''The Incredible Sarah'' is a 1976 British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Richard Fleischer Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. Though he ...

and starring Glenda Jackson. It presents a dramatization of the acting career of

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

Cast

* Glenda Jackson as

* Daniel Massey as Victorien Sardou *

Yvonne Mitchell Yvonne Mitchell (born Yvonne Frances Joseph; 7 July 1915 – 24 March 1979) was an English actress and author. After beginning her acting career in theatre, Mitchell progressed to films in the late 1940s. Her roles include Julia in the 1954 BBC ...

as Mam'selle *

Douglas Wilmer Douglas Wilmer (8 January 1920 – 31 March 2016) was an English actor, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1965 TV series ''Sherlock Holmes''. Early life Wilmer was born in Brentford, Middlesex, and received his education at King' ...

as Montigny * David Langton as Duc De Morny * Simon Williams as Henri de Ligne * John Castle as Damala * Edward Judd as Jarrett *

Rosemarie Dunham Rosemarie Dunham (born Rosemarie Tomlinson; 13 December 1924 – 5 December 2016) was a British actress. She is sometimes credited as Rosemary Dunham. Early life Dunham was born in Leuchars, Fife, the daughter of Willis Tomlinson, an Englis ...

as Mrs. Bernhardt * Peter Sallis as Thierry *

Bridget Armstrong Bridget Armstrong (born 1937, Dunedin) is a New Zealand actress. She appeared on stage, film and TV several times, including '' The Lost Tribe (The Goodies)''; as Nurse Rosemary Layton, in the ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' ' episode, ''We Shall See' ...

as Marie * Margaret Courtenay as Madame Nathalie *

Maxwell Shaw Maxwell Shaw (21 February 1929 - 21 August 1985 in London, England) was an actor, known for ''The Barber of Stamford Hill'' (1962), '' Once More, with Feeling!'' (1960) and ''BBC Sunday-Night Theatre'' (1950). He is best remembered for his televis ...

as Fadinard *

Patrick Newell Patrick David Newell (27 March 1932 – 22 July 1988) was a British actor, known for his large size. Early life and education The second son of Eric Llewellyn Newell, of High Lodge, Hadleigh, Suffolk, an Oxford-educated physician who served ...

as Major * Neil McCarthy as Sergeant

Awards

The film was nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Costume Design (

Anthony Mendleson Anthony Mendleson (7 February 1915 – 5 September 1996) was a British costume and set designer. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1972 for ''Young Winston'', and in 1976 for ''The Incredible Sarah''. He was born on ...

) and

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

( Elliot Scott and

Norman Reynolds Norman Reynolds (26 March 1934 – April 2023) was a British production designer and director, best known for his work on the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy and ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''. Reynolds was born in Willesden, London, on 26 March ...

). Glenda Jackson was also nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Actress.

References

External links

* * 1976 films 1970s biographical drama films Biographical films about actors British biographical drama films Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films directed by Richard Fleischer Films shot at Pinewood Studios Cultural depictions of Sarah Bernhardt 1976 drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s British films {{1970s-UK-film-stub