Sarah Bernhardt - Queen Elizabeth (1912)

This is a brief clip from the silent Sarah Bernhardt film "Queen Elizabeth" (1912).

In this sequence, Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Essex is executed. Queen Elizabeth (Bernhardt) visits his corpse, and mourns for him.

There's a subplot involving a missing ring, which (in the context of the story) demonstrates Essex's fidelity to Elizabeth.

"Queen Elizabeth" was by far Bernhardt's most successful film.

Audio recordings of Sarah's voice can be found at the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project website:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/sea...

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Dirkdebruyne]

is this with her wooden leg or before ?

[swagner99]

Before.

She injured her right knee in a 1905 performance of Tosca. Her leg was amputated in 1915 (3 years after 'Queen Elizabeth').

'Le Duel d'Hamlet' is the only known film of Bernhardt taken before her Tosca leg accident.

[bisousis]

anybody who knows where to get ahold of the whole movie?

[swagner99]

You can buy a DVD version of it on ebay.

[tefisher1984]

Happy belated 164th birthday Sarah Bernhardt!

[Dungbeetleproduction]

i think this is the first paramount film.

[TheStockwell]

Good point. It could be that Essex heard the "whoosh!" of the executioner's axe and had a heart attack. Still, that sort of goof would look really bad on the executioner's resume. Another explanation: the axe did its job and Essex's head was stuck back on with Crazy Glue.

History has many such untold tales to tell!

[emma duncan]

maybe he missed...

[emma duncan]

Well you kinda need to put it in the context of 19th century stagecraft, they had to really "overdo" the movements in order for the people in the cheap seats...so everyone tended to be more then a little over ripe. even though she is remembered for being one of the greatest stage actors to ever live, I think a lot of that can be chalked up to just pure charisma.

[45antar]

RIP 26.3. 1913 she died

[epualc]

wow! fantastic!

[saintagil]

Splendid images Quite superb acting rendition !This such mooving effective scene is miraculously theatrical ! Nobody can ignore anymore that theater always bin one of the numerous roots that nourished Cinema .That was especially clear In the beginning of motion pictures.This commends us an open minded attitude served by an elementary brightness ! Since then Barbarian remarks shouldent influence or fade our pleasure Just enjoy and imagine about the Great Wide World impact this infinit Icon had !

[BrownEyes Love]

They must have placed the head above the body and hidden the huge gash with cloth or something. But she is inredible. Today, she prabably would have been pals with...well, I don't know. She could be a diehard party girl or a comedian.

[RapsAlive]

Terrible. 

[Tony Dapano]

On ne peut pas dire que le jeu de la Dame soit sobre !!! outrance maximum !!! les Chargeurs réunis !

[TheStockwell]

That's one honey of a continuity error. You'd think the inter-title at 0:15 would read, "The Queen visits the body of Essex and discovers that the ring is missing. Also, that Essex still has a head."