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What happened to Sarah Bernhardt?
Bernhardt was made a member of the Legion of Honour in 1914. In 1905, during a South American tour, she had injured her right knee when jumping off the parapet in the last scene of La Tosca. By 1915 gangrene had set in, and her leg had to be amputated.
Did Sarah Bernhardt sleep in a coffin?
She kept a coffin in her bedroom, and on at least one occasion, slept in it. Throughout World War I, she performed for soldiers, even though her leg had been amputated.
How old is Sarah Bernhardt?
79 years (1844–1923)Sarah Bernhardt / Age at death
What disability did Sarah Bernhardt have?
The 'Divine Sarah' had her right leg amputated on February 22nd, 1915. The great French actress was 70 and her right knee was causing her agonising pain.
Was Sarah Bernhardt married?
Jacques DamalaSarah Bernhardt / Spouse (m. 1882–1889)Aristides Damalas, known in France by the stage name Jacques Damala, was a Greek military officer-turned-actor, who is mostly remembered as being husband to Sarah Bernhardt for a number of years. Damala's characterisation by modern researchers is far from positive. Wikipedia
Are Sandra and Sarah Bernhardt related?
She may have no genetic relationship to the boundary-busting 19th-century French Jewish actress Sarah Bernhardt, but the singer, actor and comedian Sandra Bernhard is every inch as brazen and sexually uninhibited as her putative namesake.
Where is Sarah Bernhardt buried?
Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, FranceSarah Bernhardt / Place of burialPère Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris, France. With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures in the arts buried at Pere Lachaise include Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Georges Méliès, Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde, J.R.D. Wikipedia
Did Sarah Bernhardt speak English?
During her nine separate tours of the United Sates, and several visits to South America, she delivered performances to widespread critical acclaim. She spoke only in French but, according to French biographers, with a slight English accent. She was always comfortable playing male roles, including a celebrated Hamlet.
Why was Sarah Bernhardt so famous?
Bernhardt is best known in America for her famous "farewell tours" that she made between 1880 and 1918. The nine tours she made in America often had a financial rather than artistic motivation behind them.
How old was Sarah Bernhardt in Hamlet?
A lifelong lover of Shakespeare, Sarah Bernhardt finally tackled her biggest acting challenge when she agreed to play Hamlet in 1899 when she was 55 years old. She later reprised the role at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford, England.
What did Bernhardt consider becoming when she was a child?
A child of delicate health, she considered becoming a nun, but one of her mother's reputed lovers, the future Duc de Morny, Napoleon III's half-brother, decided that she should be an actress.
Who was Sarah Bernhardt?
Sarah Bernhardt [born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; October 22, 1844—March 21, 1923] was a French stage and early film actress whose career spanned over 60 years. During the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, she dominated the world of acting with lead parts in acclaimed plays and motion pictures.
Where did Maurice Bernhardt die?
Died: March 21, 1923 in Paris, France. Education: Studied acting at the Paris Conservatory. Spouse's Name: Jacques Damala (1882-1889) Child's Name: Maurice Bernhardt. Key Accomplishments: Bernhardt was one of the most successful actresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
What happened to Bernhardt in 1915?
In 1915, years after a knee accident, Bernhardt suffered from an infection related to the injury and her leg was ultimately amputated. Refusing an artificial leg, Bernhardt continued to act on stage, with scenes being specifically arranged to suit her needs. In 1921, Bernhardt made her final tour around France.
What theater did Sarah Bernhardt open?
She renamed it Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt and opened the theater with a revival of La Tosca, followed by her other major successes: Phédre, Theodora, La Dame aux Camélias, and Gismonda. Throughout the early 1900s, Bernhardt made a number of farewell tours around the globe, including Canada, Brazil, Russia, and Ireland.
When did Bernhardt have her first child?
In 1864, after a brief affair with a Belgian prince, Bernhardt gave birth to her only child, Maurice. In order to support herself and her son, she accepted minor roles at the melodrama theater Port-Saint-Martin and was eventually hired by the director of the Théâtre de l'Ódéon.
Who was Bernhardt's friend?
Together with their friend, playwright Alexandre Dumas, they brought Bernhardt to the Comédie-Française, France’s national theater company, for her first theater performance.
What was Bernhardt's first stage performance?
First Stage Performances. In 1860, with the help of Morny’s influence, Bernhardt was given the chance to audition at the prestigious Paris Conservatory. Coached by Dumas, she recited the fable of The Two Pigeons by La Fontaine and managed to persuade the school’s jury.
What was Sarah Bernhardt famous for?
A true visionary, she redefined stage acting in the 19th century, and in the 20th century she became one of the first movie stars. Glamorous, mysterious, provocative, and eccentric, Bernhardt was the prototype for a generation of Hollywood starlets. Here are 42 divine facts about Sarah Bernhardt.
When did Bernhardt recover?
In 1922 , when she was well into her 70s, Bernhardt was still going strong and performing regularly—but things were about to take a dark turn. Bernhardt was busy rehearsing for a new play when she fell into a sudden coma. She recovered in an hour or so, but it was an omen of tragedies to come.
What was Bernhardt's relationship with Damala?
Bernhardt’s relationship with Damala was unsurprisingly tempestuous. He was incredibly cruel to her and delighted in humiliating her, even once sitting in the front row of one of her plays and making faces while she acted. Sadly, this was far from the worst of his behavior: One day, she discovered that he had been using her money to buy gifts for his many mistresses.
What happened to Sarah and Regina?
Sarah and her sister Regina were at an extravagant actors’ ball when Regina accidentally stepped on the gown of an equally temperamental lead actress named Madame Nathalie. Nathalie’s reaction was to violently shove Regina away—something Sarah absolutely could not stand for.
When was Henriette Rosine born?
Henriette-Rosine Bernard was born in Paris on October 22, or perhaps the 23rd, in 1844. The daughter of a beautiful but dissolute Parisian courtesan named Judith, the future Sarah Bernhardt only met her father a couple of times, but he did pay for her education and provided her with a trust fund once she came of age.
Was Bernhardt a wallflower?
Pressing Matters. Bernhardt was no wallflower, and she delighted in being in the spotlight—but she also made sure it was on her own terms. She would often write letters to newspaper editors responding to negative reviews of her acting, speculation about her weight, or gossip about her personal life.
Was Bernhardt a Jewish woman?
Bernhardt’s mother, however, was Jewish, and Bernhardt stubbornly continued to identify herself as “a member of the Jewish race” until her death.
Sarah Bernhardt
One of the first great "stars" of the world stage, Sarah Bernhardt, known as "The Divine Sarah" (1844-1923), dominated the theatrical scenes of both Europe and America for over half a century. In addition to being considered one of the greatest actors of all time, she was noted for her "larger than life personality" and extravagant lifestyle.
BERNHARDT, SARAH
BERNHARDT, SARAH (Rosine Bernard; 1844–1923), French actress. Fathered by a Frenchman (Edouard Bernard), she was the eldest of three illegitimate daughters born to Judith Van Hard, a Dutch-Jewish music teacher. When Sarah was ten years old she was sent to the convent of Versailles and baptized. However, she remained proud of her Jewish heritage.
Bernhardt, Sarah
Bernhardt, Sarah (1845–1923) French actress. The greatest tragedienne of her era, Bernhardt rose to prominence in the Comédie Française (1872–80). Her superb portrayals in Phédre (1874) and Hernani (1877) earned her the title ‘Divine Sarah’. In the 1880s, she won international fame touring Europe and the USA.
Early Life
First Stage Performances
Career Highlights and The Rise of Motion Pictures
- In 1868, Bernhardt had her breakthrough performance as Anna Damby in Dumas’ Kean. She received a standing ovation and was instantly given a salary raise. Her next successful performance was in François Coppée’s Le Passant, in which she played the part of the troubadour boy—the first of her many male roles. During the subsequent decades, Bernhardt’s career flouris…
Later Life and Death
- In 1899, Bernhardt signed a lease with the city of Paris to renovate and manage the Théâtre des Nations. She renamed it Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt and opened the theater with a revival of La Tosca, followed by her other major successes: Phédre, Theodora, La Dame aux Camélias, and Gismonda. Throughout the early 1900s, Bernhardt made a number of farewell tours around the g…
Legacy
- Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt was managed by her son Maurice until his death in 1928. It was later renamed Théâtre de la Ville. In 1960, Bernhardt was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bernhardt's vibrant and dramatic performances in so many iconic roles captivated audiences and critics all over the world. Her successful transition from stage t...
Sarah Bernhardt Fast Facts
- Full Name: Henriette-Rosine Bernard
- Known As: Sarah Bernhardt
- Occupation: Actress
- Born: October 22, 1844 in Paris, France
Sources and Further Reading
- Verneuil, Louis. The Fabulous Life of Sarah Bernhardt. London, Harper & brothers; Fourth Edition, 1942.
- Gold, Arthur and Fizdale, Robert. Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt. Knopf; First edition, 1991.
- Skinner, Cornelia Otis. Madame Sarah. Houghton-Mifflin, 1967.
- Verneuil, Louis. The Fabulous Life of Sarah Bernhardt. London, Harper & brothers; Fourth Edition, 1942.
- Gold, Arthur and Fizdale, Robert. Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt. Knopf; First edition, 1991.
- Skinner, Cornelia Otis. Madame Sarah. Houghton-Mifflin, 1967.
- Tierchant, Hélène. Madame Quand même. Editions Télémaque, 2009.
