The Arthur Luce Klein Papers Regarding His Filming of Marcel Marceau in "Bip and the Bumble-Bee" and "Bip at a Fashionable Party" is arranged chronologically by the date of original creation. Original dates of the copies of correspondence and financial records are noted in parentheses in the folder titles.
Accession No. TRI.2020.0002: Estate of Luce Klein, 2021 March
[identification of item], Arthur Luce Klein Papers Regarding His Filming of Marcel Marceau in "Bip and the Bumble-Bee" and "Bip at a Fashionable Party", SPEC.TRI.0080, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University
Contains 35mm acetate film, a DVD, and a USB flash drive.
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Processed by: Ashleigh Minor, 2021 March; Finding aid written by: Ashleigh Minor, 2021 March
Arthur Luce Klein (1916-1997) was an American actor, producer, and director. Klein earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in dramatic theater arts from the University of Michigan, where he also received his bachelor's and master's degrees. During World War II, Klein served with the 7th Army of the United States in the south of France as an intelligence officer decoding German messages. After the war, he taught theater arts at the University of California at Berkeley, worked as an actor, producer, and director of plays throughout Europe, and became the first American director at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London in 1950. Klein and his wife, Luce, founded the recorded literature company, Spoken Arts, in New York in 1956, with the mission of preserving author's voices through recordings of them reading their works.
Marcel Marceau (1923-2007) was a French actor and mime who performed internationally for over 60 years. He developed his tragicomic alter ego character, Bip the Clown, in 1947, and performed Bip's misadventures throughout his career. After receiving the Debrau Prize in 1949, Marceau founded his pantomime ensemble, Compagnie de Mime Marcel Marceau. He performed on tour in the United States for the first time in 1955-1956.
The Arthur Luce Klein Papers Regarding His Filming of Marcel Marceau in "Bip and the Bumble-Bee" and "Bip at a Fashionable Party" include color photocopies of correspondence, a contract, and financial records, as well as three 35mm films, and digital reproductions of the films. Correspondence between Klein and P. Boulesteix, administrator of the Compagnie de Mime Marcel Marceau, discusses the logistics of the film short project, including scheduling, use of the films, and post-processing edits, as well as a third, unused Bip film. Later correspondence between Klein and Boulesteix includes discussion and negotiation around bringing Marceau and his company to the United States for a tour. A copy of the 1952 contract between Klein and Marceau's company is included, as well as copies of correspondence between Klein, film studios, and theaters regarding post-processing editing work and showing of the films. Color copies of Klein's financial records related to the project, such as invoices, receipts, and expense lists are also included. Most correspondence and records are in English, with a few letters in French, and were originally created between July 1952 and January 1953; color photocopies were made by the donor in 2020. The three silent black-and-white films were filmed by Klein on August 13, 1952 in France, and were first distributed to theaters for showings in October 1952, but it is not known when these specific copies of the film were made. Two of the films are for the "Bip and the Bumble-Bee" short, identified as two versions by the donor. One of the "Bumble-Bee" films has been spliced with a leader to be shown in a theater; it is unknown if the two films differ in any other ways. The third film short, "Bip at a Fashionable Party," is also spliced with leader for a theater. Captions and titling within the films are in English. Digital reproductions of the films are included, made in 2020.