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.

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.

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."

HANDS OF A MASTER

Jack puts the finishing touches on Lon Chaney Jr. as the monster in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN with a spritz of Fuller's Earth.

JACK PIERCE'S MAKEUP ASSISTANT

Considering the usually daunting work of making up the entire cast of a movie, it was not unusual for Jack to employ the use of makeup assistants. Pictured above is Joe Bonner, who assisted Pierce in preparing Lon Chaney Jr. for his role as Kharis in THE MUMMY'S TOMB (Universal 1942).

Bonner was born in England in 1881 and died at the age of 77 in 1959. The snipe on the reverse of the photo reads: "Makeup man Joe Bonner puts a touch on Lon Chaney's outfit to ready him for the cameras in Universal's latest horror epic, "The Mummy's Tomb".