Movie make-up's royal family to be honoured on walk of fame

29 September 2008

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Hollywood's first family of movie make-up is to be honoured with a star on the Walk of Fame.

Marvin and Michael Westmore will unveil the 2,370th star near the corner of Los Angeles' Hollywood and Vine on behalf of the Westmore Family on Friday.

The Westmores are make-up artists who have defined beauty and glamour, setting trends over the decades.

George Westmore and his six sons, Monte, Ern, Perc, Wally, Bud, and Frank "changed the face of Hollywood, literally", according to a Walk of Fame spokeswoman.

The representative adds, "The Westmores not only created, but they defined the role of make-up artists in Motion Pictures. George Westmore opened the very first make-up department at Selig Studios in 1917... and 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."

Ern Westmore became the first make-up artist recipient of the Academy Cup in 1931 for his work on Cimarron starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, while Monte wowed Hollywood with his styling skills on movie epic Gone with the Wind - he made Vivien Leigh's hazel eyes appear green at the request of director David O. Selznick.

And when Paul Muni won the Best Actor Oscar for The Story of Louis Pasteur in 1936, he thanked only one person, Perc Westmore, in his acceptance speech.

Other family claims to fame include Bud Westmore's molded foam rubber suit in The Creature from the Black Lagoon and his make-up expertise on TV show The Munsters and youngest brother Frank's work on cult show Kung Fu, for which he became the first Westmore to receive an Emmy Award.

The family continues to pursue excellence on the big and small screen - Monte's son, Michael, received an Oscar and a British Academy Award nomination in 1986 for his artistry on Mask. He has also picked up nine Emmy statuettes and an impressive 42 Emmy nominations over the course of his career. He holds the record for more Emmy nominations than any other make-up artist.

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