Friday, November 8, 2024


NOTICE: The Jack Pierce Makeup Memorial page is on a short hiatus. Please check back in January, 2025. Thanks for visiting!

Saturday, September 21, 2024

JOHN BOLES PHOTO TO JACK PIERCE


Filmed and released before FRANKENSTEIN in 1931, RESURRECTED starred John Boles and Lupe VeleZ. Boles of course, played the role of Victor Moritz in FRANKENSTEIN.

This signed photo was given to Pierce with the note: "To Jack, Remembering the good old days to-gether. You're 100% O.K., John".

Thursday, July 18, 2024

A TOAST TO WHITE ZOMBIE


Jack did a one-off stint with the Halperin brothers for the makeup chores on WHITE ZOMBIE (1932). After the disastrous (and now presumed lost) test reel of his makeup on Lugosi for Universal's FRANKENSTEIN (1931), Bela was once more at the mercy of Pierce and his makeup chair. This time he came out looking like the devilishly handsome lead character of the film, Murder Legendre.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

JACK'S IN THE COMICS!


In 1939, Pierce appeared in the unlikeliest of places -- a comic book! The first issue of MOVIE COMICS with an April cover date included the one-page feature, "Movie-Make Up" and showed Jack at work on Boris Karloff for SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Included in this issue was an adaptation of SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. It was depicted in a unique style of artwork that combined photos and illustrations. To read the full story, go HERE.

This is likely the only time Jack's name was mentioned in a comic book.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

JACK'S MONKEY TALK


As early as 1927, the newspapers were lauding Pierce as "one of the screen's best make up men". Here is a clipping from an unknown newspaper source that show his incredible work on the makeup for actor Jacques Lernier in "The Monkey Talks". This was even before his more recognized work on Conrad Veidt for "The Man Who Laughs" a year later. The photo includes an inset of Pierce, one of the few portraits that are known that were taken of him.