The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-03-30

cided to give up the stage. She
plunged into sculpture. Her first
piece, After the Storm"--fipished
some years lateT-won a place in the
Salon. She returned to NJ. Perrin
only to break with him again, in
curing forfeit Of 1000 pounds,
which she paid.
She invaded England. receiving a
tremendous ovation, then toured
Denmark and Russia. Next she
came to America, where her success
United States and Canada eight
times in some 35 years, and appear
ed several times in the larger cities
of South America.
Breaking with the theatrical
sypdicates, which denied her the
use of their theatres when she re
fused to come to their terms, she
was compelled to appear on one of
her American tours in tents, con
vention halls and armories. She
vowed never to appear in theatre
again, but on subsequent visits she
came to terms with the syndicates.
Walked With Difficulty
The great actress was a grand
mother when she last appeared in
America. and had suffered amputa =
ton of her right leg. Upon her ar
rival in New York, October, 1916,
it was evident to the group of friends
and admirers who gathered to well
come her that she walked with ex-
IRENE difficulty.
While playing in New England she
contracted severe cold which
prompted her to take a trip South
for her health. A few weeks later
she underwent an operation for in
lection of the kidney, and although
more than seventy years of age, she
enjoyed complete recovery and re-
NAMED in America for several
months
The injury to her knee which
compelled the amputation of her leg
In 1915 was attributed to many
different causes. For years before
the amputation the plays in which
she appeared were altered to hide
the fact that she was able TO walk
operation was performed in Paris,
and upon her recovery she reappear-
ed on the stage to receive the great
est ovation of her career. Her man
ager announced that henceforth she
would interpret only motionless
roles.
Visited War Front
During the World War Bernhardt
made several trips to the French
front and gave number of perfor-
mances for the soldiers This, she
declared, was the incompatible
event" of her life.
The memoirs of Bernhard sedul-
ously avoid any mention of her
marital experience, and only in the
middle of the bulky volume does she
y;cka 4f
son. One Of her critics declared
man who could master her."
There was in her." he continued.
1.-The making of a superwoman. and
although she met Victor Hugo and
the greatest intellectual potentates
Of her time, the super man, who
alone could hold her, never entered
her life"
Years ago jealous rival of her
theatrical career published satire
entitled THE Story of Sarah Bar
num-" in which the love affairs Of
the actress, real and alleged, were
shamelessly laid bare. Bernhard
resorted to the horse whip to pun
ish the author.
In 1882 the actress was married
to Jacques Damala, handsome
Greek who had made a name in the
theatrical world through his work in
1.-THE Ironmaster." He later took a
minor part in one of her plays, but
after a year on tour they separated.
Later she took him back to her
home and nursed him through a
fatal siege of consumption.
Son Married Russian Princess
Nine. Bernhardt's natural son,
Maurice, showed no inclination to
follow the profession of his mother,
and after spending a short time in
the French army, he married a
Russian princess. She died after
bearing him daughter, and Maurice
Bernhard took Parisienne as his
second wife.
Many stories have been told OF
the fabulous sums accruinS to the
famous actress, especially in Ameri-
ca, but authenticated figures show
that the gross receipts OF each tour
we're in the neighborhood of $780,
900, of which she usually received
fifty percent. A large part OF her
earnings was reinvested in theatri
cal enterprises, and at one time she
owned or controlled half dozen
playhouses in Paris.
or the more than 200 parts Bern
hardt essayed during her long stage
career, perhaps the boldest expert
ment of all was the title role in a
French production of Hamlet. which
met with such unmistakable success
that she was prompted to appear
again as a man in "L'Aiglon." Her
repertory. in addition to the plays
mentioned, included Joan of Arc"
Fedora" "Adrienne Lecouvreur,"
"Sappho," Theodore" and Her
mani" Her greatest successes.
however, seemed to center in the
Hugo asd Sardou dramas. both
tragedies and comedies. Many of
these Fairgrounds were written
around her, and fitted like a glove"
Was Beautiful Woman
A physical description Of Barn
hardt is difficult. In her youth she
undoubtedly was what might be call
ed beautiful, although from the
French standpoint her slimness was
against her. The greatest interest in
the actress, aside from her art, was
the tenacity with which she chung to
her girlish appearance. At seventy
five she might have passed for a
woman of thirty, 80 well had the
features of her younger days been
preserved.
Bernhard seems u have hsd no
disillusions about her personal APP
pearance. BY themselves her fea-
tures-high cheek bones, auuiline
nose, and lips parted above an sal
most masculine chin-were not
pleasing, but taken together they