WHEN THE MUMMY COMES TO LIFE, WHEE!

Universal's in-house publication, The Universal Weekly, was distributed as an advertising periodical to various theater owners and distributors across the country. Publication began soon after Carl Laemmle and his associates formed Universal Pictures until it ceased publishing in 1936 when the Laemmle's--then the sole owners--were forced to give up their company for non-payment of a large cash loan from Standard Capitol Corporation.

The cartoon shown below is from the January 14, 1933 issue. It is drawn by Ralph C. "Woodrow" Faulkner. Faulkner was born in 1890 in San Antonio, Texas. He worked in vaudeville and on the stage where he became quite popular as an impersonator, especially that of President Woodrow Wilson during his administration. He was also a reporter for east coast newspapers, as well as a cartoonist for the San Francisco Daily News.

Faulkner turned his talents to acting and is reported to have begun his career at the Albuquerque Film Company in the early 1910's. He also worked for Thanhauser in at least one film and continued his acting career into the late 1930s. He died on August 28, 1940.

VIRGINIA CHRISTINE IN THE MUMMY'S CURSE

One of the most startling sequences to come out of a Universal horror film was Virginia Christine as Princess Ananka rising up out of the swamp to live again in The Mummy's Curse (1944).

Initially, Pierce devised a concoction that was risky to apply to the skin. When Christine learned of the experimental technique, she was petrified that it might disfigure her face. Universal's front office caught wind of it and derailed the idea. Pierce resorted to using a product called Denver Mud (a medicated poultice made from clay local to the Denver area).

Christine explained the process: “I was in the makeup chair, I think, at 4:30 in the morning. They took little patches of cotton, wet with Witch Hazel, put them on and lined them to fill in the youthful contours. Then Jack put on the ‘Denver Mudpack,’ just a little bit at a time, then lined that with wrinkles, then blow-dried it—each little patch until I was an absolutely rigid mask.”

With the help of Pierce’s wife, Blanche Pierce (née Craven), Christine was able to drink and use the restroom as needed while in full makeup. However, she was cautioned not to laugh during any of these humorous situations or the makeup would crack and the process would have to begin all over.

The end result was shocking and made even more so by Christine’s incredible performance. In his 1986 article from Films in Review, horror historian Gregory Mank, citing it as “one of the most dynamic performances of Universal’s long-celebrated horror shows”, recounts the startling scene: “Suddenly a hand rises out of the mud, grasping toward the rejuvenating sun. The quagmire quivers, and there arises a female mummy, horrifically caked with muck, stretching, jerking and falling as she escapes the boggy grave.” While not as iconic as his classic monsters, it still stands as Pierce’s most notable makeup since The Wolf Man.

ON THE SET OF SON OF DRACULA

Horror films were on a tight budget in the 1940s, but not so tight to have the leading actor pitch in as an assistant set decorator as this photograph suggests! Actually, Lon Chaney as Count Alucard is having fun playing with a prop web spinner. Jack is in the background touching up Louise Albritton in between shots. The other woman in the picture is unidentified.

Son of Dracula was released in 1944. It was directed by Robert Siodmak, who went on to helm several stylish film noir thrillers such as Criss Cross. Robert's brother, Curt (noted for writing the screenplay for The Wolf Man), authored the story on which the film was based. Universal's #1 Scream Queen Evelyn Ankers also co-starred.

JACK PIERCE WIGS OUT

Above is a publicity photo--surely intended to be humorous-- showing Jack putting the final touches on Conrad Veidt's wig on the set of The Man Who Laughs (Universal, 1928). At some point in his career Pierce became a professional barber. Notice his portable makeup kit in the background.

The identity of the photographer is unknown, but it is most likely Roman or Jack Freulich or Ray Jones, all who worked for Universal at the time.

JACK AND CARTOONIST FEG MURRAY

Ex-athlete turned cartoonist Feg Murray befriended Jack and often included his makeup creations in his strip "Seein' Stars". This example of Boris Karloff in Son of Frankenstein (1939) is from Pierce's scrapbook.

MAN WHO LAUGHS PHOTO-FEATURE

This photo-feature appeared in the April 1928 issue of the Hollywood fan magazine Picture Play. It includes shots of Jack's magnificent makeup of Conrad Veidt's Gwynplaine. Also note the photo of Olga Baclanova. A few years later, she would star as the character Cleopatra in Tod Browning's Freaks (1928). Horror fans may also remember that Mary Philbin later played Christine Daaé in Universal's The Phantom of the Opera in 1925.

The images are credited to "Freulich", most likely Roman Freulich.

LIZARD'S LEG AND OWLET'S WING

Aired on October 26, 1962, "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing" cast Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Peter Lorre in a special Halloween episode of Route 66. Chaney appeared as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Wolfman (for the final time). Chaney's grandson, Ron made an appearance as the little boy in the opening scene. The three actors appeared as themselves on the show.

This episode also marked the last time Karloff would play the Frankenstein monster on film. The photo above shows makeup artist Ben Lane making up Karloff using a reference photo from Son of Frankenstein. Lane was assisted by Abe Haberman and Maurice Seiderman.

Lane had a busy career as the makeup artist on many TV shows. Seiderman was uncredited for his work on Citizen Kane. He also worked on the genre films The Monster Maker, Bride of the Monster and They Saved Hitler's Brain. Haberman was Pierce's assistant for ten years during the 1930s and 1940s. He learned a lot of his trade from Jack and applied what he learned in later makeups, including those for the Route 66 show and The Munsters.

Pierce did not work on this program as he was busy on another TV show, Mr. Ed.

"TO MY FRIEND JACK PIERCE"

French-American actor Charles Boyer signed a three picture contract with Universal in January 1942. During that period he had numerous occasions to sit in Jack Pierce's makeup chair. The photo shown above with the message, "To my friend Jack Pierce" is just one of the many photos like this where actors and actresses thanked Pierce for his work.

Note that the photo is copyrighted 1941. It's likely he was negotiating his contract with Universal late in the year and this publicity portrait taken during that time.

A BIT OF FUN ON THE SET OF TOWER OF LONDON

Above is a shot of Jack shaving Boris Karloff's head for his role of Mord in Universal's historical drama, The Tower of London (1939). The image below shows Karloff returning the favor!

OGRE OF THE MAKE-UP BOX

Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to a new page in the chronicle of the life and career of Jack P. Pierce, makeup artist extraordinaire. Let's dive in, shall we?

The clipping shown above is from The New York Times, Sunday March 31, 1935. It includes the article, "Ogre of the Make-Up Box", written about two months after Werewolf of London began shooting. The author also includes info on The Bride of Frankenstein that had just been completed.

“The Frankenstein of Universal City has just finished his biggest job to date and is well advanced on his next assignment of turning men into monsters. This practitioner of occult arts, before whom strong actors tremble is Jack Pierce, half man, half plasterer. After making two monsters a day (male and female created he them) over a stretch of thirty-two days for ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ which James Whale has just finished, he is now filling the hair-restorative companies with consternation by growing hair on the palm of Henry Hull for the ‘Werewolf of London’. He is now on location at Vasquez Rocks, California, a weird desert tract of jagged cliffs which look like geological formations on Mars.

“Pierce is the centre [sic] of attention for all the players and staff. A wry, irascible-looking chap, with black mustache and steel-rimmed spectacles, he looks precisely like a German scientist. Especially is this so, when, attired in his white surgeon’s tunic [actually a barber’s smock; Pierce was a professionally-trained barber] worn over a sweater, he is busy doing unprecedented things to the visage of homo [sic] sapiens.”