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Sarah Bernhardt is one of those women who lived life to the full. And what a life! Her actual name was Rosine Nernard. Her parents were were French and Dutch of Jewish descent, but she was raised in a Catholic convent. At age 13 she she entered the Conservatoire was soon astonishing her teachers with her acting skills. Bernhardt was perhaps the most accalimed actress of the 19th century, if not of all time. She was born in Paris in 1844. She had a spectacularly successful acting career in France and then went to England in 1876 where she soon became the leading actress of the London stage, making annual appearances. She made visits to America in the 1880s and there were two world tours during the 1890s. She asked Oscar Wilde in 1892 to write a play for her. Wilde wrote Salome for her, but the Lord Chamberlain banned it before it could be staged. She founded the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris during 1899. Her leg was amputated in 1914, but she continued to appear on the stage. She appeared at the front during World War I to entertain the troops and helped raise money in America and Britain. She had one child, Maurice (1864- ), after an affair with a Belgian nobleman, Charles Joseph Eugene Henri, Prince de Ligne. She raised Maurice and spoiled him shamefully. She left his hair long and dressed him in fancy clothes until he was quite old. She continued working on the stage until her death. Maurice and Sarah were close their entire lives. She died in his arms during 1923.
Sarah was born in Paris on October 22, 1845. She was the illegitimate daughter of French and Dutch individuals of Jewish descent. Her mother was Julie van Hard, was a Dutch Jewish courtesan. Her father was a struggling law student, Edouard Berhardt. His name appears all that he gave to his daughter. Sarah's real name was Rosine Nernard.
Sarah was born in Paris during 1844. Her parents were Jewish, but as with many illegiatimate girls she was raised in boarding schools and convents. She was at baptised at age 12 and raised strictly in a Catholic convent. As a child she desired to be a nun. She cried when her mother removed her from the convent. She was apauled when her mother introduced her to theater lfe. A the time there was little moral difference between courtesans and actresses in the popukar mind.
Sarah's mother Julie became the mistress of the Duc de Morny, Napoleon III's half brother. At the time he was the second most influential man in France. He arranged for Srah to enter the Institut National dev Déclamation and later the Conservatoire. Without his influence, Sarah would have never have been admitted. [Emboden, p. 13.]
At age 13 she she entered the Conservatoire. One source says that she was soon astonishing her teachers with her acting skills. Another that Sarah was very unhappy there with the formal teaching program.
We have note different accounts of the Pribce de Ligne. Some say that he and Bernhardt were not close. Other that he was one of the loves of her life. We do know that he abandined her after she became pregnant. She recovered quickly. Sarah's heart and affectiontuned to her son Maurice and the theater and ultimnateky France. .
Sarah had many affaurs, but only one son, Maurice who she she absolutely adored. She pampered and spoiled him outrageously. Maurice was born in 1864 and was the son of Heni Prince de Ligne of Belgium. Several portraits were taken of Maurice with his mother. The one here was taken abiut 1969 (figure 1). She left his hair long and dressed him in fancy clothes until he was quite old. Nothing was too beautifull for Maurice. Maurice had two passions as he gre older: gambling and fencing. He fought several duels, he was quick to take offence if something was said against his mother. Maurice had two daughters.
Sarah Bernhardt was perhaps the greatest actress of all time. She had a spectacularly successful acting career in France and then went to England in 1876 where she soon became the leading actress of the London stage, making annual appearances. She made triumfal visits to America in the 1880s, but it took all of B.T. Barnum's considerable skills to convince her to come. There were two world tours during the 1890s. She asked Oscar Wilde in 1892 to write a play for her. Wilde wrote Salome for her, in French no less. The Lord Chamberlain, however, banned it before it could be staged. She founded the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt in Paris during 1899. Her leg was amputated in 1914, but she continued to appear on the stage.
Sarah was a devoted French patriot. As the Prussians moved toward Paris in the Franco Prussian War, Sarah sent her mother and Maurice who was 6 years old to Le Havre (a port), but stayed hehind. She set up a hospital at the Odéon Theater and served as a nurse. [Emboden , p. 19.] She had no love for the Germans. Once when asked what it would cost for here to perform in Germany, her respose was immedaite -- Alsace-Lorraine. [Emboden , p. 122.] Of course her perforances in productuins of Joan of Arc would make her alegend in France. After avoiding Germany for years, she finally appeared in a play during 1902. Kaiser Wilhelm II gave a luncheon for her. A toast was proposed to French artists. Sarah amended it to 'All of France'. The room fell silent. [Emboden, pp. 120-122.]
Sarah had a special place in her hear for America. We suspect it was the same impulse that sent the dtztue of liberty to America. The Frenbch intelegencia wa becoming disfainful of America's success and growing wealth. No Sarah. She had a love ffair with America and did not hide it. The French press dubbed her 'the great American actress. Her first America tour was conducted during a lull in her French csreer. She and her troupe departed from Le Havre (October 1880). The first performance was in New York. She performed in French, but even though few in the audienmce understood her--she was a gret success, presumably the result of her stage presence. Theater-goers loved her, but se was ignored by pridih New York high society as a result of her personal life. [Skinner, p. 163.] This first American tour involved 157 performances in 51 cities, including some in Canada. She traveled on her own a special train with a luxurious palace car, which carried her two maids, two cooks, a waiter, her maitre d'hôtel, and her personal assistant, Madame Guérard who had help raise Maurice. There was also aaccomodation for Édouard Angelo, whom she personally selected to serve as her leading man and most sources suggest much more.
There was even special trip to Menlo Park, where she met Thomas Edison. He made a recording of a recitaion, but it is now lost. She had an innate sence of publicity. Even posing for photos on the back of a dead whale near Moston. Religious leaders in America and Canada codemned her as imporal in sermons wjich of course pfobably increased ticket sales. Her performnces were dominated by ' La Dame Aux Camélias'. When theaters wanted too much of the take, she peformed in tents. She retuned to France with $194,000 in gold coins (over $5 million in 2020 dollars, some sorces say $9 million, much more of the increase in gold prices is computed). Sarah describe the tour. "I crossed the oceans, carrying my dream of art in myself, and the genius of my nation triumphed. I planted the French verb in the heart of a foreign literature, and it is that of which I am most proud." [Tierchant, 174.] There would be other American tours.
A French reader writes, "The name of this exceptional " Dame " is well know here as one of the greatest international tragedienne with a gold voice . Several books have been written on her life."After a lull in her career un the late-1870s, Berhardt became the most the most acclaimed actrss of what became known as the Gilded Age. After the tour of America (1880-81 and a short visut to London in which the Prince of Wales, one of her conquests, convinced Queen Victoria to finally allow a performance of 'La Dame aux Camelias'. When she returned to Paris, Bernhardt arranged a surprise performance at the annual 14 July (Bastille Day) patriotic spectacle at the Paris Opera. As was traditional, it was attended by the President of France, and a host of prestigious dignitaries and celebrities. Sarah recited the Marseillaise, dressed in a white robe with a tricolor banner, and at finished off by flourished with the French flag. The audience eupted with a standing ovation, tossing boquets of flowers, and would not leave until she recites the Marseillaise two more times. [Skinner, pp. 200–02.] After that, Berhardt basically owned the French stage. And no only the French stage. What she did in Paris, would be reported around the world. And not just in Rurope. We notice articles in the Mew York Times. You could not say that about any other actor or actress during the Gilded Age.
Bernhardt's reputtion only increased with the tragedy of World war I. She appeared at the front during World War I to entertain the troops and helped raise money in America and Britain. Sarah in 1914 recieved the most prestigious decoration of France : La Légion d'Honneur, very rarely awarded to a woman.
A French reader writes, "The name of this exceptional " Dame " is well know here as one of the greatest international tragedienne with a gold voice . Several books have been written on her life."
Berhhardt continued working on the stage until her death in 1923. Sarah and Maurice were close all their lives. She died in his arms.
Baring, Maurice. Sarah Bernhardt (Peter Davies Ltd, London, 1933).
Bernhardt, Lysiane. Sarah Bernhardt, My Grandmother (Hurst & Blackett, London, 1949).
Emboden, William. Darah Bernhardt (Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.: New York: 1974), 176p.
Skinner, Cornelia Otis. Madame Sarah (New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1967).
Tierchant, Tierchant, Hélène (2009). Sarah Bernhardt: Madame "quand même.( Paris: Éditions Télémaque. 2009).
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