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.

JACK AND JACQUES IN THE MONKEY TALKS

Details of Jack Pierce's career of his transition from silent films to his notoriety as head of makeup for Universal Studios in the early 1930's is murky. There are a few examples,however, of the evolution of his skill as a creative artist. One indication was his masterful work that turned actor Jacques Lerner from human to simian in Raoul Walsh's 1927 Fox production, The Monkey Talks.

Pierce had an affinity for hair appliances. While his work using Yak hair on Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man immediately comes to mind, his creation of Jocko is, by comparison, startlingly realistic. So much so, in fact, that it got the attention of Carl Laemmle at Universal, and it didn't take long before Jack was under contract with them as the head of their makeup department.

Seen here is a one-page spread from the April 1928 issue of Picture Play magazine. Titled "The Simian Invasion", it depicts five different ape makeups that were currently used in various films. Jack's Jocko is shown, as well as a photo of Charles Gemora wearing his own makeup in The Leopard Lady.

Most notably, though, is a close up of Greek actor George Kotsonaros as the "Gorilla Man" from the still-lost silent, The Wizard. Like the actor "Bull" Montana, Kotsonaros (1892-1933) was a big man. He became a professional wrestler after his short, five-year film career. He died tragically, in a car accident in Alabama.

No makeup credits have been given to the Gorilla Man. The Wizard was released on 11 December 1927 and The Monkey Talks had been released earlier in the year on 20 February. Both were produced by Fox Film Corporation (later to merge with 20th Century to become 20th Century Fox). Kotsonaros was Greek and so was Pierce. Would it be too much of a stretch to consider Jack Pierce as the make up artist for this character, as well?

PICTURE PLAY REVIEWS 1935

While not completely absent from the press, notoriety for Jack Pierce was not as abundant when compared to influential cosmetic giant Max Factor and the sheer numbers of the Westmore clan. Reviewers were also more likely to comment on the actors, director and cinematography of a film rather than the makeup artist. The paucity of screen credits for Pierce may have contributed to this, but Hollywood was, after all, all about the players.

In these reviews from Picture Play magazine's August 1935 issue. writer Norbert Lusk mentions the camera work during Henry Hull's transformation into the Werewolf of London, but does not name the person who applied the makeup (Pierce). He comes closer, but attributes a more substantial contribution (and rightly so) from Karloff in the Bride of Frankenstein, when he writes, "Boris Karloff leaves nothing undone in making The Monster a memorable masterpiece of make-up and curiously affecting acting."

Even though he had already been head of Universal's makeup department for some years, Jack Pierce's work went uncredited in both films. One wonders what the proud artist may have thought.