Mime innovator, Marcel Marceau dies
- 00:01:29
- ITN
Mime innovator, Marcel Marceau dies
Marcel Marceau, the world's best-known mime artist who for decades moved audiences around the world without uttering a single word, has died aged 84.The Frenchman's extensive tours and appearances on camera brought his silent art to people across the globe.He once said: "Mime, like music, knows neither borders nor nationalities. If laughter and tears are the characteristics of humanity, all cultures are steeped in our discipline."It was in Marcel Carne's famous 1947 film starring Barrault, Les Enfants du Paradis, that Marceau, who played Arlequin, first became known as a mime artist.He formed his own mime company in 1948, and the troupe was soon touring other European countries, presenting mime dramas. The company failed financially in 1959, but was revived as a school, the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame, in 1984.A veteran of dozens of films, one of his best remembered roles was a speaking cameo in "Silent Movie", made by American director Mel Brooks.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
ITN | September 23, 2007
