The Death of a Mime

Nick Gillespie | September 24, 2007

I'll cop to always harboring a churlish dislike for the famous French mime Marcel Marceau, who was as responsible as anyone for the rise of annoying, mute street performers all across the U.S. Not only did he appear in a really terrible Mel Brooks movie, he created the "moonwalk" move that ultimately helped Michael Jackson dominate pop videos for what seemed like 100 years.

Marceau has died and the obit I read at Breitbart.com (via Drudge) is really impressive, especially the part about Marceau's participation in the French Resistance:

When the Nazis marched into eastern France, he fled with family members to the southwest and changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish origins.

With his brother Alain, Marceau became active in the French Resistance, altering children's identity cards by changing birth dates to trick the Nazis into thinking they were too young to be deported. Because he spoke English, he was recruited to be a liaison officer with Gen. George S. Patton's army.

His father was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

"Yes, I cried for him," Marceau said. But he said he also thought of the others killed.

"Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a cancer drug," he told reporters in 2000. "That is why we have a great responsibility."

I dread the inevitable obit cartoon with him either moonwalking or climbing an imaginary rope into heaven, but his casual heroism is nothing short of inspiring.

More here.

Video here.

Comments

|9.24.07 @ 7:56AM|#

Despite a weak ending, "Shanks" is an incredibly creepy movie. Saw it years ago on the Sci-Fi channel and it was one of those revelations where I couldn't believe I was seeing this, and on TV no less. Marceau's sheer presence made up for any amount of poor imitators and mime jokes.

|9.24.07 @ 8:06AM|#

I saw Marcel Marceau twice around 1980. I was mesmerized. If you didn't see Marceau live and in the first twenty rows, you haven't seen mime. As Time reported in 1955 He was " "a virtuoso of the first rank in a school of art that is not especially popular because only a genius really counts in it."

|9.24.07 @ 8:16AM|#

really terrible Mel Brooks movie

A might redundant, don't ya think?

|9.24.07 @ 8:20AM|#

Claims of being in the French Resistance are about as common as German claims of not being a Nazi. And about as valid.

|9.24.07 @ 8:42AM|#

Excuse me, but "Silent Movie" was a classic! A classic! (Well, I laughed. "Silent Movie," along with "Young Frankenstein" were the only two Mel movies that worked for me at all. I have to say, the only time I laughed at Marcel was in "Silent Movie." But at least we must recognize that Marcel made possible all the "anti-Mime" humor--obnoxious, unfunny mimes, people beating up or shooting mimes, etc., etc.--that we love so well.)

Tom Gellhaus|9.24.07 @ 8:57AM|#

I have to agree with those above who say "Silent Movie" was NOT a really terrible movie. Brooks' early works - the movies up to and including "Spaceballs" - are all very funny.

robc|9.24.07 @ 9:18AM|#

Brooks early works are funny, but they havent aged well. After the Zuckers upped the joke/sec rate, Brooks seems slow.

|9.24.07 @ 9:29AM|#

i guess one could say he died quietly.

VM|9.24.07 @ 9:30AM|#

yah. his "Medical Alert" radio didn't pick up his mimes for "falling and can't get up"...

(good call, Finkel)

|9.24.07 @ 9:34AM|#

I think we should observe a moment of silence.

|9.24.07 @ 9:39AM|#

The only thing that party clowns and rodeo clowns agree on is their fanatical hatred of mimes.

|9.24.07 @ 9:56AM|#

Taktix®,

Young Frankenstein was bad?

Guy Montag|9.24.07 @ 10:09AM|#

Not only did he appear in a really terrible Mel Brooks movie,

Excuse me, but it is impossible for the funniest human to ever walk the earth to make a non-funny movie. Watch for the proof in the History of the World Part II.

Also, as noted above, the only speaking role in "Silent Movie" was by marceau. A stroke of brilliance on the part of Mr. Brooks, giving a mime the only non-annoying appearance of his much-too-long 'career'.

|9.24.07 @ 10:25AM|#

de stijl,

Shakes was wonderful. Quite unfairly maligned and forgotten.

|9.24.07 @ 10:25AM|#

Great movie, de stijl.

|9.24.07 @ 10:30AM|#

"


"

|9.24.07 @ 10:38AM|#

I retract my statement re:Mel Brooks actually.

A quick look at IMDB revealed to me that Brooks was not involved in some of the horrid movies I though he was a part of.

Apologies all!

Also looking at the IMDB entry, I think he did a damn good job casting the "Get Smart" redux. I hope it doesn't end up like the previous reincarnation attempt for TV.

|9.24.07 @ 10:55AM|#

Alan Arkin as the Chief? Perfect! I can see the Cones of Silence already.

One question. Will it be Terence Stamp in Zod mode or will he behave in the spirit of The Limey? Either works.

Episiarch|9.24.07 @ 10:59AM|#

Mel Brooks also produced "The Elephant Man" (directed by Daid Lynch), which is an amazing piece of work. Mel wouldn't put his name on it because he was worried people would think it was a comedy.

And Blazing Saddles is a fucking classic.

And I am amazed that somehow a Bobcat Goldthwait movie reference found its way in here. Well done.

Episiarch|9.24.07 @ 10:59AM|#

David Lynch. ARRGGHH.

Mike Laursen|9.24.07 @ 11:10AM|#

annoying, mute street performers all across the U.S.

I felt that way until I saw "The Aristocrats". All is now forgiven.

|9.24.07 @ 11:11AM|#

really terrible Mel Brooks movie

A might redundant, don't ya think?

Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, I don't think so.

VM|9.24.07 @ 11:21AM|#

*imagining him doing his "stuck in a box" mime.......

|9.24.07 @ 11:22AM|#

I'm very proud of the H&R contributors for not stooping so low as to mention a Mime in a Box.

|9.24.07 @ 11:23AM|#

I spoke too soon.

Larry Anderson|9.24.07 @ 11:24AM|#

It IS true that false claims of being in the French Resistance were (and are still) quite common, the role Marceau played is well known and quite well documented. He was, if you will forgive the phrase, a true quiet hero.

I personally hate nearly all mimes. But judginh Marceau by the avreage street mime, is like jugding how good a guitar player Jimmy Page is by watching the pizza delivery guy play air-guitar Zepplin.

Larry Anderson|9.24.07 @ 11:26AM|#

Spelling is not my forte' today. Too much coffee.

|9.24.07 @ 11:41AM|#

Larry,

That's okay, so long as you pronounced forte "fort" as you were typing. Otherwise, you must be punished.

ed|9.24.07 @ 12:40PM|#

It's not the miming I dislike so much as the uniform. Is it not possible to do that kind of thing without the striped shirt?

Minion of URKOBOLD|9.24.07 @ 1:45PM|#

Proud Reader:

TOO LATE! NEENER NEENER.

Will|9.24.07 @ 2:19PM|#

I have to extend my love to include Robin Hood, Men In Tights. Though it may be the worst of his watchable movies it still makes me laugh. I will not, however, forgive him for Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

ed|9.24.07 @ 2:40PM|#

I believe he's working on a musical version of Young Frankenstein. Is nothing sacred?
(Of course not.)

|9.24.07 @ 3:16PM|#

Young Frankenstein is practically a musical already. What is he going to add, an Abby Normal song?