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Sarah Bernhardt[bUrn´hArt, Fr. bernAr´] Pronunciation Key, 1844–1923, stage name of Rosine Bernard, French actress, b. Paris. At age 13 she entered the Paris Conservatory, and later attracted attention during appearances at the OdEon (1866–72). With the ComEdie FranCaise (1872–80) she attained full stature with her superb portrayals of PhEdre (1874) and of Dona Sol in Hugo's Hernani (1877). In 1880 she began her tours of Europe and the United States. She managed several theaters in Paris before leasing the ThEAtre des Nations, renaming it the ThEAtre Sarah Bernhardt. Here she revived some of her former successes and appeared in the title role of Hamlet (1899) and in Rostand's L'Aiglon, which was written for her in 1901. In 1912 she appeared in the silent films La Dame aux camElias and Queen Elizabeth. She also wrote plays in which she appeared. Among them were L'Aveu (1898) and Un cœur d'homme (1909).
See her memoirs (tr. 1907); biographies by J. Huret (1899), M. Baring (1934), L. Verneuil (1942), A. W. Row (1957), C. O. Skinner (1967), and G. Taranow (1972).
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