OCR Text |
Show Mrs. Sarah Bernhardt . "The Divine" Sarah Bernhardt has soared to heights in emotional acting never dreamed of by others of tho most sanguine members of her profession. She has created hundreds of stago characters with a predominating characteristic of love, hate or Jealousy Jeal-ousy and developed them as no oth-or oth-or woman of any ago has done. While thero aro other women who in their native country have received tho recognition re-cognition of tho great tragedienne there is no other and never yet has teen that has met with tho world wide acclamation that has greeted Mmo. Bernhardt. Although she has always used her native French on tho stage, people of al nations, many of whom could not understand her languago have .been among her most ardont admirers. She has surpassed, too, in that sho has held tho center of tho stages troughout three generations. Sho is tho first actress upon whom for stago merits alone has hfiCa conferred tho cross of tho Legion of Honor. This was bestowed In February, 1914, after af-ter thirty years of contention. The life of Sarah Bernhardt Is woven full of dramatic incidents. Tho day of her birth is recognized as October 22, 1844. Sho Is the daughter of a Dutch Jewish mother and French official father. When n very small child sho was sent to Paris whero she spent much time with relatives. At twelve years of ago she went to Grand Camp Convent, Con-vent, Versailles, whero sho made her first public appcaranco In ti llttlo miracle mi-racle play. Tho effect of this play was to In-splro In-splro In tho supersensitive chl'd a desire to becomo a nun. Her mother flatly opposed tho Idea and Bernhardt Bern-hardt was taken to tho theater Instead, In-stead, and her stage career began. One year later at the ago of 13 sho had won tho second prize for tragedy. trage-dy. A subscription was taken nmong tho stage folk which enabled her to lemaln In tho conservatory another year and at tho end of that time she had won tho second prlzo .In comedy. come-dy. Her debut camo in 18C2 when sho appeared in a minor part and without with-out any marked success. Five years later she won her first definite success suc-cess as Cordelia in a French translation trans-lation of King Lear. With tho coming com-ing of tho Franco-Prussian war soon after, Bernhardt turned her theater Into a hospital for tho nursing of wounded soldiers and W'on widespread wide-spread approval. Somo tlmo later sho began a life member of tho Comedlo Francalso. After repeated clashes with tho man agement of tho institution and Incurring, In-curring, a forfeit of $40,000 sho left tho stago and plunged Into sculpturo winning considerable recognition. At length she returned to the stago going first to England then to Denmark, Den-mark, Russia and at length America. Ameri-ca. Her combined temper nnd temperament tem-perament brought her to n break with theatrical managements nnd sho was refused the uso of theaters. Sho then appeared in circus tents, armories arm-ories and concert halls but never at tho sacrifice of her dignity. As lato as 1905 Bornhardt was tho victim of an egg nnd stone throwing in Quebec, Que-bec, whero her company was driven from town by a body of 200 men and-boys. and-boys. Sho later received an official apology for tho act from Sir Wilfred Laurler, and sho dismissed tho incident inci-dent by taking out a 1100,000 accident acci-dent Insurance. Tho gross receipts of Bornhardfs performances have- aggregated millions mil-lions of dollars. Sho lias, however, saved nothing. Sho has often lived so close to tho margin that it has been necessary to advance her on her salary, with her. Hfo insuranco policy as security. Much of her money sho "has expended in theatrical theatri-cal ventures and upon her grandchild. grand-child. Tho recognition that sho has received re-ceived has been almost limitless. In Vienna tho men from hor audience loosed hor horses from her carriage and drew her through tho streets, crying "Vivo Bernhardt." Demonstra-tlons Demonstra-tlons almost as great have met hor In all sections of tho world. Bornhardt has expressed a wish to act until overtaken by death, and when a year ago sho was obliged to sacrifice a limb to save hor life sho turned to moving picture acting ra-ther ra-ther than glvo up her public career. Mario Dlllo. |