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In 1947, he created the beloved character Bip the Clown, who always wore a striped pullover and battered silk hat reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp.  Marcel Marceau was considered an icon of Western culture and he had a lasting influence on the art of pantomime.
 
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Marceau's father ran a kosher butcher shop in Strasburg and was deported to Auschwitz. "You see the pain and the sadness in his mime skits," Loinger said. "The origin of that pain was his father's deportation."His father died in Auschwitz. His mother survived the war. The French Resistance was headed up by many Jews. Marcel and Alain joined the Résistance in Limoges. The Jewish children had to be protected from both the French police and the Germans. "The kids loved Marcel and felt safe with him," said Loinger, 97. "He had already begun doing performances in the orphanage, where he had met a mime instructor earlier on. The kids had to appear like they were simply going on vacation to a home near the Swiss border, and Marcel really put them at ease."
Georges-Loinger

George Loinger, Jewish French Resistance Commander with

Shimon Peres, President of Israel

A magical World War II tale of resilience and love, THE CHILDREN OF CHABANNES reveals the untold story of how the people of Chabannes – a tiny village in unoccupied France – chose action over indifference to save the lives of 400 Jewish refugee children. Returning to the lush, rural township with her father and uncle (two of the saved children) filmmaker Lisa Gossels and co-director Dean Wetherell spiritedly recreate the joys and fears of daily life in Chabannes long ago. Through warm and wonderful accounts from both the children and the townspeople who risked their lives and livelihoods to protect them, this lyrical film depicts how this oasis of hope was shattered in 1942, when the war reached the doorsteps of the chateau where these kids were housed.
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A celebration of human kindness, THE CHILDREN OF CHABANNES delivers a profound message of survival and compassion from a community who simply did what they felt was the right thing to do.
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Although he was trilingual, Marcel taught hundreds of Jewish children the art of communicating in mime because it was important for the children to converse silently. The children were brought to safety by Marceau in Switzerland. In 1944, he joined the Free French Forces under Général Charles de Gaulle, acting as liaison officer to General Patton's army. Marceau entertained thousands of US troops after the liberation of Paris. 
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Marceau was "discovered" by Laurel and Hardy. He spoke only once in a performance.. In Mel Brooks' film "Silent Movie, " Marceau said the word, "Non." His career lasted over 60 years as an actor, director, teacher, interpreter, and public multilingual speaker on five continents.
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"Do Not the Most Moving Moments of our Lives

Find us Without Words?"

Marcel Marceau

His "Art of Silence" filled a remarkable acting career that lasted over 60 years. He was an actor, director, teacher, interpreter, and public figure, and made extensive tours in countries on five continents. Outside of his mime profession, Marcel Marceau was a multilingual speaker and a great communicator, who surprised many with his flowing speeches in several languages. In his later years he was living on a farm at Cahors, near Toulouse, France. He continued his routine practice daily to keep himself in good form, never losing the agility that made him famous. He also continued coaching his numerous students.
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