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American actress, singer, television host, author & entrepreneur.
Born 14 July 1930 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Died 20 September 2014 in Southbury, Connecticut, USA.
Daughter of guitarist/singer Bill Bergen, who appeared with his daughter in several episodes of her 18-episode comedy/variety show The Polly Bergen Show (1957-58). The daughter-father ended each episode with a rendition of The Party's Over. They also released albums together.
She was a radio performer by the age of 14, and went the summer stock-nightclub route before heading for Hollywood in 1949. Bergen received an Emmy award for her portrayal of singer Helen Morgan in a 1957 episode of the TV series Playhouse 90 on CBS.
Her most notable film role came in the original Cape Fear (1962) opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Bergen rose to stardom via her stage performance, her one-woman cabaret act, and her many TV appearances. At her peak she was singing on TV variety shows weekly and later became a frequent guest on TV game shows, including as a regular panelist on the CBS game show To Tell the Truth during its original run.
Through it all, Bergen has listed herself as a business executive first, an actress second. Over 40 years, she maintained such successful business ventures as Polly Bergen Cosmetics, Polly Bergen Jewelry, and Polly Bergen Shoes.