Marcel Marceau: Google doodle honors life and legacy of actor and master of silence

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Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Marcel Marceau the famous French mime artist. On this day in 1923, Marcel Mangel, the renowned French mime artist, was born in Strasbourg, France. He later changed his surname to Marceau during the German occupation of France to conceal his Jewish identity.

During the German occupation of France, he changed his surname to Marceau to avoid being identified as Jewish. As a child, Marceau was introduced to the world of movies and dreamt of starring in silent films. He entertained his friends with impersonations of famous actors and mimes. However, during World War II, Marceau used his silent acting skills to help smuggle Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied France. He made three trips to help with the escape of at least 70 children, using his pantomimes to keep them quiet during dangerous moments on the journey to the Swiss border.

Education and Career

After the war, Marceau studied dramatic acting and mime at the School of Dramatic Art of the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre in Paris, where he studied with teachers such as Joshua Smith, Étienne Decroux, and Jean-Louis Barrault. In 1947, he created his famous character Bip the Clown, a tragicomic figure with a striped shirt, white face paint, and a battered beflowered hat. Through Bip, Marceau explored the range of human emotions, with his actions speaking louder than words could. Soon after, he founded the Compagnie de Mime Marcel Marceau, the only pantomime company in the world at the time, to develop the art of silence.

International Success and Contributions to Art

Marceau's performances in transcontinental tours introduced people around the world to the art of miming. Millions more would become familiar with Marceau through his television and movie appearances. He played the role of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol in 1973 and earned an Emmy for Best Specialty Act for his 1956 appearance on the Max Liebman Show of Shows. Some of his notable performances in the motion picture realm include the 17 roles he played in the film First Class and his silent role in Shanks.

Marceau also showed his versatility in motion pictures such as Professor Ping in Barbarella (1968) and a cameo as himself in Mel Brooks Silent Movie (1976), in which, with intentional irony, his character has the only audible speaking part, uttering the single word "Non!" when Brooks asks him (via intertitle) if he would participate in the film.

Marceau was also an author and illustrator, publishing books for children, poetry, and artwork. In 1969, he opened his first school, École Internationale de Mime, in the Théàtre de la Musique in Paris. In 1978, he established the École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris, Marcel Marceau (International School of Mimodrame of Paris, Marcel Marceau) and in 1996, he established the Marceau Foundation to promote mime in the United States.

Legacy and Final Years

Marcel Marceau's contributions to the world of art have had a lasting impact. His legacy continues to inspire mime artists, actors, and performers around the world. Marceau passed away on September 22, 2007, at the age of 84.

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