Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Syracuse, New York; Amsterdam, Holland, and Santa Barbara, California (Had a great time there when I was on the road in the 70's).
ROCK against Reaganomics at: Theater X-Net
Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley
Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
NEW --Launching NOW! Outre Space Cinema -- Featuring: 1930's Rocketry, Spitfires of the Spaceways and Cellulose to Celluloid, Flash Gordon in the Saturday Matinees and Sunday Comics.
Many thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!
Charity Alert: Check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site. Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day.
Image extensively redigitized from a photo by Felix Nadar (Tournachon) circa 1865
Real Books: The Divine Sarah by Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale was a rather breathless run through Sarah Bernhardt's long theatrical career. I occasionally read biographies for clues why certain individuals become great. There are no answers in this book, but there are may be enough famous names, allusions to history, social anthropology, quotes from publications, and letters to make some guesses. The fact remains that Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was the Art of Theatre's ambassador to the world between 1880 and 1920. I also stand by my comparison of her stardom to Elvis Presley's stardom, and declare similarities to Marilyn Monroe's stardom, even though Madame Bernhardt survived the formidable madness of mass popularity. There is NO mention of Ida Rubinstein, High Patroness of this blog, anywhere in these pages, which is a remarkable omission, but their mutual friend, and rabid artistic supporter, Count Robert de Montesquiou gets some of the ink he deserves.
After her dismissal from the Comedie Francaise, between 1864 and 1869, young Mlle. Bernhardt lived on the fringes of Paris' theatrical scene, practically forced to ply her mother's trade as cocette to the extremely partiarchal hierarchy of Paris until she re-launched her fledgling career at the Odeon. The difference between courtesans and prostitutes was the wealth of their customers, and the reciprocity these favored women could arrange with their discrete, serial lovers. Bernhardt bore a son to an initially uncaring Belgian prince during these years. Actresses were expected to function like courtesans in her society, plus perform in plays as well. Paris' favorite female dramaturge of the early 1800's was another Jewish lady who used the name Rachel, but she passed away at the age of 36, despite her liasons in very high places.
It is my conjecture that Sarah's thespian training finally sank-in over time. She perfected all aspects of it under the pressure of coping with the many demands from her imperious men by acutely desiring something more in her life, and working hard to make her aesthetic skills serve her goals. She later proved herself capable of successful sculpture and drawing, so she discovered an artist within herself as she grew to womanhood in the dangerous and humiliating milieu of professional mistresses and their patrons. It was a true miracle that the artist she found was extremely talented, and her clientele included a few discerning individuals who recognized Bernhardt's powers, as the world would eventually take notice too. In Bernhardt's case, the stage allowed her to express herself, and provided some financial gains outside the boudoir. The way she hustled her transportable artworks, and successfully wooed the public outside of Europe's established circles of patronage meant she was able to make choices denied to other women.
Her unfortunate sister Jeanne sickened and died from the hazards professional women still face, after falling from social grace into unpatronized prostitution. Their mother Julie died prematurely too, after bearing at least four children by different men. Sarah was blessed by providence, I have no doubt, but her superhuman determination overcame circumstances which would have buried most people. Dumas' tragic character Camille flared into a comet when illuminated by Sarah's grim experiences in her world of the night.
Since I wrote about her similarities with Elvis Presley already, what are the similarities between Sarah Bernhardt and Marilyn Monroe? They both came of age trying to define themselves in micro-societies dominated by powerful men, where their sexuality was traded and even sold. Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe) Mortenson did whatever she had to do in 40's Hollywood to make a living and hopefully break into the movie industry. Her famous nude calendar was the result of a modeling job she needed to do in order to pay an $80 towing bill for her car. There were a few key agents and filmmakers who eventually saw Marilyn Monroe's potential, and the general public loved her on the big screen. She became a cultural icon -- symbolizing Sex and Glamor through the 1950's, into the 60's, and epitomizing the very concept of Movie Star.
So much for the superficial similarities -- after she resumed her career in 1869, Bernhardt maintained a certain amount of control over her life, and never completely lost the support of her patrons in what truly was a "Man's World" (good and bad).
It is sad, but I don't believe that Monroe ever had more than conditional support from the many men who used her for commerce, status, or sex. Although Monroe had natural ability, and sincerely tried to improve her craft, she never possessed the inner discipline that enabled Bernhardt to thrive over five decades. Monroe's ruinous isolation behind the wall of fame, and fatal reliance on alcohol and drugs was unfortunately repeated by both major and minor talents.
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