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A former Hairdresser (Winston Churchill was said to have thought of him highly as a barber), George Westmore emigrated with his family from England to the US in the early 20th century. Determined to make himself and his family a good living in his adopted country, Westmore also took up wig-making before gradually moving into Make-up. With movies taking their hold on American culture, he established the first ever movie make-up department, and taught his English-born sons Monte, Perc, Ern and Wally the techniques of the profession. His two youngest sons, Bud and Frank, US born, also became make-up artists. His only daughter by Ad
A former Hairdresser (Winston Churchill was said to have thought of him highly as a barber), George Westmore emigrated with his family from England to the US in the early 20th century. Determined to make himself and his family a good living in his adopted country, Westmore also took up wig-making before gradually moving into Make-up. With movies taking their hold on American culture, he established the first ever movie make-up department, and taught his English-born sons Monte, Perc, Ern and Wally the techniques of the profession. His two youngest sons, Bud and Frank, US born, also became make-up artists. His only daughter by Ada, Dorothy, may have also taken up the profession, but died at the tragically early age of 24 following an operation. After the death of his first wife, Ada Savage, Westmore married Anita Salazar and had a daughter, Patricia, but the marriage ran into trouble, and Westmore committed suicide by swallowing Mercury in 1931, after issuing various threats to some members of his family.
After George's death, his sons carried on the dynasty; Monte was much associated with MGM until his early death of a heart attack following surgery; Perc became head of Make-up at Warner Bros; Wally himself became Make-up chief at Paramount; Ern worked at 20th Century Fox and low-budget film studio Eagle-Lion, but his career was hampered by an alcohol problem; Bud became head at Universal, and the youngest, Frank, was more freelance and later wrote a book on the family,' The Westmores Of Hollywood' in 1976.
Descendents are still very much working in Hollywood to this day; Monte's three sons, Monte Jnr, Marvin, and Michael; Marvin's children Kevin and Kandace; and Wally's granddaughter Pamela. Although he didn't live long enough to witness it, George Westmore's contribution to the development and art of screen make-up was hugely innovative and influential, and his legacy is still felt in contemporary times.
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