Le duel d’Hamlet
R: Clément Maurice, Marguerite Vrignault. D: Sarah Bernhardt, Pierre Magnier, Suzanne Seylor. P: Société Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre. Fr 1900

“Some of the most important early developments in ‘talking pictures’ were stimulated by the Paris Exposition of 1900. One of the most notable cinematic events at the Exposition was the Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre financed by Paris businessman Paul Decauville (1846-1922) with actress and dancer Marguerite Vrignault, later known as Marguerite Vrignault Chenu, (1861-c. 1933), apparently the original inspiration of the project, as ‘directrice artistique’, the term used at this period for what, broadly speaking, would now be simply described as the director. A limited company (société anonyme), La Société Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre, was formed on 2 March 1900 and the films were shot by photographer and cinematographer Clément-Maurice, using the ‘Cinépar’ camera created by Ambrose-François Parnaland (1854-1913). Sound was provided by the ‘Idéal’ phonographe of Henri Lioret (1848-1838). (…) Lioret was also responsible for the system of ‘playback’ sound-synchronization. (…) The system of sound-synchronisation was fairly basic and relied essentially on the dexterity of the operator.”
David Bond
Films by the Year

“As far as film historians can tell, Bernhardt was the screen’s first Hamlet. She had played the ill-fated Dane on-stage to great sensation in the 1890s. Rather than playing Hamlet as a mopey, lethargic sad-sack unable to make up his mind, Bernhardt chose to emphasize Hamlet’s intellectual strength and determination to see justice done on his own terms. These two minutes are all we shall ever see of Bernhardt’s Hamlet and the glimpse is tantalizing. Though fifty-six years old, Bernhardt’s Hamlet is energetic and graceful, fencing with youthful relish. The scene is extremely abbreviated, showing Hamlet and Laertes’ fatal duel sans Gertrude and Claudius. The two fight, Hamlet is cut by the poison sword, Hamlet disarms Laertes, Hamlet takes up the poison sword, gets a hit in, and then swoons and dies, falling into the arms of a convenient group of soldiers who bear the body out of camera range. The focus is all on Bernhardt — Laertes doesn’t even get to die on camera. Unfortunately, this short does not exist in its entirety. It was originally produced as an early talkie for exhibition at the famous Exposition Universelle in Paris, one of several sound experiments on public display. The footage was synchronized with a wax cylinder recording of the actors speaking, but the cylinder has been long lost.”
NITRATEGLOW

>>> Hamlet: Johnston Forbes-Robertson

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