LA OPINION ON JACK PIERCE

The drawing shown above of Jack and Boris was included in an article about Pierce in the July 22, 1982 edition of the Spanish language Los Angeles newspaper, LA Opinion. The artist appears to be uncredited, but it is likely to be the work of a staff artist.

NOTE: We are taking a holiday break. As a result, this will be our last post of the year. Happy Holidays, and we'll see you back here after the first of the year.

BEHIND PIERCE'S MAKEUP: JACQUES LERNER

The Fox Film Corporation's The Monkey Talks was released on February 20, 1927. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and based on the 1924 French stage play Le Singe qui parle by René Fauchois. Both starred the actor Jacques Lerner as the titular monkey. We've yet to find any photographs of Lerner in the stage play or any information on his makeup. It is likely that he did his own.

Lerner was born in Russia and raised in Paris, France. At the age of eight, he joined the circus as a tumbler, after which he began playing on the stage. He became quite popular, and at some point was considered by the press as the "continental Lon Chaney".

When Fox bought the rights for the story, they located Lerner to play his role on screen. A young Jack Pierce, who had already become an accomplished makeup artist, was hired to transform Lerner into a simian.

And what a convincing job it was! Accolades were given to the unknown person who had turned a man into a talking monkey.

This article on Jacques Lerner is from Picture Play, June 1927. Pierce is unsurprisingly not mentioned.

A PAGE FROM JACK'S SCRAPBOOK

During his career, Jack kept a scrapbook of just about every bit of information he could find on the films and makeups he worked on. The page exhibited today is from the time he won the Hollywood Filmograph award for most outstanding makeup in 1933 for his exemplary work on The Mummy in 1932. A few years ago, we posted another page from his scrapbook here.

JACK'S WOLFMAN MASK?

It has been well reported that Lon Chaney Jr. was no fan of sitting in Pierce's makeup chair. He complained of the chemicals and adhesives that Jack applied on his face and hands, especially when it came time to remove them after the day's shoot.

A publicity photo of Jack and Lon (see above) during the filming of Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) was meant to be humorous, but there was also no small truth behind Chaney's real feelings about his makeup ordeal.

Pierce applies foundation greasepaint and shadows to Lon Chaney Jr.

According to the description of  Lot 114A listed in a Guernsey's Auction in 2008 of The Pugliese Pop Culture Collection, this full-head latex mask was purported to have been made by Pierce for Chaney to use in "long or obstructed shots" in order to avoid some of the makeup sessions. The inside markings on the mask read: "Chaney, JP, O.U.P.C. #1279", and it appears that this is what authentication was based on.

When Pierce was later asked if he liked working with Chaney, he diplomatically replied: "Yes and no. That's about all I can say."

FAMOUS MONSTERS' TRIBUTE TO JACK PIERCE

After Jack's passing on July 19, 1968, this remembrance of him was published in the May 1969 issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. It was written by editor Forrest J Ackerman and included a selected filmography by Gary Dorst and Jim Warren.

Ackerman wrote: "He made them [Pierce's makeups] the hard way, the old way, the original way that took half a day of tireless effort..."

Included was an excerpt of Frank Taylor's obituary for Jack from the Los Angeles Times on August 8, 1968.

Ray Bradbury added a poignant comment: "Jack Pierce's creation [of the Frankenstein monster] will be remembered for hundreds of years to come. And so, in a way, Jack Pierce created & signed his own epitaph."

JACK, GLENN AND THE BOWERY BOYS

Pierce was hired as the makeup artist for Monogram Pictures' 1949 horror-comedy film Master Minds, starring The Bowery Boys (aka East Side Kids, aka Dead End Kids). It also featured the towering hulk of a man, Glenn Strange (known by "Peewee" to his buddies) billed as "Atlas The Monster".

Much like Boris Karloff, Jack and Strange became friends and Pierce had already had him in his makeup chair several times, including for roles in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945).

How he got there makes for an interesting tale: the story goes that while working on a film at Universal he noticed Pierce kept staring at him. The following has two versions: that he was invited to Pierce's studio for a test makeup after his day's shoot for an extra $25, or that he was sent there after Pierce asked for him. Pierce went to work and when he pulled the cover off his mirror, Strange claimed, "I look like Boris Karloff!" Pierce called producer Paul Malvern and told him he had his Frankenstein monster. Strange also benefited by having Karloff on the set of House of Frankenstein, who graciously coached him on "acting like the monster".

A colorized photograph of Glenn Strange as Atlas, The Monster.

Pierce and Strange would work together again a few years later on Monogram's Bowery Boys vehicle, Master Minds. Jack turned Strange into the hirsute Atlas, The Monster, replete with wig, beard, facial scar, "wolfman hands" and an abundance of yak hair that Jack had plenty of previous experience applying.

And yes, Jack received screen credit:

JACK AND THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE

Below is a rather uncommon production still of Jack with Vicky Lane in the chair enjoying a quick smoke break while she is being made up as Paula Dupree, the "Wild Woman" in JUNGLE CAPTIVE (Universal, 1945).

CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN

On a recent video post by Carl Laemmle's grandniece, Antonia Carlotta discusses the career of actress Acquanetta, the only woman to play a Universal monster twice (CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN, JUNGLE WOMAN). In it she mentions Jack's "wild woman" makeup, commenting that it's "very detailed".

HAPPY FALL!

"Even a man who is pure in heart,

and says his prayers by night,

may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms,

and the autumn moon is bright!"

Jack applying another layer of yak hair on Lon Chaney Jr.:

ANTONIA CARLOTTA ON JACK PIERCE

Antonia Carlotta is the grand-niece of Carl Laemmle and cousin of Junior Laemmle.

Visit her channel's main page HERE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!