Welcome to the Sarah Bernhardt Film Fandom Page!
What this project is about
Sarah Bernhardt was a French vaudeville actress turned film star. Born on October 22nd, 1844 in Paris, Bernhardt's acting career began at the young age of 16, when she was sent to acting school at the famous Paris Conservatoire. She initially gained fame through her various roles in theater performances but then transitioned into the film industry and became a film star later in her life in the early 1900s. To many, Sarah is considered one of the first modern celebrities.
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This project is dedicated to telling and preserving Bernhardt's unique and compelling narrative through a digital exhibit showcasing her story in three distinct arcs. To enhance this narrative, relevant artifacts sourced from original film fan magazines from the era have been carefully curated to provide a window back into the time of early film stars like Sarah Bernhardt herself. Additionally, a selection of samples of film reels featuring Bernhardt are also posted on this page so that visitors can view some of Bernhardt's works firsthand. Please take some time to take a look at the array of digital exhibits and learn about an important figure in film history!
FAQ
What was vaudeville?
Vaudeville was a form of theater performance that became popular in the late 19th century. It involved various eccentric entertainment acts. Eventually, vaudeville acts developed into what we now know as circus performance but its longer lasting legacy was how vaudeville set the stage for the rise of film.
What was early cinema like?
When film was first beginning to gain popularity, film distribution was tricky because the equipment needed to show a film was expensive and not accessible for the everyday person. Entrepreneurs known as exhibitioners would purchase film reels and the equipment needed to show them, then charge a price to view a film. By the 1910s, Nickelodeons became the most popular mode of film exhibition. These were small, independent theaters that were oftentimes converted storefronts. As Nickelodeons kept popping up, new ways of marketing and promotion developed, one of which was star power. Theater stars such as Sarah Bernhardt often featured in films to attract audiences and use their names in promotional materials.
What is a film fan magazine?
Film fan magazines focused on promoting films and movie stars to the public to get consumers interested in following these film stars' film productions and achievements. Eventually, the magazines' contents expanded to also include stories about stars' personal lives off-camera as well as gossip. These magazines were very popular in the 20th century and were a great way to stay up to date on an actors' or actress' current happenings. Photoplay (1911-1980) was one of the first and most popular magazines, but many others succeeded very well and sold widely too.
Watch Original Film Footage
Below is a short video of one of Sarah's Bernhardt's earliest film appearances, a fencing duel scene from a 1900 French film recording of excerpts from the classic William Shakespeare play Hamlet starring Bernhardt herself. Press play to get a glimpse of what early films featuring her looked like.
