This page will contain discussion groups about Sarah Bernhardt, as they become available.Sarah BernhardtSarah Bernhardt (portrait by Nadar)Sarah Bernhardt (October 22, 1844 - March 26, 1923) was a French stage actress. She was born in Paris as Henriette Rosine Bernard, the eldest surviving illegitimate daughter of Judith van Hard, a Dutch Jewish courtesan known as "Youle." Her father was reportedly Edouard Bernard, a French lawyer, and she was educated in French Catholic convents. To support herself, she combined the career of an actress with that of a courtesan - at the time, the two were considered scandalous to a roughly equal degree. She was sponsored into the Conservatoire de Musique et Déclamation by the Duc de Morny in 1859 for theatrical training. Her stage career started in 1862, largely in comic theatre and burlesque. She made her fame on the stages of Europe in the 1870s, and was soon in demand all over Europe and in the United States. She soon developed a reputation as a serious dramatic actress, earning the title, "The Divine Sarah"; arguably, she may have been the most famous actress of the 19th century. Although primarily a stage actress, Bernhardt made several cylinders and discs of famous dialogue from various productions. One of the earliest was a reading from Phèdre by Jean Racine, at Thomas Edison's home on a visit to New York City in the 1880s. Multi-talented, she was involved with the visual arts as well as acting, painting and sculpting herself, as well as modelling for Antonio de La Gandara. She was also to publish a series of books and plays throughout her life. Her social life was as continuously active. She had an affair with a Belgian nobleman, Charles-Joseph-Eugene-Henri, Prince de Ligne, with whom she had her only child, the writer Maurice Bernhardt, in 1864 (he married a Polish princess, Maria Jablonowska, 1863-1914). Later lovers included several artists (Gustave Doré and Georges Clarin) and actors (Mounet-Sully and Lou Tellegen). She married Greek-born actor Aristides Damala (aka Jacques Damala) in London in 1882, but the marriage, which legally endured until Damala's death in 1889 at age 34, was quickly collapsed, largely due to the young actor's dependence on morphine. Sketch of Sarah BernhardtBernhardt was also one of the pioneer silent movie actresses, debuting as Hamlet in Le Duel d'Hamlet in 1900. (Technically, this was not a silent film, as it had accompanying cylinders with dubbed dialogue.) She went on to star in eight motion pictures and two biographical films in all. The latter included Sarah Bernhardt à Belle-Isle (1912), a film about her daily life at home. Sarah Bernhardt was made a member of France's Legion of Honor in 1914. In 1915, ten years after a serious injury, her right leg was amputated, confining her to a wheelchair for several months. Nonetheless, she continued her career, in spite of the need to use a wooden prosthetic limb. She died in the arms of her son Maurice. She is buried in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France. Sarah Bernhardt has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street. The actress La Berma, a fictional character in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time was inspired by Bernhardt. Books
Plays
Films
External Links
This page about Sarah Bernhardt includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Sarah Bernhardt News stories about Sarah Bernhardt External links for Sarah Bernhardt Videos for Sarah Bernhardt Wikis about Sarah Bernhardt Discussion Groups about Sarah Bernhardt Blogs about Sarah Bernhardt Images of Sarah Bernhardt |
|
The actress La Berma, a fictional character in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time was inspired by Bernhardt. She struggled throughout her life with manic-depression, and committed suicide in Lausanne by jumping from her apartment window. Sarah Bernhardt has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street. She also had a close friendship with Dirk Bogarde who, despite his own sexual ambivalence, seriously considered marrying her. She is buried in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France. After making several movies for Hollywood, of declining quality, and after ending her relationship with William Holden, she moved to Europe where she made films in several languages, including French and Italian. She died in the arms of her son Maurice. She made her film debut at age 18 in Rendez-vous de juillet, and was briefly married to French actor Pierre Trabaud. Nonetheless, she continued her career, in spite of the need to use a wooden prosthetic limb. Born Germaine Lefebvre in Toulon, at the age of 17 she became a fashion model, adopting the name Capucine (which is a type of nasturtium), and eventually working for Givenchy in Paris. In 1915, ten years after a serious injury, her right leg was amputated, confining her to a wheelchair for several months. Capucine (January 6, 1931 - March 17, 1990) was a European actress. Sarah Bernhardt was made a member of France's Legion of Honor in 1914. The Curse of the Pink Panther - 1983. The latter included Sarah Bernhardt à Belle-Isle (1912), a film about her daily life at home. The Trail of the Pink Panther - 1982. Bernhardt was also one of the pioneer silent movie actresses, debuting as Hamlet in Le Duel d'Hamlet in 1900. (Technically, this was not a silent film, as it had accompanying cylinders with dubbed dialogue.) She went on to star in eight motion pictures and two biographical films in all. Satyricon - 1969. She married Greek-born actor Aristides Damala (aka Jacques Damala) in London in 1882, but the marriage, which legally endured until Damala's death in 1889 at age 34, was quickly collapsed, largely due to the young actor's dependence on morphine. What's New, Pussycat - 1965. Later lovers included several artists (Gustave Doré and Georges Clarin) and actors (Mounet-Sully and Lou Tellegen). The Pink Panther - 1964. She had an affair with a Belgian nobleman, Charles-Joseph-Eugene-Henri, Prince de Ligne, with whom she had her only child, the writer Maurice Bernhardt, in 1864 (he married a Polish princess, Maria Jablonowska, 1863-1914). Walk On the Wild Side - 1962. Her social life was as continuously active. North to Alaska - 1960. She was also to publish a series of books and plays throughout her life. Song Without End - 1960. Multi-talented, she was involved with the visual arts as well as acting, painting and sculpting herself, as well as modelling for Antonio de La Gandara. Although primarily a stage actress, Bernhardt made several cylinders and discs of famous dialogue from various productions. One of the earliest was a reading from Phèdre by Jean Racine, at Thomas Edison's home on a visit to New York City in the 1880s. She soon developed a reputation as a serious dramatic actress, earning the title, "The Divine Sarah"; arguably, she may have been the most famous actress of the 19th century. She made her fame on the stages of Europe in the 1870s, and was soon in demand all over Europe and in the United States. Her stage career started in 1862, largely in comic theatre and burlesque. She was sponsored into the Conservatoire de Musique et Déclamation by the Duc de Morny in 1859 for theatrical training. To support herself, she combined the career of an actress with that of a courtesan - at the time, the two were considered scandalous to a roughly equal degree. She was born in Paris as Henriette Rosine Bernard, the eldest surviving illegitimate daughter of Judith van Hard, a Dutch Jewish courtesan known as "Youle." Her father was reportedly Edouard Bernard, a French lawyer, and she was educated in French Catholic convents. Sarah Bernhardt (October 22, 1844 - March 26, 1923) was a French stage actress. Full text of My Double Life: The Memoirs of Sarah Bernhardt (http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/9100) from Project Gutenberg. Comprehensive list of plays (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~temple/plays.htm). 1923: La Voyante (The Fortuneteller, never completed). 1916: Jeanne Doré (as Jeanne Doré). 1915: Ceux de Chez Nous (biographical, home movies). 1915: Mères Françaises (Mothers of France, as a Red Cross nurse). 1912: Sarah Bernhardt à Belle-Isle (Sarah Bernhardt at Home, as herself). 1912: Elisabeth Reine d'Angleterre (Queen Elizabeth; a major success). 1912: Adrienne Lecouvreur (An Actress's Romance; as Adrienne Lecouvreur). 1911: La Dame aux Camélias (Camille, as Camille). 1908: La Tosca (Tosca, as Tosca). 1900: Le Duel d'Hamlet (Hamlet, as Hamlet). 1913: Bernard's "Jeanne Doré" (as Jeanne Doré). 1911: Moreau's "Queen Elizabeth" (as Queen Elizabeth). 1906: Mendès' "La Vierge d'Avila" (as Saint Theresa). 1906: Ibsen's "The Lady From the Sea". 1904: Maeterlinck's "Pelléas et Mélisande" (as Pelléas). 1903: Sardou's "La Sorcière". 1900: Rostand's "L'Aiglon" as "L'Aiglon". Richepin's "Pierrot Assassin" (as Pierrot). Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (as Lady Macbeth) (in French). Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" (as Cleopatra). 1899: Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (as Hamlet)
Barbier's "Jeanne d'Arc" (as Joan of Arc). 1898: "La Dame aux Camélias" (as Marguerite Gautier)
1897: Sardou's "Spiritisme". 1896: Musset's "Lorenzaccio" (as Lorenzino de' Medici). 1896: La Dame aux Camélias. 1895: "Magda" (translation of Sudermann's 'Heimat'). 1895: Molière's "Amphytrion". 1894: Sardou's "Gismonda". 1893: Lemaître's "Les Rois". 1890: Sardou's Cléopâtre, as Cleopatra. Dumas fils' "La Princesse Georges". Sardou's "La Tosca". Sardou's "Théodora" (as Theodora, Empress of Byzantium). 1882: Sardou's "Fédora"
1880: Dumas fils' "La Dame aux Camélias" (as Maguerite). 1880: Meilhac & Halévy's "Froufrou". 1880: Legouvé & Scribe's "Adrienne Lecouvreur". 1880: Émile Augier's "L'Aventurière". 1879: Racine's "Phèdre" (as Phèdre). 1877: Hugo's "Hernani" (as Doña Sol). Parodi's "Rome Vaincue". Clarkson). Dumas fils' "L'Étrangère" (as Mrs. 1875: Bornier's "La Fille de Roland"
1873: Feuillet's "Le Sphinx". 1873: Racine's "Phèdre" (as Aricie). 1873: Racine's "Andromaque". 1873: Ferrier's "Chez l'Avocat". 1873: Feuillet's "Dalila" (as Princess Falconieri). 1872: Sandeau's "Mademoiselle de la Seiglière". 1872: Beaumarchais's "Le Mariage de Figaro". 1872: Racine's Britannicus (as Junie). 1872: Dumas père "Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle" (as Gabrielle). 1872: Hugo's "Ruy Blas" (as Doña Maira de Neubourg, Queen of Spain). 1872: Bouilhet's "Mademoiselle Aïssé". 1871: Foussier and Edmond "La Baronne". 1871: Coppée's "Fais ce que Dois". 1871: Theuriet's "Jeanne-Marie". 1870: George Sand's "L'Autre". 1869: Coppée's "La Passant," as a male troubador (Zanetto); her first major stage success. 1868: Dumas père "Kean" (as Anna Damby). 1867: Georges Sand's "François le Champi" (as Mariette). 1867: George Sand's "Le Marquis de Villemer". 1867: Molière's "Les Femmes Savantes" (as Armande). 1866: Pierre de Marivaux's "Le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard" (as Silvia). 1866: Racine's "Phèdre" (as Aricie). 1866: T & H Cognard's "La Biche aux Bois". 1864: Labiche & Deslandes, "Un Mari qui Lance sa Femme". 1862: Molière's "Les Femmes Savantes". 1862: Eugène Scribe's "Valérie". 1862: Racine's "Iphigénie" in the title rôle, her debut. L'Art du Théâtre: la voix, le geste, la prononciation, etc. (1923; as The art of the Theatre, 1924). Petite Idole (1920; as The Idol of Paris, 1921). Un Coeur d'Homme, pièce en quatre actes (1911). Ma Double Vie (1907; as My Double Life, 1908). Adrienne Lecouvreur, drame en six actes (1907). L'Aveu, drame en un acte en prose (1888). Dans les Nuages, Impressions d'une Chaise Charpentier (1878). |