September 26, 2007
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Master of mime Marcel Marceau dead.
Marceau breathed new life into mime, an art that dates to ancient Greece.
Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red flower, Marceau, through his alter-ego Bip, played out the human comedy without uttering a word.
With his lithe gestures and pliant facial expressions, Marceau gave life to other characters, from a peevish waiter to a lion tamer to an old woman knitting.
His biggest inspiration was Charlie Chaplin. Marceau, in turn, inspired countless young performers — Michael Jackson borrowed his famous “moonwalk” from a Marceau sketch, “Walking Against the Wind.”
“The rest is silence,” and “To our dear maestro, the show goes on,” were among the messages on the funeral wreaths.
Marceau died Saturday at the age of 84 after a long illness. At Pere Lachaise cemetery, he joined a host of other famous performers and artists including composer Frederic Chopin, writer Oscar Wilde, painter Eugene Delacroix and rocker Jim Morrison.
About 300 people attended the ceremony, some of them fans holding roses or carnations.
The French tricolor was draped over Marceau’s coffin and medals awarded to him by France — the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit — were pinned to a cushion also resting on the coffin.
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PEACE – JtheP
Comments (6)
I think i should learn a little more about Marcel Marceau. I’m a fan of the slapstick stylings of Charlie Chaplain, so i guess i’d love this.
there’s more sencerity in a silent movie than there is in a takie.
It’s my birthday soon, i might ask for some Charlie Chaplain dvd’s.
The only thing Philly is STILL good for is cheesesteaks
Told a dude on the job that Brett Favre & the Packers were the team to look out for this year, and now i feel like a prophet…although my first GB bet for the year will be AGAINST them
There aren’t many good mimes left in the world anymore.
He was left-handed, you know.
-C
R.I.P. Marcel.
Cats are easily throwable, anyhow, which is a definite plus.
It’s like stress ball that breathes and can feel pain!
-C