The Incredible Sarah

An obvious chore for Fleischer (as well as for the audience), this is a pretty traditional attempt at the biopic which threads together scenes-from-the-life of Sarah Bernhardt, from tyro rejection to triumph via social ostracism. The script makes an attempt or two to link Bernhardt's tendency to turn her daily life into constant theatricals with the magnetism of her on-stage appearances, but they remain very token. This Reader's Digest film carries the bland signature of its sponsors writ large over every set-up. Glenda Jackson emotes effectively enough through a series of cameo pieces from the classics, but is floored by the bits in between.