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| -Obits- |
| Marcel Marceau: 1923-2007 |
| 2007-09-23 |
| Marcel Marceau, who revived the art of mime and brought poetry to silence, has died, his former assistant said Sunday. He was 84. . . . Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red flower, Marceau played the entire range of human emotions onstage for more than 50 years, never uttering a word. Offstage, however, he was famously chatty. "Never get a mime talking. He won't stop," he once said. A French Jew, Marceau survived the Holocaust — and also worked with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children. . . . Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923, in Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a butcher who sang baritone, introduced his son to the world of music and theater at an early age. The boy adored the silent film stars of the era: Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers. When the Germans marched into eastern France, he and his family were given just hours to pack their bags. He fled to southwest France and changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish origins. With his brother Alain, Marceau became active in the French Resistance. Marceau altered children's identity cards, changing their birth dates to trick the Germans 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. . . . |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #11 2.. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-09-23 23:15 |
| #10 RIP - Wasn't he in GIGI wid Leslie Caron? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-09-23 20:39 |
| #9 Saw him in the 1980s. Absolutely jaw dropping talent. Convincingly created entire visual scenes on a bare stage without a single prop or backdrop. With the loss of Marcel Marceau and Victor Borg, two of the heavens' brightest stars have dimmed. Both were the epitome of truly class acts. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-23 14:55 |
| #8 IIRC, the part of Jane Fonda's boob will be repeated by Ted Turner |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-09-23 13:30 |
| #7 :(... |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2007-09-23 13:01 |
| #6 I wonder if Brittany will be available to play the part of Jane Fonda. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-09-23 10:55 |
| #5 His silence about his actions in WWII speaks volumes. A brave man. Shalom, Marcel. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-09-23 10:49 |
| #4 Actually, his first speaking role was in Barbarella, as Professor Ping, and he spoke quite a deal. Ironic, in that they are planning a remake of Barbarella right now: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0958825/ |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-09-23 09:51 |
| #3 Spoke only word in Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie", "Non." |
| Posted by: Almost Anonymous5839 2007-09-23 09:05 |
| #2 . |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-09-23 09:05 |
| #1 words escape me |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-09-23 08:23 |