Sardou
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Sardou. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
VICTORIEN, a playwright; born at Paris, in 1831. He began his education as a student of medicine, abandoned medical studies for history and taught for a period period during which he made his first dramatic ventures. Later he gave up teaching and became a professional writer and journalist. Financially unsuccessful and overtaken with ill health, he met with kindness and friendship from Mademoiselle Brécourt, who later became his wife, VICTORIEN SARDOU and, through her influence, was introduced to Mademoiselle Déjazet in 1859. Through the favor of this noted actress he achieved prominence rapidly; her popularity became the vehicle for his dramatic success and he produced a series of brilliant comedies based upon the social life of the day, among them "Les Pattes de Mouches" (1861, from Poe's "Purloined Letter"). This play was revived in New York in 1914 under the title of "A Scrap of Paper." As a dramatic author Sardou was keenly responsive to the social and political complexion of the day and the subjects of his plays were chosen to attract the attention of the moment. His journalistic capacity to recognize and fill the popular demand for drama of contemporary theme may be said to account for the enduring favor which he enjoyed before the public no less than his ability to produce drama of high literary merit. He entered the Academy in 1878. His later work was directed almost entirel toward sensational and spectacular productions in which the spoken parts were subordinated to scenic splendor and the entertainment of action. "Madame Sans- Gêne (1898), "La Sorcière" (1903), and "Divorçons" (1881), illustrate the quality and range of his gifts and also the tendencies toward artificiality which his later work possessed. In this direction his influence has been against the best dramatic standard. Among his many other plays are: "The Students' Inn" (1854); "Monsieur Garat" (1860); "Saint Gervais" (1860); "Piccolino" (1861); "The Butterfly" (1862); "The Black Devils" (1863); "Do (1863); "Don Quixote" (1864); "The Benoîton Family" (1865); "The New House" (1866); "Seraphine" (1868); "Fernande" (1870); "Rabagas" (1872); "Uncle Sam" (1873); "Ferreol" (1875); "Dora" (1877); "Daniel Rochat" (1880); "Odette" (1881); "Fédora" (1883); "Theodora" (1884); "Crocodile" (1886); "La Tosca" (1887); "Mama-in-law" (1889); "Cleopatra" (1890); "Thermidor" (1891); "Gismonda" (1894), etc. He died Nov. 8, 1908.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
sar-doo' (1831-), a French dramatist. He was born at Paris. He began to study medicine, but, owing to lack of funds, gave it up and became a tutor, giving instruction in philosophy, mathematics, and history. He soon began writing for periodicals and encyclopedias. His first drama was a failure, but he has since won popularity in comedy and in almost every variety of the drama except tragedy. Fedora, Theodora, La Tosca, and Cleopatre were written for Sarah Bernhardt. Robespierre was written for Sir Henry Irving. Other titles are Odette, Madame Sans-Gene, and Marcelle. Sardou's comedies are full of wit, often taking the form of satire on contemporaneous characters and conditions, and are characterized by variety of action and episode. They have little literary merit. Sargasso (sar-gas'o) Sea, a huge eddy in the North Atlantic. It reaches in a belt from the Azores to the Bahamas. It has an area equaling that of Europe. A large part of the tract is strewn with a peculiar Gulf weed, really an alga, which is kept afloat by air sacks. It is uncertain whether this alga comes from the coast of Florida and the Bahamas, or whether it is a plant peculiar to the surface of the deep sea. The "weed" is dense enough in places to obstruct the passage of ships. The Sargasso is full of animal life. There are crabs, sea snails, and many smaller marine animals. Certain fishes spawn here. The sailors of Columbus were much frightened, it may be remembered, when they entered the Sargasso Sea . A similar area of weeds exists in the Pacific and still another in the Indian Ocean .