Great Actresses of the Past

Compiled by The Museum of Modern Art Film Library in 1938, the film is a glimpse of the early 20th century’s finest stage performers— Gabrielle Réjane, Eleonora Duse, Sarah Bernhardt, and Minnie Maddern Fiske. The compliation contains excerpts from four films, adapted from four timeless stories: Madame Sans-Gêne (1911), Cenere (1916), La Dame aux Camélias (1912), and Vanity Fair (1915).

Cast

Gabrielle Réjane

(archive footage)

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Eleonora Duse

(archive footage)

Sarah Bernhardt

(archive footage)

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Minnie Maddern Fiske

(archive footage)