#jack pierce

Make-up artist Jack Pierce and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster - Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Universal Studios genius make-up artist Jack Pierce trimming hair-colored "gorilla gloves" worn by actors who played gorilla monsters in movies.

Jack Pierce fixing Boris Karloff's makeup behind the scenes of Frankenstein (1931)

By Josh Ryals

Whale, formerly a cartoonist, even sketched Karloff’s face, enlarging its sharp planes and hollowed features into the embryonic design that Jack Pierce’s makeup would perfect. Though Karloff’s slight frame gave Whale pause, the actor’s expressive features convinced him that emotional depth mattered more than sheer size. For Karloff, the job seemed little more than another modest assignment—he had no inkling of how transformative it would become. Legend has it he knew the role was truly his when, in full makeup, he walked down a studio corridor and frightened an unsuspecting prop man. During production, Karloff often lunched alone—either so his monstrous appearance wouldn’t upset other diners or because Universal recognized the publicity value. In the end, the “damned awful monster,” as Karloff once called it, became the performance that made him immortal.

Legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce works to transform Boris Karloff into the monster for 'Bride of Frankenstein' (1935).

Universal Studios copyrighted the unique look and used it in future films, including Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, and other films.