Long before Mr. Bean was contorting his face and getting into absurd scrapes on television, a lanky French film character was already perfecting that same art form.
His name was Monsieur Hulot. French actor Jacques Tati brought him to life in the film Mr. Hulot’s Holiday. Hulot was tall, awkward, good-natured, and almost entirely silent. He stumbled from one innocent mishap to the next, letting his mannerisms and movements do all the work, no dialogue needed. Think Three Stooges energy, but quieter and thoroughly French.
That style left a deep impression on a young Rowan Atkinson. According to an interview with the LA Times, Tati’s physical comedy was a direct influence on the character we all came to love as Mr. Bean.
Mr. Bean went on to become a global phenomenon. The two feature films, Bean and Mr. Bean’s Holiday, have grossed more than $491 million worldwide. It is safe to say Atkinson has not forgotten where some of that magic came from.
This fall, he plans to say thank you in a very public way. Atkinson will appear at The Mowlem Theatre in Swanage, England, for a special day dedicated entirely to Jacques Tati. The event is part of the Purbeck Film Festival’s 30th anniversary celebration, running from October 16 through November 1.
The festival is one of the U.K.’s longest-running rural film festivals. Screenings and events are spread across Dorset, from village halls and restaurants to secret gardens and stately homes. Quite the setting for a celebration of comedy.
Atkinson will not be the only familiar name on the program. BAFTA-winning director Philippa Lowthorpe will present her adaptation of H Is for Hawk, starring Claire Foy. Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes and actor and playwright Mark Rylance serve as patrons of the festival.
But the heart of this particular event is a simple act of gratitude. One comedian tipping his hat to another, across generations, across languages, and across decades of laughter.
If you ever wondered where Mr. Bean’s signature silence came from, now you know. A tall, good-natured Frenchman named Hulot was there first.
