Even though we live in an age of computer generated imagery & effects, there's something irreplaceble about real, practical make-up effects. It is known as a fact that a good combination of make-up and the actor's skills, can create a creature that haunts the mind for a long time even after the credits had stopped to roll.
Actor: Lon Chaney Jr
Make-up Artist: Jack Pierce
Hours In The Chair: 9
Above you can see the Wolf Man played by Lon Chaney, and make-up artist Jack Pierce, creating a rather terrifying look. It was very surprising how Chaney Jr. put up with the long process of the application of this make up look that was required for this iconic role. The process of application "involved rubber prosthetics, wigs, and crucially, thousands of yak hairs for his swollen pompadour." Unfortunately for Chaney, the application process was not the only thing that took a long time to do. The removal of all the prosthetic pieces on his face, took roughly about 3hrs, which sometimes caused tension between the make-up artist and Chaney, who reportedly grew to hate each other.
"In their second Wolfman film, Pierce attempted to simplify his method of application by rebuilding the nose and increasing that pompadour hair. However, the sequences showing the Wolf Man’s transition into a beast required constant touch-ups as Chaney posed, shooting a few frames of film, and lined himself up with etched glass to ensure he stayed still for the next shot. The fact that Chaney was required to stay motionless (and toiletless) for hours at a time no doubt added to the tension between the two. Chaney complained of the removal process that, “What gets me is after work when I’m all hot and itchy and tired, and after I’ve got to sit in that chair for forty-five minutes, while Pierce just about kills me, ripping off the stuff he put on me in the morning.”
"In their second Wolfman film, Pierce attempted to simplify his method of application by rebuilding the nose and increasing that pompadour hair. However, the sequences showing the Wolf Man’s transition into a beast required constant touch-ups as Chaney posed, shooting a few frames of film, and lined himself up with etched glass to ensure he stayed still for the next shot. The fact that Chaney was required to stay motionless (and toiletless) for hours at a time no doubt added to the tension between the two. Chaney complained of the removal process that, “What gets me is after work when I’m all hot and itchy and tired, and after I’ve got to sit in that chair for forty-five minutes, while Pierce just about kills me, ripping off the stuff he put on me in the morning.”
Nannar, R. (2014). Becoming The Wolfman: Monsters In The Make-Up Chair. Available: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/movie-make-artists-chair/. Last accessed 18th Nov 2015.
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