For one of my classes, I had to write a speech on any topic of my choice. So, I chose to do it on the Westmore Dynasty. Here is a copy of my speech. I hope you enjoy it!
What is gymnastics without Bela Karoyli? What is basketball without Michael Jordan? The answer is simple. It is almost nothing. The same can be said for Hollywood without the estmores. No other family in California has touched their pedigree of ordinance. They are eccentric and tempestuous makeup geniuses who have adorned, disguised, and altered an astounding number of the world�s most recognizable faces; and they are literally responsible for bringing makeup into the motion-picture industry. From Rudolph Valentino�s mustache to Mary Pickford�s legendary hair curls, the Westmores of Hollywood have lent their creativity to every genre of film making, placing their almost magical touch upon the most famous faces and films of Hollywood. In order to understand the fame of the Westmore Dynasty, one must become familiar with its history, prominent family members, and current generation.
Born on the Isle of Wight in Great Britain, George Westmore opened his very first hairdressing salon after fighting in the Boer War. He moved to Canterbury before immigrating to America through Canada. He opened his first salon here while in Texas before gravitating to Los Angeles in 1917. On his first day in Hollywood, George talked Selig Studios into letting him open the first studio makeup department in history. A few months later, he moved to Triangle Studios, supervising the makeup for stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Billie Burke, and Theda Bara. However, George�s life was not always full of glamour. He would often beat and force his sons to learn makeup tasks, creating a hatred between them that almost destroyed the Dynasty. During the 1920s, his own work came to be overshadowed by that of his sons. A series of disappointments, along with an unhappy second marriage, led to his suicide in 1931.
His six surviving sons catapulted to fame in Hollywood. Percival Harry Westmore, known as �Perc,� headed the makeup department of First National Pictures and then of the company that absorbed it, Warner Brothers. He remained there for 27 years before joining Universal Studios later in life. Betty Davis once remarked in all seriousness �I owe my entire career to Perc Westmore.� Perc is most famous for his creation of the seven classic facial shapes and the classic eyebrow diagram. Although all the family were financially involved, Perc was the chief administrator of the elegant salon on Sunset Boulevard, The House of Westmore. This prestigious salon, which opened in the spring of 1935, was a second home to all the big stars, and was even dubbed as the World�s Most Glamorous Salon. Perc�s twin brother Ernest Henry Westmore, known as �Ern,� first worked at First National and then became head of makeup at RKO. While there from 1929 to 1931, he won the first award ever given to a makeup artist by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work on the film Cimarron. Ern later supervised makeup at 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. The family hatred caused him to turn to alcohol, even though he had his own television show. His lifelong dream was to lecture at Carnegie Hall. Sadly, Ern dropped dead the morning of the speech in 1968. Walter James Westmore, known as �Wally,� headed the makeup department at Paramount Studios for 45 years. Hamilton Adolph Westmore, known as �Bud,� worked at Paramount and 20th Century-Fox, and then was makeup chief at Universal Studios for almost 24 years. He is most famous for his work on Creature From The Black Lagoon. Frank Westmore was long associated with Paramount Pictures and is recognized from his work on the classic Ten Commandments. He was also the first family member to win an Emmy for makeup with the television movie Kung Fu.
While George�s sons all created lasting fame for themselves, perhaps the most famous sibling is Montague George Westmore. Known as �Monty,� he was the eldest in the family. Together, he and his father established the movie makeup dynasty in Hollywood that lasted more than fifty years and continues today. Monty landed a job at the Famous Players Lasky studio during the shooting of �The Sheik.� Shortly thereafter he talked Rudolf Valentino into letting him do his makeup, which Valentino had been doing himself. The studio bosses were thrilled with the results and Westmore remained Valentino�s makeup artist until the actor�s death in 1926. By that time, Monty had begun freelancing. His work on Mutiny on the Bounty caught David O. Selznick�s attention, and he hired him as head of the makeup department at Selznick International Pictures. Monty is most famous for his role as makeup designer on the classic film Gone With The Wind. Like all the movie�s designers, he did intensive research long before the cameras rolled. He had to make the major characters look like stars, but at the same time look as if they were wearing no makeup at all. He also had to age dozens of major characters of different races gradually through the twelve year span of the picture. This was not easy since there were times when as many as four scenes were being shot simultaneously. Monty also had to worry about the relatively new Technicolor process, which was so sensitive it could pick up the color of an actor�s costume reflected in another actor�s face. Magically, he managed to keep Vivien Leigh�s naturally blue eyes looking green throughout the entire film. Westmore and his staff were also doing makeup for Rebecca and Intermezzo at about the same time as Gone With The Wind. Monty also had to deal with the mountain of paperwork Selznick demanded of all his department heads. Unfortunately, it all caught up with him. Less than a year after Gone With The Wind was released, Westmore suffered a heart attack and died before receiving credit or an Academy Award nomination for his work. He had three sons, two of which went on to be successful in the makeup industry.
Makeup was not something Marvin Westmore set out to do. He fell in love with drafting and art while in high school, and wanted to be a set designer. After getting out of the military, Marvin worked at the Glendale Light Opera co-designing sets. He then worked at a liquor store before his family said �you�re out of the liquor store, here�s a make up case, you�re going to work at the studios.� Makeup was not difficult for him to grasp; it was simply learning some of the techniques that were similar to painting. Marvin entered the business through live television in 1958 at CBS network. After working on several shows there, he went to work on the soap operas. Today, Marvin is involved in various projects. He is the President and Chairman of the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Union, and has had six Emmy nominations. When he founded the Westmore Academy, he set in motion the foundation for producing the next generation of Professional Cosmetic Artists. Along with this, he also takes a hands on role with the House of Westmore cosmetic line.
Marvin�s younger brother Michael Westmore has also achieved fame, earning the title of Hollywood�s most versatile makeup artist. Over the course of his career, he has bloodied and broken Robert DeNiro�s nose 21 times, worked him over for Raging Bull, made up Sylvester Stallone for most of the Rocky series, and gave gruesome radiation burns to 1,500 extras in The Day After. In 1987, he was invited to head the makeup and hair department for the weekly television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Michael has been Emmy nominated 36 times, Oscar nominated 3 times. He has won 10 Emmys and was the first Westmore to win an Oscar for his work on Mask.
In 1999, a historic and unprecedented event took place. Never in the history of the Emmy Awards had five family members been nominated for their outstanding work as makeup artists. With this accomplishment, the Westmores have once again left their mark on Hollywood. Fourth generation Westmores can be seen today. Kandace is known for her work on the HBO mini series Rat Pack; Kevin is noticed for his achievements on the sci-fi X-Files; and Pam has done Sandra Bullock�s makeup for more than 12 films. There is also a new star on the block. McKenzie Westmore is rapidly gaining fame in her career as an actress. She played Robert DeNiro�s daughter in Raging Bull, made appearances on Star Trek, Weird Science, Days of Our Lives, Friends, and is currently staring as Sheridan Crane on the daytime drama Passions.
The Westmore�s influence on Hollywood today is also felt through the Westmore Academy, which specializes in training future makeup artists. In fact, many of the top makeup artists working today trace the start of their careers to working with a member of the Westmore Family. Just as Bela Karoyli�s name is famous in the gymnastics world, and Michael Jordan�s name is famous in the basketball world, the Westmore name will continue to hold fame in Hollywood. No other Hollywood Dynasty can ever exert the kind of control the Westmores once wielded.
Copyright, 2001 by Kasey Beltran. Please do not use this on your website. It was completely written by me, and should not be used anywhere else. Thank you.
�Five Emmy Nominations For The Westmore Dynasty.� Make-Up Artist Magazine. Sept-Oct 1999. http://www.makeupmag.com/Sept-OctOldNews.htm (28 Feb. 2001).
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. Gone With The Wind Makeup. 1997. http://www.www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/DOS/GWTW/wardrobe/makeup/makeup.html (1 Mar. 2001).
Page, Jake. �Beauty and the Beasts.� Smithsonian Magazine. May 2000. http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/may00/makeup.html (28 Feb. 2001).
The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume 12. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1994. 607-08.
�The Westmores.� Hollywood Fashion Machine. American Movie Classics. Narr. Bo Derek. Direct. Randy Barbato. Nov. 2000.
Westmore, Marvin. Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts. 2001. http://www.westmoreacademy.com/History.html (28 Feb. 2001).