Obituary: Marcel Marceau

Sorry to see that the world's greatest and most beloved mime, Marcel Marceau, passed away over the weekend.

He was always a favorite, whether for his TV appearances, especially on the Red Skelton Show, or for his cameo in Mel Brooks' Silent Movie, where Marceau had the only speaking role.

Sadly, I missed his appearance in Huntington in 2004 as part of the Marshall Artists Series. Those who saw it raved about the show, and those who met him afterwards told me he was delightful.

More than just a great performer and entertainer, he was also a hero of the French Resistance during World War II.

Here's the obituary 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, died Saturday. He was 84.

Marceau's former assistant Emmanuel Vacca said on French radio that the performer died in Paris, but gave no details.

A French Jew, Marceau escaped deportation to a Nazi death camp during World War II, unlike his father who died in Auschwitz. Marceau worked with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children, and later used the memories of his own life to feed his art.

He gave life to a wide spectrum of characters, from a peevish waiter to a lion tamer to an old woman knitting, and to the best-known Bip.

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: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers.

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.

Some of Marceau's later work reflected the somber experiences. Even the character Bip, who chased butterflies in his debut, took on the grand themes of humanity.