of the Midvale residence

2937 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica

While he was enjoying a secret honeymoon with Inger in Mexico in late 1961, Ike Jones (born in Santa Monica in 1929) listed his home address as 2937 Virginia Avenue in Santa Monica. Though Inger didn't live in this home, she certainly spent time with Ike there during the early stages of their relationship. 

On his return trip from Mexico City, newlywed Ike Jones notes
the Virginia Ave address on this travel document.

My sad photo of Ike's home is all tree and shadows...

But this photo found online shows Ike's home in the proper light.

Ike Jones, at age 22, in 1952. He would meet Inger 8 years later.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

Who could forget Inger's mini-dress at the Academy Awards? The one that helped get miniskirts banned at the following year's Oscar ceremony? (You can read about it in this earlier post.) The ceremony took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on April 10, 1967.

Unfortunately, the area was unsightly due to construction when I took my photograph, but look how it shines with a happy, stunning Inger in front of it!

The auditorium in 2021

Inger in front of the auditorium in 1967

SMCA entrance now and with radiant Inger then

Inger (in color!) in front of the auditorium

The Holiday Theatre

Inger made her Broadway debut in a play fittingly titled "Debut" in February 1956. The play closed in a matter of days, but Inger had a sense of humor about the flop, telling 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." 

The Holiday Theatre was built in 1918 at 1567 Broadway. It is now the site of Dos Caminos, which you see directly behind the car. Below is a photo I took in 2021.

Site of the former Holiday Theatre where Inger's
name remained up in lights in 1956.

Inger on stage at the Holiday Theatre. Source: NYPL

Cort Theatre

"Roman Candle" premiered at the Cort Theatre on February 3, 1960. Like "Debut" four years earlier, "Roman Candle" closed after only 5 shows in 3 days, on February 6. Although disappointed, Inger joked about the failure, saying "At least I'm consistent!"

I visited the Cort when it was under construction in 2021. Built in 1928, the Cort is located at 138 W. 48th Street. 

An Inger fanatic under the Cort sign

Inger on stage at the Cort, 1960. Source: NYPL

D.C.

In 2022 I traveled to Washington, D.C. after making appointments to view Inger Stevens in Sweden (1965) and Strangers in Hiding (1954) in the Library of Congress archives. Watching two rare Inger appearances in the quiet, cold archives was a dream fulfilled. In fact, I was so wrapped up in the afterglow of seeing Inger footage that I failed to take photos of Katy Holstrum's D.C. once I emerged from the library.

In the archives with Inger

My sole reason for making a trip to D.C.

Inger in D.C. for The Farmer's Daughter

Kraft Theater: Strangers In Hiding (1954)

Inger's star was on the rise as 1954 concluded. Inger had spent the last two years modeling, studying at the Actor's Studio, endlessly auditioning for roles, and working hard at summer stock. On August 9, 1954, after appearing in summer stock productions of "The Women" with Gypsy Rose Lee and "Glad Tidings" with Signe Hasso, Inger was introduced to television audiences in the "Sue Ellen" Studio One production. Three months later, Inger costarred with Paul Newman in a Goodyear Playhouse —the first of five TV gigs in five weeks! Between November 21 and December 29, Inger could be seen on Goodyear Playhouse, Armstrong Circle Theater, Mister Peepers, Danger, and Kraft Theatre. 

Inger was on a sensational streak and audiences took notice. She was noted as "the fast-rising Swedish discovery with the pensive face" by "Strangers in Hiding" critics. The Memphis Press predicted that she was "headed for Hollywood and a movie." Following "Thunder of Silence" with Paul Newman in November, Inger became an instant hit with the United States Navy Hospital Corpsmen. The men wrote her a letter praising her performance and beauty and crowned her "The Queen of Dorm 6." From New York City, Inger Stevens wrote a reply, "I have never been 'Sweetheart' or 'Queen' of anything in my whole life, but now I feel that I can die happy."

Inger's performance in "Thunder of Silence" earned her a notice in the December 6, 1954 issue of Time Magazine. Time defined Inger's beauty as "fragile and hauntingly attractive" and wrote, "her big-eyed  silences were more eloquent than all the speeches of her fellow actors."

Inger sudden success made it impossible to undergo a much-needed tonsillectomy, which would finally occur on February 11, 1955. The press assured that Inger was "taking her time about succumbing to the lure of Hollywood. Wants to make it via Broadway stage route and is perfectly willing to wait for a couple of years to do it, despite high-salary deals that have already been waved under her pretty nose." (Inger did not have to wait long. By the end of 1956, Inger had starred in an unfortunate Broadway flop entitled "Debut" and was in Hollywood filming her first movie role as Bing Crosby's love interest.)

Inger's final television role of 1954 was that of Kriste in Kraft Television Theatre's "Strangers in Hiding". Like so many of Inger's television parts, Kriste is a foreigner searching for the American dream while being misunderstood by the Americans she meets. The show costars Harold Lang, Bradford Dillman, and Doro Merande. The Minneapolis Star reported, "Dancer Harold Lang is well cast along with Inger Stevens in straight dramatic roles concerning an immigrant couple who hide out after their work permits expire so that their child may be born an American. Story is simply written and has several touching moments."

Inger Stevens in "Strangers in Hiding", 1954.

I was able to view "Strangers in Hiding" in the archives of the Library of Congress earlier this year and was struck by its similarity to Inger's Emmy-nominated role in "The Price of Tomatoes" eight years later.

Pregnant dancer Christe (Inger Stevens) and her dancer husband Mikail fail to get back on the bus when it stops in New Hampshire. Hoping to hide out until the birth of their baby in a few weeks, the couple sleep in a barn-turned-theater. They're happy to know their baby may be born an American citizen. Mikail dances on the deserted stage. Someone begins to open the door and the couple hides in the adjoining room. College flunkout Tom (Bradford Dillman) frequently sneaks in to play the piano when he's supposed to be studying at the library. Tom finds and pockets a locket by the piano, but he does not discover the couple. Tom's deceased father was a Hungarian violinist, and his American Aunt Ella (Doro Merande) is concerned that her nephew be a prominent real estate agent. 

When Mikail goes off to find food, Kriste encounters Tom. Terrified that he will report the couple to immigration, Kriste explains that her husband is German and she is Polish and that they did not have opportunities as dancers in Germany. They were able to make a good living as dancers in the United States until their six month work permit expired. Tom assures Kriste that his father was also an immigrant and he will keep their secret. Still, Kriste goes to sleep full of anxiety. 

The following morning, a gossiping friend visits Tom's house. She tells Aunt Ella about the fugitive couple rumored to be hiding in town. Ella is not surprised. "They're foreigners, you know...Nazis, communists. They're foreigners, aren't they?..If I had my way, they wouldn't let them in here in the first place." Soon after, Ella reminds Tom to be "just like the other real American boys." She becomes suspicious when she finds an inscribed locket in Tom's jacket pocket.

Back in the barn, Kriste is distraught over the missing locket, a good luck charm for the couple. Mikail assures her, "Our luck will not change." Tom returns to the barn with groceries and goodwill. He encourages the couple to dance and sing while he accompanies them on piano. At the market, Ella learns that her nephew has already purchased groceries and realizes he's feeding the fugitives. 

When Ella arrives at the barn, Kriste goes into labor. Instead of reporting the couple to the authorities, Aunt Ella shifts into maternal mode and protects Kriste and her unborn child. Ella confesses that she was never able to have a child of her own. To ensure that Kriste and her child, arriving prematurely, are healthy, Ella rides with Kriste in the ambulance to the hospital. When the local sheriff Sam and an immigration officer arrive at the hospital, Ella orders them to "go out and catch some criminals or take some change out of some parking meters." Kriste delivers a healthy baby boy ("We have an American son!") and her locket, which reads 'Have Faith' in German, is returned. 

As Inger's name appeared on the closing credits, the show's host announced:

We welcome lovely young Inger Stevens this evening in her first appearance in Kraft Television Theatre. Her theater experience includes Glad Tidings and The Women.

The themes of otherness and acceptance that Inger's Kriste and Doro's Ella, respectively, represent follow a common pattern in Inger's work. Inger's a Hungarian mother-to-be here, had been a Czechoslovakian teen in "Thunder of Silence", would be a new Swedish mother in "Burning for Burning", a pregnant Romanian widow in "Price of Tomatoes", and of course Swedish Katy in The Farmer's Daughter. Having moved to America just shy of ten years old, Inger knew what it felt to be non-native. Before settling in Kansas, the Stensland family lived in Manhattan where Inger noted:

I felt like a real foreigner...it was difficult adjusting to new people. My English was still broken and the atmosphere was so strange...I couldn't have [new clothes] for the realistic reasons that my serviceable Swedish clothes were worn ten times longer than they should have. I wallowed in self-pity to a revolting degree. I fit nowhere...I was...well...Swedish. I was embarrassed because I didn't look or act like anybody else...Everything was new...my stepmother, the country, and the language. Finding myself with a language barrier at such an impressionable age left me with a shyness I still haven't overcome. But I discovered that an easy way to make friends is to be a good listener.

Watching young Inger as Kriste in "Strangers in Hiding" on videotape in the archives of the Library of Congress was a rare delight. The thrill continued as I exited the library to the sight of Washington, D.C. monuments all around me. Katy Holstrum's monuments. Katy Holstrum's D.C. Being in the nation's capital where Inger (as Katy) walked, one could not help but to reflect on the compelling course of Inger's life—from a shy, fearful Swedish girl in New York City to the hopeful young actress on Kraft Television Theatre to the celebrated star of her own American television sitcom. 

Sources:

"Actress Finds Regular Work a Nuisance." Waco Tribune-Herald. December 25, 1954.

"From Sweden to Hollywood." St. Louis Globe-Democrat. February 15, 1959.

Chicago Tribune. December 25, 1954.

Memphis Press-Scimitar. December 29, 1954.

Minneapolis Star. December 29, 1954.

"TV Actress is Popular with USNH Corpsmen." Great Lakes Bulletin. December 30, 1954.

Time Magazine. December 6, 1954.

"Kraft Theatre: Strangers in Hiding." Library of Congress archives.

The Farmer's Daughter: From 1947 Film to 1960s Television Series

On March 20, 1948, Loretta Young won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1947 comedy The Farmer's Daughter. The announcement was a surprise as Loretta's close friend Rosalind Russell was favored to win the honor. It would be the only Academy Award Loretta would take home—though she was nominated once more for the 1949 film Come to the Stable. Loretta would state that The Farmer's Daughter was her favorite movie "because that won me an Academy Award and that makes it special in my career." After an impressive film career that began in childhood, Loretta (truly an unsung female trailblazer of early television) found new success on her weekly television anthology The Loretta Young Show. It's only fitting that The Farmer's Daughter story should also transition to a small screen situational comedy for new audiences to enjoy. 

The Farmer's Daughter television series was produced by Screen Gems for ABC and ran for three seasons from 1963 to 1966. The Swedish-American maid named Katie Holstrum that Loretta portrayed now became a Swedish-American governess as the alternately spelled Katy Holstrum. The new Katy was played by Inger Stevens, who Screen Gems banked on matching "Loretta's Oscar-winning performance with an Emmy win." Inger only received an Emmy nomination for The Farmer's Daughter, but she did win the Golden Globe for the series.

Inger wins the Golden Globe.

Inger's television series was actually not the first remake of the 1947 film. A year before the television show premiered, Lee Remick starred in a special tv movie of The Farmer's Daughter in 1962. The Theatre 62 production was shot in color and costarred Peter Lawford, Charles Bickford, and Cornelia Otis Skinner. Reviewer Ben Gross wrote, "Although I didn't believe a word of it, I must admit that this did provide enjoyable escapist entertainment for the viewers...And if you accept the fact that it's no more than a corny political fairy tale, you must say that the TV adaptation was an expert one. The starry cast gave the show all it had. Lee was captivating and touching as Katrina, the farm lass."

The Farmer's Daughter (1962)

Prior to starring in her own television show, Inger had been freelancing as a television actress since 1954 and starring in motion pictures between 1957 and 1959. It was Inger's freelance work on shows such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and Dick Powell Theatre that brought her high praise from critics. When asked what made her commit to playing Katy on television, Inger said that the series was "the first one that seemed good enough to take" and that production chief Bill Dozier "fed my ego to the bursting point...How could I turn it down after that?" 

Loretta as Katie and Inger as Katy

Inger was quick to point out that the series and her role were strikingly different from the previous versions. Inger said, “I have deliberately avoided both the screen and one-shot presentations of The Farmer’s Daughter. Truly, I’m quite an admirer of the work of both Miss Young and Miss Remick but I didn’t want to be accused of imitating either one, consciously or unconsciously. Besides, the elements are different. The Katy Holstrum I play isn’t a maid or servant as much. She is a governess, who is steeped in American history because she is a naturalized citizen."

Like Loretta, Inger was a consummate professional known for her charm and beauty in Hollywood. Both women knew that there was more to life than Hollywood and gave back to children in need; Loretta served on the board of the Daughters of Charity and Inger served on the Advisory Board of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA, both aiding children with disabilities. Loretta and Inger also shared an intense desire to maintain their private lives and protect the family members they loved from the press. Loretta kept the parentage of her adopted daughter Judy a secret—Judy was not adopted at all, but rather the daughter of Loretta and Clark Gable, which the press always suspected. The press also suspected that Inger was married to African American Ike Jones, but Inger refused to divulge any information. The marriage was not commonly known until Ike came forward to claim her estate following Inger's death in 1970.

Inger had a great advantage over Loretta when it came to Katy Holstrum's Swedish accent. Inger was born in Sweden and moved to America when she was just shy of 10 years old. As an adolescent living in New York then Kansas, Inger rid herself of her native accent. She re-learned it for her role in The Farmer's Daughter, remarking, "I'm beginning to think in Swedish again." (From personal experience, Inger felt it important that Katy slowly lose her Swedish accent as the show went on.)

Inger shooting external scenes in D.C.

The Farmer's Daughter was a moderate success, often receiving positive notices from critics. However, the show was never able to match the ratings and popularity of shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bewitched. In fact, Inger was concerned that the show "wouldn't last beyond the first 13 weeks...I must admit I'm proud we did it."

The Morning Call stated that the success of The Farmer's Daughter "can be credited to the charm of Inger, her accent, and her good looks. She’s a Loretta Young type with humor who will wear well over the years. That is, if Inger is interested…Sweetness with occasional fire will prevail on the Washington show and little change is in the wind."

The Farmer's Daughter (1947)

The Farmer's Daughter (1963-1966)

In the 1947 film, Katie Holstrum leaves the family farm to attend nursing school in Washington, D.C. Needing money, Katie takes a job as a maid in the household of Congressman Morley (Joseph Cotten) his political broker mother Agatha (Ethel Barrymore), and butler Joseph Clancey (Charles Bickford). When an unprincipled politician is chosen for Congress, Katie publicly disapproves at a meeting and ends up being elected herself. Katie and Congressman Morley fall in love and he supports her political career.

Like Loretta's Katie, Inger's Katy is a thoughtful, intelligent woman who speaks up with a dissenting voice and clear wisdom in the series' episodes. In the television series, Katy arrives in Washington, D.C., because she wants to travel to Congo to aid underprivileged children and needs Congressman Morley to approve the application. While she awaits application approval, Katy sees a great need for guidance and companionship for Glen's sons and takes a job as their governess. Soon, Katy feels that she belongs in the Morley household and can create great change, in the family dynamics and in Washington politics, as a governess. 

In the show, Katy provides many lessons to politicians, but she only campaigns for herself twice. In the season 1 episode "Katy and the Imagemaker", Katy abandons a bid for the State Assembly because the political team aspires to change everything about her. In season 2's "Katy's Campaign", Katy wants to be president of the Washington's Women's Club. Politically, Katy serves mostly as an advisor for Congressman Morley, often pointing out his missteps and broadening his belief system. The series very quickly focused on the romance between Glen and Katy, and they would be married in what would become a highly publicized episode in the final season.

Inger Stevens as Katy Holstrum

Inger was the star of the show, but the entire cast and their chemistry as a family unit contributed to the success. As Congressman Glen Morley, William Windom instantly sparked with Inger in their scenes together and the two made their love story believable and downright sexy, despite limitations with the censors. (I would be remiss if I didn't include here a link to the William Windom Tribute Site.) Actress Cathleen Nesbitt as Glen's mother Agatha Morley is a wonderful observer, instinctively mending miscommunications between the two leads. Mickey Sholdar and Rory O'Brien (as Glen's sons Steve and Danny) are some of the most talented, pleasant child actors to grace the small screen. Their roles add to the drama and believability of the scenes where other less skilled child actors might distract from the story. The show featured many notable guest stars throughout its three-year run, including: Charles Nelson Reilly, John Astin, Paul Lynde, Maureen McCormick, and Davy Jones.

The cast and crew expressed concerns that marrying the two main characters could spell ruin for the show, but also knew that an unmarried woman would only be allowed to live in a man's house for so long before censors urged a wedding. In November 1965, Katy married Congressman Morley in a beautiful color episode called "To Have and To Hold." You can read about the making of that special episode here on my blog and also watch it for yourself on Youtube.

Inger hoped that the marriage would bring new opportunities for her character.  While filming the wedding scene, she told reporters, "I hope we will be able to show that a married couple can be sophisticated—yes, and even sexy. After all, he found her attractive and appealing enough to marry her. Why should we try to hide their love just because they're married?"

Inger also used the marital status as a chance to update Katy's look, saying, "Katy wears more sophisticated clothes now and her hair is shorter and more stylish. I think that's only natural. It shows that he has an effect on her." 

Inger with William Windom for TV Guide

Inger with Mickey Sholdar and Rory O'Brien

The Farmer's Daughter ended after its third season, but it was not a sad occasion for Inger. She was eager to return to movies and said, "I enjoyed working on the series, but it was quite exhausting. For five days a week I had to be up at 5 a.m. and never got home before 8 p.m. Weekends were often spent studying my lines. I like doing movies presently because the roles are dramatic ones. It is the type of material with which I was involved before taking on the comedy role of Katy on television. Only by varying your roles can you learn more about your craft and sharpen your talents."

Following the end of The Farmer's Daughter, Inger starred in four westerns, four dramas, and one comedy. She would also film two made-for-television movies and was slated as the lead in the ABC crime drama The Most Deadly Game in the last year of her life. Loretta would end her weekly reign on television in 1963 just before The Farmer's Daughter premiered; at 73, she would return to star in the 1986 television movie Christmas Eve and snag a Golden Globe for her performance.

The 1947 movie and the 1963-66 series stand alone as two individual takes on a shared theme. The sitcom was able to borrow the film's characters and their motivations in order to move the storyline in new, unexpected directions. Whether you prefer maid-to-politician or governess-to-wife, the big and small screen versions of the Katie/Katy character exhibit an independent and charming woman encouraging positive change in the political and social worlds around her.

This post is part of Hometowns to Hollywood's Take Two Blogathon which focuses on Hollywood re-makes. Please read additional entries here.

Sources:

 “A Quiet Session with Inger Stevens.” Evening Sun. January 31, 1964. 

“Inger Stevens: Accent on Acting.” Star Gazette. September 8, 1962. 

“In Sweden with Inger.” The Morning Call. September 2, 1964. 

"Loretta Young Works for Charity." Tampa Bay Times. September 8, 1991.

"No Wedding Yet for Inger Stevens. Daily Press. August 9, 1964.

"The Farmer's Daughter is Pretty Bright." Call-Leader. September 15, 1966.

"Camille on Horseback" and Inger in Reno

Inger Stevens arrived at Reno Municipal Airport via United Airlines on August 22, 1959. She wasn't alone that Saturday morning. The plane carried a passenger list that included Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Vaughn Moore. The group exited the plane to cheers from a crowd of local officials, press, Native Americans from the Nixon, NV reservation plus the Twirleens and Reno Rodeo Queen. After receiving gifts (cowboy hats, of course) and posing for publicity, Inger and the others were rushed to downtown Reno for the Bonanza parade. It would be a full two days of publicity and celebration in honor of a new all-color western drama set to air on NBC the following month. Inger and Yvonne DeCarlo's episodes ("The Newcomers" and "A Rose for Lotta", respectively) were selected for a special premiere at Granada Theater that evening.

Inger (center) arrives in Reno.

Inger examines the cowboy hats with Dan Blocker and Lorne Greene.

There was much for the stars to do between the noon parade (in which Miss Nevada was none other than a 21-year-old Dawn Wells) and the eight o'clock premiere. After traveling in stagecoach from the State House, Inger headed north on Virginia Street to follow a route to Fifth then Sierra before the parade ended in front of the Riverside Hotel on the Truckee River. 

Former actor-turned-politician, Rex Bell led the parade.
Bell was married to actress Clara Bow.

Although she is not visible in this poor quality photo, Inger is in this
 stagecoach shared with Yvonne DeCarlo.

The celebrities were then whisked away for lunch in the Shore Room of the Holiday Hotel before touring the downtown stores—merchants had dressed their windows in western wear and theme for a Bonanza contest. By 5:00 p.m., Inger was meeting citizens and signing autographs at Powning Park. Dinner was at the Nugget in Sparks before entertaining the crowd again at the Granada Theater, where "The Newcomers" and "A Rose for Lotta" were screened for the public (adults only) free of charge.

RCA sponsored the premiere and RCA recording artist Vaughn Moore served as the emcee. Moore received a key to the city for his efforts.

Inger at dinner with the cast in Reno.

Invisible except for the top of her blonde hair and lovely hands,
Inger signs autographs beside Lorne Greene.

After a day full of action, the cast and crew retired to their rooms at the Riverside, Mapes, and Golden hotels. On Sunday, they viewed the gun collection at Harold's Club before traveling back to Los Angeles on Sunday evening.

On Tuesday, August 25, the Today television show devoted a segment to the premiere footage. The massive publicity campaign, color episodes, engaging actors, and highly popular western genre would make Bonanza a hit for 14 seasons. Many don't realize that Inger Stevens was a major player in its initial publicity campaign and contributor to the show's success.

"The Newcomers"

Columnist Dwight Newton summarized the "The Newcomers" as “Inger Stevens…Camille on horseback.” And he's not wrong. Inger played many fragile, sickly or trauma-stricken characters between 1959 and 1962. However, Inger enjoyed freelancing on television and made light of the tragic string when she stated:

Come to think of it, my TV career is beginning to look as if it were sponsored by Blue Cross. I was a nurse in the last Playhouse 90 I did. I play a tubercular in Bonanza. And in Twilight Zone I haven’t long to live.

This interview and the Bonanza premiere came just eight months after Inger's suicide attempt. It cannot be emphasized enough how diligently Inger worked after recovering from the attempt. She participated in two routines on the April 6, 1959 broadcast of the 31st Academy Awards and received an "unusually warm reception...like an outstretched hand of sympathy for a girl who has undergone emotional stress." After that welcome, Inger went back to work on "Diary of a Nurse" for Playhouse 90, "The Indestructible Mr. Gore" for Sunday Showcase, and this Bonanza episode. 

Her suicide attempt, outspokenness about the loneliness and superficiality associated with Hollywood success, and refusal to appear in subpar movies would find Inger working solely in television—after The World, The Flesh, and The Devil premiered in 1959, audiences wouldn't see Inger on their theater screens until 1964 when she appeared in a small, but striking role in the unfortunately subpar movie The New Interns. The amount and quality of the work Inger did on television in those five years between movies is quite astounding—two Twilight Zones, an Emmy-nominated part in Dick Powell Theater, two Route 66 episodes, a powerful Sam Benedict plot and suspenseful Alfred Hitchcock Hour. That list is merely a third of the shows in which Inger appeared at that time and does not even include her starring role in her own show The Farmer's Daughter!

Inger as Emily Pennington

Inger studies "The Newcomers" script.

Inger liked the role of Emily Pennington in "The Newcomers". She said:

They kind of apologized when they asked me to play it, because it’s a western. But I liked the script and it turned out so well that it will be released in Europe as a motion picture–if Paramount approves.

The episode can be viewed in full on Youtube (click here.) In it, Inger's Emily Pennington is the fiancé of prospector Blake McCall (John Larch), a man Emily's brother John (Robert Knapp) says "will do anything for gold." McCall believes there's gold hidden on the Cartwright company but is warned that mining for it will destroy the land. A man who was born without wealth, McCall believes he must make his fortune in order to keep up with the more prosperous Penningtons. Emily assures her fiancé that money means nothing to her and says:

Just give me a chance to get well and just give me a chance to be everything you want me to be.

Battling tuberculosis, Emily Pennington coughs frequently ("Can't you control that miserable coughing?" Blake barks at her. ) but doesn't reveal the gravity of her situation to Hoss (Dan Blocker). Hoss accompanies the Penningtons for protection and is hurt when she backs away from him in fear. Emily softens when she watches the gentle way Hoss brushes and speaks to his horse. 

Emily: You really love horses, don't you?

Hoss: Oh, yes ma'am. I love all animals. You can trust 'em.

Emily: But you can't trust people?

Hoss: Well, I wouldn't say that. It's just that some folks have got a natural mean streak in them that animals just don't know nothin' about, I guess.

As her fiance's mean streak becomes more obvious, Emily develops feelings for gentle giant Hoss.

Inger with Dan Blocker behind the scenes.

Sources: 

“Bonanza Day Premier—” Reno Evening Gazette. August 20, 1959. 

“Bonanza Premir is Staged Here.” Reno Evening Gazette. August 24, 1959. 

“Delegation Arrives for Bonanza Premier.” Reno Evening Gazette. August 22, 1959. 

“Reno Merchants.” Reno Evening Gazette. August 21, 1959. 

“Inger Stevens Gets No Money for TV Stints. Philadelphia Enquirer. September 24, 1959. 

“Movie Stars Arrive for Bonanza Premier Saturday.” Reno Evening Gazette. August 21, 1959. 

“Reno’s Bonanza Permiere in Pictures.” Reno Evening Gazette. August 24, 1959. 

TV-Radio Highlights. San Francisco Examiner. September 26, 1959.

Man on Fire (1957)

Inger landed her first feature film Man on Fire after producer Sol Siegel saw her as a chambermaid in the 1956 Playhouse 90 production of Eloise. Sol inquired about Inger and discovered that she "was one terrific actress and she was under contract to my old studio, Paramount. So I gave her a test. I liked her. Then I discussed her with Bing. Unless we’re both lousy judges, this kid’s got what it takes to become a star—talent, personality, and beauty.”

Inger with Sol Siegel

A movie produced by a major studio and starring Bing Crosby just three years after his Oscar-nominated role in The Country Girl? Being cast as Nina in Man on Fire was a plum role for a rookie film actress and Inger recognized it. Inger told reporters:

Naturally this is very exciting for my first movie. Bing’s very nice. He seems so relaxed it relaxes me. Right now I consider myself a very fortunate girl. I’m doing what I like best—acting. In Man on Fire I play a lawyer’s secretary who saves Bing Crosby from making a lot of mistakes. In the end we wind up together. It’s a good part, but the picture is basically a Crosby vehicle. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my young life playing opposite Bing. I hope I’m lucky enough to do it again.”

Filming on the drama began in December 1956, but poor Inger was struck with appendicitis after only two days on set. Hesitant around a star of Bing's stature, Inger quickly warmed to him after he showed her kindness following her appendectomy.  Bing and the crew sent Inger a get-well card that read, "Don't linger, Inger." Inger recalled:

The first day of rehearsals I was so nervous I thought he’d fire me. Instead, he was very quiet. I found out later that Bing Crosby takes a good deal of knowing. He weighs things very carefully. He’s cautious. If he likes someone, he opens up. But this takes time. He’s extremely likable and an extremely fine actor. Essentially, he’s an instinctive actor who doesn’t realize how good he really is. He’s not impressed with himself at all. The one thing that bothers him in front of a camera is a lot of takes. He gets stale quickly. The first take is usually best for him. I’d been on the film two days when I had to go to the hospital for an appendectomy. When I came back, Bing greeted me like an old friend. We’d all have tea at 4 o’clock, just sit around and talk. 

Inger and Bing in a shot for
Parade Magazine, June 1957

Inger had married theatrical agent Anthony Soglio in summer 1955, but the couple was estranged before Inger began filming Man on Fire. Twenty-two year old Inger fell for fifty-three year old Bing and shared:

I’ve dated him several times, and for an actor he’s unusual. He doesn’t like to talk about himself. He’s extremely well-read and interested in more subjects than show business. He knows so much about politics, sports, painters and writers you wouldn’t believe it. He’s one of the most well-rounded gentlemen I’ve ever met. After you go out with Bing, you’re spoiled for young men of, say, 25 or 26.

When they were not busy calling Inger the "new Grace Kelly"—prompting Inger to respond "though they are complimentary, I hate comparisons...I'd rather be known as Inger Stevens."—or inserting items about her former Latin Quarter dancing career into gossip columns, the press was tracking the relationship of Inger and Bing. 

In January 1957, Inger filed paperwork to officially separate from Anthony Soglio and would file for divorce in April. Inger and Bing would, as Erskine Johnson put it, "continue to costar after hours" through the spring. In early May, reporters noted that Bing was in love with Inger, but by May 7th Dorothy Kilgallen was sharing the following tidbit:

The Hollywood temperature-takers report Inger Stevens furious over Bing Crosby’s Las Vegas fling with Pat Sheehan. Inger was thought to have inherited the Groaner from Kathy Grant, and it may turn out that she also has inherited the same denouement. 

On June 26, 1957, Inger, despite being sick, signed autographs for fans and confirmed that she was still dating her costar though neither had plans for marriage. 

The film premiered in Los Angeles on July 5, 1957, and Inger received positive reviews for her performance as legal secretary Nina Wylie. Motion Picture Daily reported that the film had "power and dramatic impact" and that Inger had "more than a promise of future greatness." Photoplay noted "lovely Inger Stevens" and "sensitive acting." Variety praised Inger as "another newcomer who should be heard from in the future. She is particularly appealing as she nurses Crosby through his vicious and embittered moods."

The movie is rare because Bing's character never sings. Bing said:

It was my own idea. I figured if I couldn’t get away without singing in this picture, I never could. There’s really no reason for a song. The character is not an entertainer; he owns a small manufacturing company. I always figured before that I was a crooner and people expected me to sing when they saw one of my pictures. But I don’t think anybody’s going to run out of the theater and demand their money back if they don't get a song out of me. I think it destroys some of the illusion of a dramatic picture if you throw in songs. The Country Girl would have been better without them. 

 

In the film, Earl (Bing Crosby) struggles to cope during a custody battle over son Ted (Malcolm Brodrick) with his ex-wife Gwen (Mary Fickett). Earl is still bitter about Gwen leaving him for his former friend Bryan (Richard Eastham). As Nina, Inger serves as Earl's right hand woman and voice of reason throughout the picture. Though Earl is slow to recognize it, the devoted Nina is also deeply in love with him. My favorite scene comes early in the film and finds Earl and Nina sitting at a bar.

Earl: You're the first lawyer I've ever seen with a dimple.

Nina: I'm not really a lawyer. I graduated from law school, but that's all.

Earl: How old are you?

Nina: 25.

Earl: You're very honest

Nina: In that case, I'm 27.

Earl: I would've thought you were younger.

Nina: Why don't you keep on thinking it?

Earl: Been a long time since I was 27.

Nina: I've looked at your passport. You're pretty old, Mr. Carlton.

Earl: If you're going to start talking to me like that you better call me Earl.

Nina: I have been calling you Earl for a long time now...when I think about you.

Earl: Why should you think about me?

Nina: You're one of our best clients, aren't you?

Earl: Ah, I guess that's good enough reason.

Nina: I'm glad I thought of it.

A few moments later...

Nina: Mind if I ask you a very personal question that's really none of my business but I'd certainly like to know? 

Earl: What?

Nina: Why don't you ever go out? You know, women?

Earl: Oh, I'm not the type. I don't think I'd know what to say. Women don't like me very much. I'm kind of awkward, I guess.

Nina: Clumsy's the word. Have some more sugar.

Earl: I say something to make you mad?

Nina: Goodness, no. Why should I be mad?

Earl: I don't know. I just kinda got the idea you were...where were we?

Nina: The subject was romance and we were beating it to death with a stick.

And though the subject was romance with Inger and Bing away from the camera, it was not to last. By October 1957, Bing made a surprise announcement that he'd married Kathryn Grant, a young actress he'd dated seriously before meeting Inger. In fact, both Inger and Kathy were featured in Photoplay's "Favorite Coming Stars of 1958".

Favorite Coming Stars of 1958

Later, Inger would reflect on her relationship with Bing, saying, "He was basically a cold man who trusted no one...he treated women like second class citizens except when he wanted her...In all things he came first." Though the relationship and her feelings about the man soured, the press was incorrect when they assumed the romance with Bing led to Inger's 1959 suicide attempt. In reality, it was a failed romance with leading man Harry Belafonte that shattered Inger so completely that she tried to end her life.

Always a professional, Inger worked with Bing on ABC's Wide World of Entertainment in 1964. By that time, Inger was the star of The Farmer's Daughter and Bing was giving a sitcom of his own a shot. (The Bing Crosby Show only survived one season.)  Kathryn Grant would remain married to Bing until his death in 1977. Unfortunately, Man on Fire has yet to be released commercially on DVD and is not currently available to view online. 

Inger and Bing on ABC's Wide World
of Entertainment, 1964.

Sources: 

All photos are my own scans.

 “Bing’s New Leading Lady.” The Gazette. June 16, 1957. 

“Hollywood’s Nicest Rebel.” Fairbury Daily News. June 9, 1958. 

“Bing and Ing.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 12, 1957. 

“Bing Alter Shy?” Scranton Times. May 7, 1957. 

“Young Inger Stevens Goes Places Fast in Hollywood.” Lancaster New Era. February 15, 1957. 

“Bing’s A Rooter for Inger Stevens.” The San Francisco Examiner. May 5, 1957. 

“Around Hollywood.” Medford Mail Tribune. January 14, 1957. 

“Broadway.” Des Moines Register. January 3, 1957.

 “Inger Stevens, Actress, Goes Under Surgery.” Citizen News. December 10, 1965. 

“Not One Song for Bing in His Latest Picture.” December 29. 1956. 

"Tower Ticker.” Chicago Tribune. June 27, 1957.

"Man on Fire." Motion Picture Daily. June 1957.

"Man on Fire." Photoplay. June 1957.