Jack Dawn
Costume & Make-Up
Jack Dawn (February 10, 1892 - June 20, 1961) was an American make-up artist whose career spanned thirty-seven years. He worked on more than two hundred films, many of them regarded as classics by historians and moviegoers alike. As a boy living on a Kentucky farm, Dawn chopped faces in sandstone he found on the banks of a nearby creek, using a chisel, a hammer, and a spoon. He eventually gravitated to Hollywood, where he found work as an extra, portraying an Indian brave for $3 a day. He served with the British during World War I, then returned to the American film capital to work as a make-up assistant and part-time actor at Universal Pictures. One of his first creations was a stiff, uncomfortable mask he wore in the role of an ape in 1925. In order to make masks that were more elastic and lifelike, he began to experiment with a variety of materials. After nine years of research while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he developed a synthetic plastic he called vinylite resin for which he received a patent. Its first application was used to create the Chinese faces for the mostly white cast of The Good Earth in 1937. Two years later, Dawn was assigned the task of giving life to three non-human characters - a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion - in MGM's now-classic musical film The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's novel. He also created the green makeup for Wicked Witch of the West Margaret Hamilton and multiple looks for Frank Morgan, who portrayed five different characters in the film, as well as for the Munchkins. His work resulted in some of the most recognizable makeup designs ever created for a Hollywood production. In 1943, Dawn approached the San Diego Naval Hospital with an offer to help World War II soldiers whose faces and hands had been disfigured in battle. He created inlays that helped patients appear normal between multiple plastic surgery operations. Dawn worked with many of Hollywood's legendary performers, including Laurel and Hardy, Greta Garbo, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Greer Garson, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Ingrid Bergman, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Fred Astaire, and Betty Hutton. Dawn died in Glendale, California, five years after retiring from films. He was buried with an unmarked grave in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Known for
Costume & Make-Up121
movieRight Cross
1950
Makeup Designer
movieDevil's Doorway
1950
Makeup Designer
movieDuchess of Idaho
1950
Makeup Artist
movieThree Little Words
1950
Makeup Artist
movieMystery Street
1950
Makeup Designer
movieThe Big Hangover
1950
Makeup Artist
movieShadow on the Wall
1950
Makeup Artist
movieFather of the Bride
1950
Makeup Designer
movieAnnie Get Your Gun
1950
Makeup Artist
movieThe Asphalt Jungle
1950
Makeup Designer
moviePlease Believe Me
1950
Makeup Artist
movieStars in My Crown
1950
Makeup Artist
movieThe Reformer and the Redhead
1950
Makeup Designer
movieSide Street
1950
Makeup Supervisor
movieBlack Hand
1950
Makeup Artist
movieNancy Goes to Rio
1950
Makeup Artist
movieThe Outriders
1950
Makeup Designer
movieAmbush
1950
Makeup Artist
movieOn the Town
1949
Makeup Artist
movieTension
1949
Makeup Designer
movieIntruder in the Dust
1949
Makeup Artist
movieAdam's Rib
1949
Makeup Designer
movieBattleground
1949
Makeup Artist
movieThat Forsyte Woman
1949
Makeup Designer
movieChallenge to Lassie
1949
Makeup Designer
movieBorder Incident
1949
Makeup Designer
movieThe Red Danube
1949
Makeup Artist
movieMadame Bovary
1949
Makeup Artist
movieIn the Good Old Summertime
1949
Makeup Designer
movieThe Great Sinner
1949
Makeup Designer
movieNeptune's Daughter
1949
Makeup Artist
movieThe Stratton Story
1949
Makeup Designer
movieThe Barkleys of Broadway
1949
Makeup Designer
movieLittle Women
1949
Makeup Artist
movieTake Me Out to the Ball Game
1949
Makeup Designer
movieAct of Violence
1949
Makeup Designer
movieHills of Home
1948
Makeup Designer
movieThe Kissing Bandit
1948
Makeup Designer
movieThe Three Musketeers
1948
Makeup Designer
movieJulia Misbehaves
1948
Makeup Artist
movieA Date with Judy
1948
Makeup Artist
movieEaster Parade
1948
Makeup Designer
movieThe Pirate
1948
Makeup Artist
movieSummer Holiday
1948
Makeup Artist
movieBig City
1948
Makeup Artist
movieGood News
1947
Makeup Designer
movieDesire Me
1947
Makeup Designer
movieThe Unfinished Dance
1947
Makeup Designer
movieCynthia
1947
Makeup Artist
movieSong of the Thin Man
1947
Makeup Designer
movieThe Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947
Makeup Designer
movieThe Hucksters
1947
Makeup Designer
movieDark Delusion
1947
Makeup Designer
movieThe Sea of Grass
1947
Makeup Artist
movieUndercover Maisie
1947
Makeup Artist
movieThe Arnelo Affair
1947
Makeup Artist
movieGreen Dolphin Street
1947
Makeup Designer
movieLady in the Lake
1946
Makeup Artist
movieThe Yearling
1946
Makeup Designer
movieTill the Clouds Roll By
1946
Makeup Designer
movieUndercurrent
1946
Makeup Designer
movieEasy to Wed
1946
Makeup Artist
movieTwo Sisters from Boston
1946
Makeup Designer
movieTwo Smart People
1946
Makeup Artist
movieThe Postman Always Rings Twice
1946
Makeup Artist
movieThe Hoodlum Saint
1946
Makeup Artist
movieThe Harvey Girls
1946
Makeup Designer
movieThey Were Expendable
1945
Makeup & Hair
movieYolanda and the Thief
1945
Makeup Artist
movieShe Went to the Races
1945
Makeup Artist
movieBud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
1945
Makeup Designer
movieZiegfeld Follies
1945
Makeup Designer
movieAnchors Aweigh
1945
Makeup Designer
movieThrill of a Romance
1945
Makeup Designer
movieThe Valley of Decision
1945
Makeup Designer
movieSon of Lassie
1945
Makeup Designer
movieThe Picture of Dorian Gray
1945
Makeup Designer
movieNational Velvet
1945
Makeup Artist
movieMeet Me in St. Louis
1944
Makeup Designer
movieMrs. Parkington
1944
Makeup Designer
movieKismet
1944
Makeup Designer
movieThe Canterville Ghost
1944
Makeup Designer
movieBathing Beauty
1944
Makeup Designer
movieThe White Cliffs of Dover
1944
Makeup Designer
movieGaslight
1944
Makeup Designer
movieLassie Come Home
1943
Makeup Artist
movieThousands Cheer
1943
Makeup Designer
movieThe Man from Down Under
1943
Makeup Designer
movieBataan
1943
Makeup Artist
movieAbove Suspicion
1943
Makeup Designer
movieKeeper of the Flame
1943
Makeup Artist
movieThe Human Comedy
1943
Makeup Artist
movieWhite Cargo
1942
Makeup Designer
movieFor Me and My Gal
1942
Makeup Designer
movieTortilla Flat
1942
Makeup Artist
movieNazi Agent
1942
Makeup Artist
movieThe Vanishing Virginian
1942
Makeup Designer
movieDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1941
Makeup Artist
movieZiegfeld Girl
1941
Makeup Designer
movieComrade X
1940
Makeup Artist
movieThe Philadelphia Story
1940
Makeup Artist
movieLittle Nellie Kelly
1940
Makeup Designer
movieEscape
1940
Makeup Designer
moviePride and Prejudice
1940
Makeup Artist
movie20 Mule Team
1940
Makeup Designer
movieStrange Cargo
1940
Makeup Artist
movieJoe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939
Makeup Artist
movieNinotchka
1939
Makeup Designer
movieThe Wizard of Oz
1939
Makeup Designer
movieMiracles for Sale
1939
Makeup Artist
movieGoodbye, Mr. Chips
1939
Makeup Artist
movieOn Borrowed Time
1939
Makeup Artist
movieBroadway Serenade
1939
Makeup Artist
movieStand Up and Fight
1939
Makeup Designer
movieBoys Town
1938
Makeup Artist
movieMarie Antoinette
1938
Makeup Artist
movieConquest
1937
Makeup Artist
movieWay Out West
1937
Makeup Artist
movieTrouble for Two
1936
Makeup Artist
movieMark of the Vampire
1935
Makeup Artist
movieThe Big Trail
1930
Makeup Artist
