Talk:Marcel Marceau

Rina Shaham and Marceau
"Before beginning his career as a mime, Marcel Marceau danced with Rina Shaham (née Rosalind Gologorsky); she ended their partnership to pursue a successful career in modern dance in Israel." This comment on the page is false. There is not record or mention of this in any bio of Marceau or Rina Shaham. The only mention that I can find is on this reference page. It should be removed. Tdanielperformer (talk) 15:31, 8 April 2009 (UTC) T. Daniel
 * Since this has remained uncited for 3 1/2+ years, it is now moved to here:
 * Before beginning his career as a mime, Marcel Marceau danced with Rina Shaham (née Rosalind Gologorsky); she ended their partnership to pursue a successful career in modern dance in Israel.
 * ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 23:17, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Rina Shaham had just landed in Paris in 1951 - after a year with Martha Graham's company in NYC. She indeed spent a few months studying and working with Marcel Marceau. In her memoirs she wrote: "Paris in the fifties.... was full of struggling artists. It was there that I became acquainted with the then unknown artist Marcel Marceau....... He suggested I join his company. It was difficult to make such a decision because instinctively I felt that mime was not my direction. So I reluctantly gave up the idea....." Rina left for Israel where she spent over 50 years as a modern dancer, choreographer and teacher of dance. Dyamshaket (talk) 22:29, 21 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Please provide the citation for the quote (author, title, publisher, date, pages) --Light show (talk) 23:04, 21 June 2015 (UTC)
 * I am in possession of Rina Shaham's hand written memoirs. I am her daughter and this is a quote from her unpublished memoirs. Dyamshaket (talk) 19:55, 23 June 2015 (UTC)
 * For details and quotes they need to come from a reliable source, such as a book or magazine publisher. The memoirs might be worthy of being published. You could also create a website about her life, including part or all of the memoirs. Any photos would be valuable. You could use a free program like Wix.com to create a website, and some of it might then be usable in Wikipedia. --Light show (talk) 20:34, 23 June 2015 (UTC)

comments
The article says that Marcel first played Max in 2002 which clearly needs correcting. I'd do it if I knew what year it should be.

The article says Marcel Marceau is the father of the actress Sophie Marceau. This is incorrect; they are not related.

Large parts of this page seem to have been directly copied from Marceau's website biography (http://www.marceau.org/bio.htm) and possibly this page (http://www.frenchculture.org/perfo/events/marceau/bio.html)

The following text from "Influences" in the article should be put into better English. I cannot interpret "originated". What does it mean?
 * In Japan Maruse Taro was very deeply influenced and his mimer's name is originated.

Zaslav 09:32, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

I removed the line that Marceau "single-handedly" revived mime. No one single-handedly revives an artform. The entire network of schools and theaters was already in place, Decroux and Barrault were already famous, and even the ideas of alienation that mimes so oftentimes embody was in existence in post-WW2 Europe (absurdist theater, for example). --Horse Badorties 00:30, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
 * "Single-handedly"? Given his adeptness at hand gestures, it could have been someone's idea of a joke. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 01:17, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

His personal life comprises only of him dying? That's a pretty sad personal life you got there... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.27.98.129 (talk) 21:30, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Regarding his school
From the article:

The City of Paris awarded him a grant, which enabled him to reopen his International School, which offers a three-year curriculum.

From the page of his school, http://www.mime.info/EIMP.html :

Students selected by audition at the school enter into a 2-year program of instruction in several disciplines all aimed at training the students' bodies and creative minds in the art of Theatrical Mime. Some skills are taught in regular classes, others in periodic workshops.

Which is correct? 219.89.218.35 09:13, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

Picture
We definitley need a picture of him, but I don't know how to do it. Could someone find a picture of him, preferably in a mime act? loulou 04:52, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

What's with the giant picture? --Fabiopl (talk) 03:03, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Vandalism
I thought the article could do without the following, so I edited it out: "Marcel Marceau smells worsethan annasmelly and the mcgreevy put together. His odour is worse than chloe-rose out on a ten day hike. Wait actually the whole worlds odour couldnt beat that! He is a very gay and lame actor. It is a true fact he admitted to being gay with annasmelly walsh!"
 * Right. If for no other reason, this version of wikipedia is supposed to be written in English. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 01:15, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

Impact on American culture
We should mention that he established the cliche in American culture that French people are usually mimes and wear striped pullovers. 193.132.242.1 20:37, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
 * If it is a cliche. I'm an American and the cliches or stereotypes I heard about the French are nothing like this! Zaslav 09:29, 23 September 2007 (UTC)


 * Sorry, but I've never heard that one either. Arcoins 14:56, 23 September 2007 (UTC)


 * I don't think that cliche really exists. No one I know thinks all French people are mimes. The striped pullover is definitely French, but that was true before Marceau. --Horse Badorties 00:25, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

Proving a cliche is nearly impossible I suppose... Mimes appear regularly when making fun of France (cf Bomb Voyage in the Incredibles for instance), and the stripped pullover are nowhere to be seen before Marceau. But again, that is probably impossible to evidence. Codik 17:02, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

I have never in my life heard that one either.... Duh

---

I'm a french, and I confirm this cliche exist. This is not a "cliche" like "most people really think french people are mimes", this is more like country's identity (example : USA identity in France = Cowboys, Fastfood, S.Stalone/Rambo, the ww2 US soldier, and recently the Florida (sun, beach and big sunglass) police procedural tv series). In series like Simpsons or South Park, there's often a mime when there's french characters (same with Quebec), next to the baguette, wine, mustache and beret. :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.55.185.254 (talk) 03:47, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

my sense of it (as an american) is that the cliche isn't that all french people are mimes so much as all mimes are french people, and all wear a kind of caricature of marceau's costume with a french beret. also i agree with the idea above, that it is more of a signifier of frenchness than a stereotype that all french people are mimes. --dan (talk) 21:00, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

Death
The BBC article I read just said he died, not when. Where does the date come from? - Mgm|(talk) 10:17, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

The article says His daughter Camille said he died on Saturday evening, adding that details of the burial at Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery would be given out later. - Melon3531 14:16, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Hmmm. Marcel seems to be trapped in a box that he can't get out of. He's been doing that playing dead act since yesterday. I just couldn't resist doing a mime joke. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.162.17.119 (talk) 17:29, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Then I'll have to resurrent this old one: "He had no last words, but he did make several gestures." Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 00:05, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
 * He died quietly.... -- 146.115.58.152 05:42, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

The article says "Marceau quietly passed away on September 22, 2007. " Is this true. Was anyone around when he died. If a tree falls and no-one is around to hear it - does it make a noise? The same would apply to someone dying. 202.7.184.21 05:54, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Apparantly one of the British newspapers carried a letter suggesting that as a tribute there be 2 minutes of noise. Chrisd87 12:17, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Does anyone know what his last words were?RSido 01:13, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

I believe there were no last words, as he died of Laryngitis. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.214.9.247 (talk) 10:29, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

I dont think he had any —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.146.24.35 (talk) 04:00, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

Mr. Mime from Pokémon
Is it worth noting that the only legitimately obtainable Mr. Mime from the original English Red/Blue games was an in-game trade named Marcel? --Geopgeop 21:36, 23 September 2007 (UTC)


 * I would say yes. --Horse Badorties 21:43, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

National Treasure?
The main article declares that Marceau has been declared a "national treasure" by Japan. What is the evidence for this? Wiki's article on Japan's Living National Treasures makes no mention of Marceau. At the very least, a citation is needed in the main article. Bill Jefferys 01:33, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

Professor Ping?
The article says that Marcel Marceau played as Dr Duran Duran in Barbarella. After checking IMDB, it says he only played Professor Ping. Should this be fixed? -KMM —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.246.176.210 (talk) 03:45, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Fixed  - KMM  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.18.134.112 (talk) 16:06, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

World recognition
"Marcel had a twin brother and they were identical" looks like vandalism to me, I'm deleting it.217.141.200.62 (talk) 08:29, 10 April 2009 (UTC)

Vandalism once more
I thought 'He could actually talk though' was funny, but more suitable for Uncyclopaedia. I'm deleting it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.164.236.139 (talk) 07:26, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

i suppose theoretically people could think he was in fact mute. the article otherwise does plenty of mentioning of him talking though, so it's covered enough. which is a shame because that is a really good quip. --dan (talk) 21:02, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

Carter picture
With United States President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, and Amy Carter, June 16, 1977. Actually there is a woman off to the left that is not identified. Might this be a relative or manager of his? If so it probably needs to be indicated in the caption. -Rolypolyman (talk) 20:16, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

The dark side of Marcel Marceau
≈≈≈≈17:20 March 04, 2010 ≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈The the alligations of child abuse by his sons and wife backing their claims as see on CNN Mexico.≈≈≈≈ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.166.141.170 (talk) 23:08, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

"Le Mime Marceau"
Is it worth mentioning here that such was his status as an icon of the performing arts in France that he was rarely referred to in print by his full name but simply as "Le Mime Marceau" (Marceau the Mime)? This is mentioned on the first line of the French Wikipedia page and as someone who has lived over 30 years in France, I can attest to its veracity. Partnerfrance (talk) 21:37, 6 February 2016 (UTC)
 * ✅ to infobox. --Light show (talk) 21:57, 6 February 2016 (UTC)

cultural references
should there be a section describing references to him in music/art/etc? someone above mentioned pokemon. the only other one i know offhand is a line from grinderman "no pussy blues" -- i thought i'd have another go / i called her my little O / i felt like marcel marceau / must feel, but she said she just never wanted to -- but i'm sure there is plenty more. (as an aside, i have no idea what nick cave actually means by feeling like marcel marceau). --dan (talk) 21:12, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

I am trying to confirm if Marcel Marceau directed/acted or both Samuel Becket's Krapps Last Tape in a small theatre London in 1981.
Any help would be appreciated. Daniel DANATEE (talk) 22:06, 7 August 2022 (UTC)

Removal of clown photo
The photo Little_Clown_6.png, captioned "Marceau as a clown early in his career", that appears on this page should be removed, as it is  not  a photo of Marcel Marceau. The source is a publication from 1921 — two years before Marceau was born. Also, the source article from which the photo was taken does not mention Marceau's name anywhere. There is no reason for associating this image with Marceau. Unless anyone can show why this photo should remain, I would like to remove it from the page. Wikimime (talk) 10:34, 16 March 2023 (UTC)


 * Came here to note the same, this image is not of Marceau and should be removed from the page. 2601:14D:C280:1461:54AE:48DB:A2DC:5D6F (talk) 14:53, 22 March 2023 (UTC)


 * This picture, along with two others, was inserted on Aug 8, 2022. None of the three seem to have anything to do with Marceau. Two of these were subsequently removed, but this one remains. Might have been just some vandalism. I would say go ahead and remove it. Joe Bfsplk (talk) 18:36, 3 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Since 3/16, when this conversation started, about 600 people have come to this Talk page. I have seen no objections to the proposal to delete that picture. So, I will remove it. Joe Bfsplk (talk) 22:10, 10 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Agree, very poor quality. -  FlightTime  ( open channel ) 22:13, 10 April 2023 (UTC)