Jack Pierce was a Hollywood make-up artist born Janus Piccoula on May 5, 1889, who died on July 19, 1968. He is best known for creating iconic make-ups for classic monsters at Universal Studios, particularly Boris Karloff's character in Frankenstein (1931).
Pierce's journey in cinema began in the 1920s, where he held various roles such as cinema manager, stuntman, actor, and assistant director. However, he eventually settled on mastering makeup and was hired full-time by Universal Studios due to his creative abilities, impressing the head of Universal, Carl Laemmle.
Pierce's most significant creation was the iconic make-up for Frankenstein (1931),where he designed a horrific yet logical look for the monster, including a scar and a seal on the brain cavity and electrodes on the neck. He is also credited with designing and creating the make-ups for other classic monster films, such as The Mummy (1932),The Wolf Man (1941),and their sequels.
As the head of Universal's make-up department, Pierce developed a unique technique of building facial features out of cotton and collodion, or nose putty, and was reluctant to use latex appliances. However, he eventually started using latex, particularly for Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man (1941) and Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939).
Pierce's work extended beyond horror films, as he created historical, old age, and character make-ups for TV anthology series such as Screen Directors Playhouse, You Are There, and Telephone Time. One notable episode featured Lon Chaney Jr. as an Armenian junk dealer who ages from his 30s to his 70s, which Pierce handled with ease.
Pierce's legacy has had a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, influencing make-up artists like Rick Baker and Tom Savini. He was recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Hollywood Make-up Artist and Hair Stylist Guild in 2003 and was honored with a memorial gallery at Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles in 2013.
