Mime Legend Marcel Marceau Dies at 84

From the Associated Press -

PARIS (AP) — Marcel Marceau, the master of mime who transformed silence into poetry with lithe gestures and pliant facial expressions that spoke to generations of young and old, has died. He was 84. Marceau's former assistant Emmanuel Vacca said the peformer died Saturday in Paris, but gave no details.

In one of Marceau's most poignant and philosophical acts, "Youth, Maturity, Old Age, Death," Marceau wordlessly showed the passing of an entire life in just minutes. He took his art to stages across the world, performing in Asia, Europe and the United States, his "second country," where he first performed in 1955 and returned every two years.

The son of a butcher, the mime was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923, in Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a baritone with a love of song, introduced his son to the world of music and theater at an early age. The boy was captivated by the silent film stars of the era: Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers.

Marcel's life as a performer began with the liberation of Paris from the Nazis. He enrolled in Charles Dullin's School of Dramatic Art, studying with the renowned mime Etienne Decroux.

The on-stage persona Bip was born in 1947, a sad-faced double whose eyes lit up with childlike wonder as he discovered the world. Bip was a direct descendant of the 19th century harlequin, but his clownish gestures were inspired in part by Chaplin and Keaton.

Single-handedly, Marceau revived the art of mime, which dates to antiquity and continued until the 19th century through the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, or improvised theater.

Marceau also made film appearances. The most famous was Mel Brooks' 1976 film "Silent Movie" — he had the only speaking line, "Non!"

As he aged, Marceau kept performing, never losing the agility that made him famous. A perforated ulcer nearly killed him in the Soviet Union in December 1985. He was rushed home to Paris in critical condition, but bounced back to the stage five months later.

Marceau was married three times and had four children. Funeral arrangements were not immediately known.