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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 809

Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth

191253 minFrance
Drama

Synopsis

Queen Elizabeth's attachment to the Earl of Essex brings personal desire into conflict with royal authority. Their relationship unfolds in a court where affection cannot be separated from rank, loyalty and political consequence. Sarah Bernhardt's queen confronts the difficulty of acting as both a woman in love and the sovereign whose decisions govern the man she favors.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
50:16
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Louis Mercanton and Henri Desfontaines · Public domain

Cast

DirectorsLouis MercantonHenri Desfontaines

Behind the scenes

Adapted from Émile Moreau's play, the film brought Bernhardt's celebrated stage presence to a longer screen production. Adolph Zukor helped finance its completion and made its American release an early part of Famous Players' development.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • Sarah Bernhardt — Napoleon Sarony; Britannica Online Encyclopedia ( Library of Congress , Washington, D.C.) · Public domain
  • Lou Tellegen — Unknown author Unknown author; This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.20975 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing . · Public domain

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