Cinematizing theatre: Sarah Bernhardt, Gabrielle Réjane, and the early French double feature film

This article explores the intermedial work of Sarah Bernhardt and Gabrielle Réjane, two internationally famous French actresses of the Belle Époque. Taking their 1912 double- bill program featuring Bernhardt’s Camille (La Dame aux Camélias, André Calmettes and Henri Pouctal, Film d’Art, 1911) and Réjane’s Mme Sans–Gêne (André Calmettes and Henri Desfontaines, Film d’Art, 1911) as a case study, I argue that they are pioneering figures whose films expose the relationship between the Parisian actress, modern industry, and the global visibility of the French entertainment industries