Hollywood make-up pioneers, the Westmores, were honored with the 2,370th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Marvin and Michael Westmore accepted the award on the behalf of their family. Leron Gubler, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, presided over the ceremony. Guest speaker was motion picture producer, A.C. Lyles.
1645 Vine Street on October 3, 2008.
BIOGRAPHY
The Westmores, a legendary family dynasty of makeup artists have defined beauty and glamour and set the trends over the decades. George Westmore and his six sons, Monte, Ern, Perc, Wally, Bud, and Frank changed the face of Hollywood, literally.
Pioneers of their industry, the Westmores not only created, but they defined the role of makeup artists in Motion Pictures. George Westmore opened the very first makeup department at Selig Studios in 1917. Whether it was First National, Selznick, Eagle-Lion, MGM, or at Warner Brothers, Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, and Universal, the brothers were responsible for creating the signature looks for stars like Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, and even the teenage fashion doll, Barbie.
Wally received acclaim for his work on Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde where he was able to create Neanderthal-like characteristics with wax and further evolve his actor gruesome transformation on film with the use of colored lens filters.
In 1931, Ern Westmore received the Academy Cup, the first award ever presented to a makeup artist for his work on Cimarron starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne.
On the epic film, Gone with the Wind, it was Monte that made Vivian Leigh's hazel eyes appear green at the request of the Director, David O. Selznick.
In 1936, Paul Muni won the Best Actor award for The Story of Louis Pasteur. He thanked only one person, "Perc Westmore deserves as much credit as I for this award."
Together, in 1935, the Westmore brothers opened the most prestigious salon of it's time, the House of Westmore on 6638 Sunset Strip.
Most notable of all of Bud's creations was the molded foam rubber suit he designed for the cult classic The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Bud was also the makeup genius behind The Munsters.
Frank, the youngest of the brothers, was the first Westmore to receive an Emmy award for his ground-breaking work on the television feature film, Kung Fu in 1972. He was nominated for the Kung Fu television series the following year and for his work in 1983 for A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story. He was also the makeup supervisor for the epic film, The Ten Commandments.
Currently, this family's remarkable achievements continue through the work of 3rd and 4th generation Westmore's as notable makeup artists, hairstylists, performers, and producers.
The youngest of Monte Sr.'s three sons, Michael, received an Oscar and a British Academy Award nomination in 1986 for his artistry on Mask, also nine Emmy statuettes and an impressive 42 Emmy nominations over the course of his career. To date, he holds the record for more Emmy nominations than any other makeup artist. Academy Award nominations include 2010, Clan of the Cave Bear and Star Trek: First Contact. Michael designed 18 years of the Star Trek Universe, the Rocky films and Raging Bull.
Marvin Westmore has a British Academy Award nomination for his work on the future noir film, Blade Runner (1983) and has six Emmy nominations for TV series and specials; The Rat Pack, Space Rangers,"V" The Rescue, "V" The Final Battle, Elvis, and Frankenstein. He is the Founder and CEO for both the Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts and The George Westmore Research Library and Museum in Burbank, California.
With 57 years experience in the industry, the late Monty Jr.'s remarkable work can be seen in films Where the Money Is, Se7en, The Shawshank Redemption, Jurassic Park, and The Towering Inferno. He was Oscar nominated for his work in 1991 for Hook and received Emmy nominations for The Late Shift and Who Will Love My Children.
Collectively, this family has delivered believable characters that we love in over 1,500 movies, television shows, and specials. Their artistic hand has influenced Hollywood in film and in television where stars were made, and most, were made up by the Westmores.