Silent Movie Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Marcel Marceau, playing himself, in the film Silent Movie, directed by Mel Brooks (1976).

What Mel Brooks loves, Mel Brooks makes fun of. He did it to Westerns and horror movies with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, and he does it to silent flicks in Silent Movie.

Not one to take the easy way out, Brooks makes his silent movie parody an actual silent movie. Well, almost. There is one word spoken in the entire movie: "Non!" And it's one of the movie's funniest moments, not because of the word, but because of who speaks it: renowned mime Marcel Marceau.

That's right, the one person who talks in the entire movie is the man who made a career from being mute.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this if someone is discovering that it's really hard to be a mime and to try communicating without saying a word. They shout "Non!" before throwing in the towel. Or before they mime throwing in an imaginary towel.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

As far as famous quotes go, this one might be the shortest and least pretentious of all time. And considering a mime says it, that's quite the accomplishment.