Arthur "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Groucho and Chico, Harpo's comic style was visual, being an example of vaudeville, clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish blond wig and was silent in all his movie appearances, instead blowing a horn or whistling to communicate. Marx frequently employed props such as a horn cane constructed from a lead pipe, tape, and a bulbhorn.
Marx c. 1926
Lobby card for Monkey Business (1931) with Chico (left) and Harpo (right)
Harpo playing harp in early 1920s
Newspaper ad for Animal Crackers (1930) with Lillian Roth paragraph
A mime artist, or simply mime, is a person who uses mime, the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a theatrical medium or as a performance art. In earlier times, in English, such a performer would typically be referred to as a mummer. Miming is distinguished from silent comedy, in which the artist is a character in a film or skit without sound.
Mime artists Jean Soubeyran and Brigitte Soubeyran in 1950
A Dog's Life (1918), Charlie Chaplin
Whitefaced mime on Boston Common in 1980