Dick Smith, the Godfather of Makeup, honored by Academy

This was one of GoreMaster.com’s Favorite stories of the year…about one of our favorite people..The Master!…Dick Smith. We thought it deserved a reprint.

June 17, 2009 was the date for the long awaited tribute to veteran make-up artist Dick Smith, hosted by Oscar winning makeup artist Rick Baker. Because the Academy is comprised of many different branches from nearly all the various crafts that go into making a film, they do an excellent job in saluting those artists who may not achieve the acclaim they deserve outside the industry. Dick Smith’s name may not be known to the public at large, but his work certainly is. Whether aging Marlon Brando in “The Godfather,” turning Linda Blair into a head twirling, pea-soup barfing demonic scamp, transforming Hal Holbrook into Mark Twain, (“It’s alot easier these days,” cracked Holbrook), or having half of Barry Morse’s face turn into a misshapen grotesque, Dick Smith’s work was pioneering and unforgettable.

The evening, as Rick Baker twice described it, “was a love fest,” for as innovative as he was, Smith was also a great mentor to those like Baker, who have now become masters themselves in the field of make-up. In fact, the emotional highlight of the event was when the 86 year old Smith got up on stage and proclaimed that Baker had surpassed him and Baker was overcome. It was that kind of night, and only the Academy does it with such style and elegance

Filed under: GoreMaster people

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!