Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-28
MHIE. BEBNHARDT HERE,
CRIPPLED, BUT DIVINE
nr.st Actress Bears Misfortune
with "Pep" and Courage of
an 1S-Year-Old
.ssALs U. s. PRESIDENT
Nv M'tIss

~.h pernhnrdt, the indomitahle ~
~ ss the divine, Is IN philadelphia FOR
vee .is,b--aud may u not be her last
hn she came like the potentate she
ssrs on litter surrounded by the loyal
N followers who travel In her wake.
-, GOOD truth " must be written that
n. " pernhardt looked more like n
Assiate tomboy than the queen as she
fl!ss'iiy and gracefully IN the center ~
~ ssiss Tongue nfrair held az either end
w -s,srs a cascade OF smiles ripped
"a ~ alert face when. as she was being
t.t.f TO the elevator IN the Bellevue, she
- herself drawing the crowds toward her
.s a magnet draws steel
!, was the triumphant entry Of we'll
..tabtished favOrite.
~. Mad been prepared 10 be shocked
:, me language OF the "meierdrnmmer"
~. bad expected to find this wonderful
r,an IA wreck OF her former self"
older than most women dare TO admit
.,st,selveE to be. maimed In body by the
s.,nr,atIon OF a leg and Ia spirit by the
s.lrhtfui Visitation OF war upon her be.
,aesa country, the divine Sarah. age sew
srty-two. has the pep OF an eighteen
.ar.oid and the cousummate charm that
80 always been hers and with which mere
tessrs have nothing at all TO 40.
,vben the news OF the slckenlng mIsfor-
-. that had come to this woman whose
inAnite variety age could not wither. nor
s,sforn stale" reached the world: when Il
vas TO be taken on almost at the hip. the
,,,nrosltion was that fate had stepped in
ahead OF death TO deprive uH OF her incom-
rarabIe art. We were stunned II never
occurred TO ask why this thing had hap
censd. II had happened. That was all.
hui while waiting for madams'a arrival
= ,n4t one Monsieur Gross. formerly OF Phil
,dtlphia and relative OF madnmes, who
siso was waiting twas he who told me
,he story OF her afilictlon, "a story which,
., nth
LOSS OF A LEG
n happened In Parts more than three
vars ago Bernhard was playing Ca
mile You remember the scene In which
Win fiery abandon she filings herself Mt the
~, OF her lovers father TO plead for
mercy. one who has seen Bernhardt do
ths could never forget II. There was rus
AZ nall In the stage plankng. As she knelt
n vent into her knee and hurt her cruelty
The leg never got we'll Gangrene set in
and ultimately there was the amputation
But the divine Sarah scorns n crutch or
any artlncnlity. II In true that she seldom
stands and never walks. But II ia charac-
l,rlstIc OF her invincible pluck that there
are no visible evidences OF her atiiiction.
Yesterday she came from Baltimore by
motor. The chauffeur confused by the
roads. got lost. She was more than fve
hours In transit. She had even, as she told !
me alterward. missed her "dejeuner" Ten |
minutes after her arrival In Philadelphia |
rhe received n horde OF reporters and ac-
cuantances. She bore none OF the stains OF
travel; none of the traces of fatigue that
the average. normal person would bear
after an exhausting, foodless day. She was
radiant and young and looked like n
beautiful picture as she sat In the reception
room OF her suite. Her tawny hair seems
10 tngIe with the electricity OF her own
peculiar magnetism.
A SIMPLE TOILET
on tho back of her head sat raklsh fur
cap as tawny as her hair She wore n taupe
gown OF velvet and charmeuse made on
simple flowing lines and appllqued with
rose-pInk emhroIderies A loose cloak OF n
rich brocade mantIed her shoulders and
from rs loose. open sleeves her wonderful.
long arms that have been the subject OF so
much comment. firm and cleaning white
through the lace transparencles OF the
sleeves OF her gown. belied more than any
hing else her growing years.
In rapld-flre French she conducted a
strained interview with those who had
come to put her once more into print |
Everybody wanted to talk about the war
Sarah no less than any But canny man |
atsrs stood by 10 prevent such catas- |
irophe. because all canny managers know |
that from the viewpoint of the box office |
lothlng is safer than strict neutrality
UPBRAIDs WILSON
Fancy Madame Bernhardt neutral!
Your Mr. WILSON," she drew her face |
Into disgusted moue and extended her |
arms vehemently, 'it was frightful thing |
Ne did crime, n great crime the neutrals |
are committing by interference now The
lime for that Is past"
The manager loomed up. A pause en-
sued To make conversation some one |
poke OF Madame's perpetual youth
She brushed her cheeks gaily.
"RoureP Non" she laughed, 81 do not |
use II. My recipe for keeping young, II /
have one, is work, work, work always more
work"
with the exception OF a great deal Of
carmlns on her lips and the weird and in
terestng makeup OF her marvellous eyes |
that she always uses. Madame has dis |
rensed with cosmetics The skin OF her |
cheeks Is as smooth and as unwrinkled as |
hory. II isn't possible that she can be
feyenty-tyo with such skin, and yet |
vomen and certainly press representatives,
% not lie on the wrong side In matters
Ike these,
AZORES THE MOVIES
Madame Bernhardt expressed great In
tsFest when she heard that the last hlm |
IN which she has acted. The Mother Of
France" had been sent to America, and |
hat private view for her benent was TO
b given.
The cinema? How do / like it?" che |
fadiated, with an enthusiasm that would
infect the most phlegmatlc, "Beaueoup |
Deaucoup. / adore the movies"
People said that Bernhardt would not |
b success In the movies that her art |
was dependent upon the liquid golden quail
ny Of her voice. il has been proved that |
they are wrong, just as II has been proved |
nat women old and with terrible |
physleal infiFmity caR aet-provided. OF
seurse that that woman is the incompaTable |
hernhardt.