“Generally accepted as the finest actress of the late nineteenth century, Sarah Bernhardt made her stage debut in 1862. Her reputation was established at the Odéon theatre, Paris between 1866 and 1872, and at the Comédie-Française, 1872 to 1880. From 1880 she toured the world with her own company, frequently appearing in her three major successes Phèdre, La Dame aux Camélias and Adrienne Lecouvreur. In 1897 she shocked the theatrical establishment by playing Hamlet in a new prose translation, repeating the role at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, in 1899. It was in the duel scene from this production that Bernhardt made her screen debut, playing opposite Pierre Magnier in a short film made for the Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre in 1900. Under the influence of the dramatist Sardou she had developed a broad, pantomimic style of acting, much in evidence in her films La Dame aux Camélias (1911) and Les Amours de la Reine Elisabeth (1912).”
(Who’s Who in Victorian Cinema)

It is likely most readers on this page are too young to be familiar with the term “moving pictures” and are likely to view the term, “Victorian Cinema” as a type of oxymoron. If so, it might amuse such readers to view the celebrated “stars” of that era by drifting through the pages of Who’s Who in Victorian Cinema. Though the name Bernhardt has retained it’s star magic over time, most names will likely be unfamiliar, a rather sad thing given the ego and pride most film artists invest in creating a lasting legacy. But these were the pioneers, before talkies, before special effects, making their mark with just the force of their personality and the hope of their ambitions.

“Cinema arrived in 1895 and had reached almost every corner of the globe by the end of 1896. At the close of the nineteenth century it was firmly established as a medium of entertainment, instruction and experiment, making fortunes and reputations and changing the very way that people looked on their world.”

Who’s Who in Victorian Cinema’s online site serves as “a biographical guide to the world of Victorian film. It features 300 biographies of those who, behind and in front of the camera, played a significant part in creating the phenomenon of moving pictures. It is based on the book Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema, published by the British Film Institute in 1996.”
(source)