The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-03-30
PASS|NGOF WORLD
GREATEST ACTRESS
Nine. Bernhardt's Art Was
Known In All Lands
LONG LIFE STORY
Born In Paris 1845; Her First
Public Appearance On
Stage In 1862
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

| tASSOClated Press DlSpatcn.l
Paris, March 27.-Madame Sarah
Bernhard who died in this city last
evening after a long illness and
strong fight for life and who at
seventy years of age seemed still a
girl, was known to every land as
the worlds greatest actress" What
dissent there might have been to
this estimate, and however far her
detractors ventured in their at
tempts to minimize her right to that
distinction, the numberless admirers
of the Divine Sarah" remained
convinced that never before had the
stage produced an actress capable
of soaring to such heights in the
realm of emotional drama.
j The work of Nine. Bernhard was
best where a theme afforded the
greatest opportunity for a display of
her powerful emotions. At the
height of her career this form of
hate and jealousy, held the pre-
dominent place now dedicated to
character delineations, and Bern
hardt never was surpassed, her
critics say, in this emotional school
Hundreds of parts she either re-
wrote or created to suit herself
seldom being content to act them
as interpreted by others.
Her Long Life Story
Three generations have praised
and even worshipped the art of
thousands of people around the
world have thronged to see and
marvel at her acting without under
standing the French language, which
she invariably employed upon the
stage. Once, in Rio de Janeiro, she
was called before the curtain more
than 200 times by wildly enthusi
astic audience, and many times, in
other parts of the world. she was
obliged to answer scores of curtain
calls at single performance.
The long life story of Bernhard
is almost legendary. Closely woven
with dramatic incident, off as well
as on the stage, it was set down by
lished many years ago, and. as one
of her critics has said, through the
pages of the book peers the face OF
a woman, little tired. weary of
her own reputation, and blessed
with more than her share of the
vanities of the sex" AS she and
others have told the story, it is
summed UP here:
| The date. of her birth, the record
of which was destroyed in the flames
Of the Commune in Paris, was Com
monty accepted as October %. 1S45.
Her mother was Dutch and Jewish,
and her natural father a French Of
fetal. -
As a child Bernhard spent much
of her time with relatives in Paris,
and at the age Of twelve was sent
to the Grand Champ Convent, Yer
sailles. where she made her debut
in little miracle play given by the
children. Even at this early age,
the pale and sickly child is. said to
have displayed the Ats of temper
which we're characteristic of her
stage career.
Desired To Become Nun
After a year or two at the convent,
she conceived a passionate desire
to become a nun. To this her mother
recorded unqualified opposition, and
suggested a theatrical career in
stead.
she's too thin to be an actress"
said her god father. Let her be a
nun"
"I won't be an actress" little
Rachel is an actress. She came to
the convent and walked around the
garden, then she had to sit down
because she couldn't get her breath.
They fetched her something to bring
her around, but she was so pale, oh
so pale. I was very sorry for her,
and the nuns told me that what she
was doing was killing her, for she
was an actress. and so l won't be
an actress, I won't"
But fate had determined other
wise, and at the age of fourteen
Bernhard was sent to a conserva
tory At the end of the first year
she won second prize for tragedy.
A subscription among the players
at the Coincide Franchise enabled
| her to spend another year at the
conservatory, and upon the compile
ton OF this she carried off second
prize for comedy. Her first public
appearance. was at the Coincide
Franchise In August. 1862. She took
success.
First Definite Success
Five years later she emerged from
laborious obscurity with her first
definite success as Cordelia in a
French translation of King Lear. Fat
the Odeon. then as queen in Victor
Hugo's "Ruy Bas," and above all as
Canzett in Francois Coppee's lie
PEASANT" which she played in 1863.
Then came the Franco Prussian
war. Bernhard increased her pop
ularity by becoming war nurse. In
1871 she was made life member
of the Coincide Franchise. She
clashed repeatedly With NJ. Perrin.
the man ager. over the roles she
should take. and once in fit of