Westmore Family
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The Westmore Family is a prominent family in Hollywood make-up. Led by their
patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
, George Westmore, the family has had four generations serve Hollywood as make-up artists in various capacities since George's establishment of Hollywood's first make-up department in 1917.


Careers

The English wigmaker George Westmore, for whom the Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild's George Westmore Lifetime Achievement Award is named, founded the first (and tiny) film makeup department, at Selig Polyscope Company in 1917. He also worked at Triangle, but soon was freelancing across the major studios. He understood that cosmetic and hair needs were personal and would make up stars such as
Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...
(whom he relieved of having to curl her famous hair daily by making false ringlets) or the Talmadge sisters (
Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) *555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...
and Constance) in their homes before they left for work in the morning. He fathered three generations of movie makeup artists, beginning with his six sons—Perc, Ern, Monte, Wally, Bud, and Frank—who soon eclipsed him in Hollywood. By 1926, Monte, Perc, Ern, and Bud had penetrated the industry to become the chief makeup artists at four major studios, and all continued to break ground in new beauty and horror illusions until the end of their careers. In 1921, after dishwashing at Famous Players-Lasky, Monte became Rudolph Valentino's sole makeup artist. (The actor had been doing his own.) When Valentino died in 1926, Monte went to
Selznick International Selznick International Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio created by David O. Selznick in 1935, and dissolved in 1943. In its short existence the independent studio produced two films that received the Academy Award for Best Picture ...
where, thirteen years later, he worked himself to death with the enormous makeup demands for ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'' (1939). In 1923, Perc established a blazing career at First National-
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
and, over twenty-seven years, initiated beauty trends and disguises including, in 1939, the faces of Charles Laughton's grotesque ''
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
'' (for
RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
) and
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
's eyebrowless, almost bald, whitefaced look in ''
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the play '' Elizabeth the Queen'' by Maxwell Anders ...
''. In the early 1920s, he blended Stein Pink greasepaint with eye shadow, preceding
Max Factor Max Factor is a line of cosmetics from Coty, Inc. It was founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian Faktorowicz. Max Factor specialized in movie make-up. Until its 1973 sale for US$500 million (approximately $ billion in 2017 dolla ...
's Panchromatic. Ern, at RKO from 1929 to 1931 and then at
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from 1935, was adept at finding the right look for stars of the 1930s. Wally headed Paramount makeup from 1926, where he created, among others,
Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...
's gruesome transformation in '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1931). Frank followed him there. Bud led
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
's makeup department for twenty-three years, specializing in rubber prosthetics. Together, they built the House of Westmore salon, which served stars and public alike. Later generations have continued the name, including brothers Michael and Marvin who have excelled in special makeup effects, such as in ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'' (1982), ''
Mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
'' (1985) and ''
Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My ...
'' (1980).


Prominent family members

* George Henry Westmore (June 27, 1879 – July 12, 1931) ** Monte George Westmore (July 22, 1902 – March 30, 1940) *** Monty George Westmore Jr. (June 12, 1923 – November 13, 2007) *** Michael George Westmore (March 22, 1938) ****
McKenzie Westmore McKenzie Kate Westmore (born April 26, 1977) is an American actress and singer most popular for having played the role of Sheridan Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald on the television soap opera ''Passions'' from 1999 to 2008. Early life Westmore was born A ...
(April 26, 1977) *** Marvin George Westmore (December 24, 1934 – November 28, 2020) **** Kandace Westmore **** Kevin Westmore ** Percival Harry Westmore (October 29, 1904 – September 30, 1970) ** Ernest Henry Westmore (October 29, 1904 – February 1, 1967) ** Walter James Westmore (February 13, 1906 – July 3, 1973) *** Pamela Westmore *** Mark Westmore, A.C.E. **
Bud Westmore Bud Westmore (January 13, 1918 – June 24, 1973) was a make-up artist in Hollywood, and a member of the Westmore family of makeup. Life and career Son of George Westmore, a member of the Westmore family prominent in Hollywood make-up, h ...
(January 13, 1918 – June 24, 1973) ** Frank C. Westmore (April 13, 1923 – May 14, 1985)


Other family members

{{unreferenced, section, date=March 2014 * Dorothy (1907–1931), daughter of George with his first wife, Ada, who died following an operation. * Patricia, daughter of George with his second wife, Anita. * Norma, daughter of Perc and his first wife, Virginia. * Virginia, daughter of Perc and adopted daughter of his first wife, Virginia. * Muriel, daughter of Ern and his first wife, Venida. * Lynn, daughter of Ern and his second wife, Ethelyne. * James, son of Wally and his wife, Edwina. * Ann, daughter of Wally and his wife, Edwina. * Bridget, daughter of Bud and his second wife, Rosemary. * Robert, son of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Melinda, daughter of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Timothy, son of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Charles, son of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Jonas Helstab, son of Melinda, grandson of Bud and third wife, Jeanne. * Megan Helstab, daughter of Melinda, granddaughter of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Alexander, grandson of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Chelsea Helstab, daughter of Melinda, granddaughter of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Grace, granddaughter of Bud and his third wife, Jeanne. * Mark, grandson of Wally and his wife, Edwina * Sharon, daughter of Muriel Westmore Crawley * Pauleen, daughter of Muriel Westmore Crawley * Judy, daughter of Muriel Westmore Crawley * Robert Jr., son of Muriel Westmore Crawley * Christiana Crawley Benson, great-granddaughter of Ern Westmore. Robert Crawley, Jr. grandson of Ern Westmore


References

* Frank Westmore and Muriel Davidson. ''The Westmores of Hollywood''. J. B. Lippincott, New York City, 1976.


External links


westmoremuseum.com
American families of English ancestry People from Canterbury American make-up artists