Senator Edwin C. “Big Ed” Johnson from Colorado verbally attacks Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman for her relationship with Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini.
The senator goes on to advocate for the regulation of actors and directors, suggesting that they should face consequences for engaging in scandalous personal conduct.
However, his proposal did not receive approval.
During 1950, Bergman was enjoying the peak of her acting career, having starred in renowned films such as Casblanca in 1942, earned an Oscar for Gaslight in 1944, and appeared in multiple Alfred Hitchcock thrillers in the previous years.
Senator Johnson referred to her as “one of the most influential women globally,” but with regret, labeled her as a negative force.
He vividly portrayed Bergman and fellow actress Rita Hayworth, who was also involved in an extramarital affair, as promoters of moral decline.
The senator boldly proclaimed that Hollywood would improve following the scandal involving Ingrid Bergman.
Bergman’s involvement with Rossellini began during the production of Stromboli, despite both being married to other individuals at the time.
Bergman gave birth to Rossellini’s son, Roberto, just before finalizing her divorce from her husband, Petter Lindström, a neurosurgeon.
Although Bergman and Rossellini later tied the knot, the controversy tarnished her reputation and prevented her from returning to the U.S. for almost a decade, as revealed in an interview with The New York Times.
Upon her comeback, Bergman went on to receive two additional Academy Awards.
Congressional remorse came 22 years later when Senator Charles N. Percy of Illinois issued an apology, which Bergman acknowledged receiving.
Percy described Bergman as a graceful and talented woman who had been unfairly attacked by the Senate two decades earlier.
Sen. Percy expressed regret on behalf of millions of Americans for the unjust personal and professional persecution that led Bergman to depart the country at the pinnacle of her career.
