THE "HIDDEN" JACK PIERCE

A promotional still taken by Universal staff photographer Jack Freulich for THE MUMMY (1932) shows director Karl Freund giving a last minute shine to Im-ho-tep's mystical scarab ring. Hidden by a lighting fixture is Jack Pierce tending details to Karloff's makeup of collodion and Fuller's earth. Scattered around the feet of Pierce are numerous cigarette butts, an indication of how long Karloff had been sitting there.

Pierce would later win a well-deserved 1932 makeup award from the HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH for his efforts.

PHOTO: Heritage Auctions

The reverse of the still showing Jack Freulich's credit.

JACK PIERCE WOLFMAN PUBLICITY STILL

Coming up for bid at auction is an article of Jack Pierce-related memorabilia. The 8" x 10" still depicts Jack applying the finishing touches to Lon Chaney, Jr. as the title character in Universal's 1941 production of THE WOLF MAN.

In typical publicity department parlance, the pasted snipe on the back of the photo announces: "'Frankenstein' Creator Originates Werewolf Guise For Film", and states that it took five months of research, five months of preparation, and five hours every day to apply the makeup.

The Wolf Man makeup was to be Jack Pierce's last great monster creation. While he would make the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula in future films for Universal, never again would he have quite the same luxury of spending months of prep time and multiple hours with a new monster creation sitting in his makeup chair, "waiting for a new life to be born."

RARE PAIR OF FRANKENSTEIN PHOTOS

You may have seen these images before, but not quite like this. In March, 2011 Heritage Auctions offered two photos of Karloff from the 1931 Frankenstein, The one pictured above is one of Pierce's makeups that was not used in the film and sold for over $1000. The photo below was the image used on the movie herald and sold for over $1500.

Both 8"x10" gelatin silver photographs are original "first photos" from the film. The photos were most likely taken by Universal staff photographer Jack Freulich.