Jack Dawn

Jack Dawn

Known for: Costume & Make-Up
Biography: 1892-02-10
Deathday: 1961-06-20 (69 years old)

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Biography

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.

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Filmography

all 107

Movies 107

self 1

Makeup Designer
Right Cross

Right Cross (1950)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Duchess of Idaho

Duchess of Idaho (1950)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Three Little Words

Three Little Words (1950)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Mystery Street

Mystery Street (1950)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Father of the Bride

Father of the Bride (1950)

Movie
8
Makeup Artist
Annie Get Your Gun

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Movie
5.5
Makeup Designer
The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Movie
3.71
Makeup Artist
Stars in My Crown

Stars in My Crown (1950)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Reformer and the Redhead

The Reformer and the Redhead (1950)

Movie
Makeup Supervisor
Side Street

Side Street (1950)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Nancy Goes to Rio

Nancy Goes to Rio (1950)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Ambush

Ambush (1950)

Movie
Makeup Artist
On the Town

On the Town (1949)

Movie
4
Makeup Artist
Tension

Tension (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Adam's Rib

Adam's Rib (1949)

Movie
6.13
Makeup Artist
Battleground

Battleground (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
That Forsyte Woman

That Forsyte Woman (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Challenge to Lassie

Challenge to Lassie (1949)

Movie
5.6
Makeup Artist
The Red Danube

The Red Danube (1949)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
In the Good Old Summertime

In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Great Sinner

The Great Sinner (1949)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Neptune's Daughter

Neptune's Daughter (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Stratton Story

The Stratton Story (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Hills of Home

Hills of Home (1948)

Movie
3.8
Makeup Designer
The Kissing Bandit

The Kissing Bandit (1948)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers (1948)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Julia Misbehaves

Julia Misbehaves (1948)

Movie
Makeup Artist
A Date with Judy

A Date with Judy (1948)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Easter Parade

Easter Parade (1948)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Pirate

The Pirate (1948)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Summer Holiday

Summer Holiday (1948)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Big City

Big City (1948)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Good News

Good News (1947)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Desire Me

Desire Me (1947)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Unfinished Dance

The Unfinished Dance (1947)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Cynthia

Cynthia (1947)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Song of the Thin Man

Song of the Thin Man (1947)

Movie
5.18
Makeup Designer
The Romance of Rosy Ridge

The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Dark Delusion

Dark Delusion (1947)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Sea of Grass

The Sea of Grass (1947)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Undercover Maisie

Undercover Maisie (1947)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Arnelo Affair

The Arnelo Affair (1947)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Green Dolphin Street

Green Dolphin Street (1947)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Lady in the Lake

Lady in the Lake (1946)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Yearling

The Yearling (1946)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Undercurrent

Undercurrent (1946)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Easy to Wed

Easy to Wed (1946)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Two Sisters from Boston

Two Sisters from Boston (1946)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Two Smart People

Two Smart People (1946)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Postman Always Rings Twice

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Movie
1
Makeup Artist
The Hoodlum Saint

The Hoodlum Saint (1946)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Harvey Girls

The Harvey Girls (1946)

Movie
Makeup & Hair
They Were Expendable

They Were Expendable (1945)

Movie
6
Makeup Artist
Yolanda and the Thief

Yolanda and the Thief (1945)

Movie
1
Makeup Artist
She Went to the Races

She Went to the Races (1945)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Ziegfeld Follies

Ziegfeld Follies (1945)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Anchors Aweigh

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Thrill of a Romance

Thrill of a Romance (1945)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Valley of Decision

The Valley of Decision (1945)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Son of Lassie

Son of Lassie (1945)

Movie
5
Makeup Designer
The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Movie
Makeup Artist
National Velvet

National Velvet (1945)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Meet Me in St. Louis

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Movie
6
Makeup Designer
Mrs. Parkington

Mrs. Parkington (1944)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Kismet

Kismet (1944)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Canterville Ghost

The Canterville Ghost (1944)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Bathing Beauty

Bathing Beauty (1944)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

Movie
6
Makeup Designer
Gaslight

Gaslight (1944)

Movie
3.5
Makeup Artist
Lassie Come Home

Lassie Come Home (1943)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Thousands Cheer

Thousands Cheer (1943)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Man from Down Under

The Man from Down Under (1943)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Bataan

Bataan (1943)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Above Suspicion

Above Suspicion (1943)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Keeper of the Flame

Keeper of the Flame (1943)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Human Comedy

The Human Comedy (1943)

Movie
Makeup Designer
For Me and My Gal

For Me and My Gal (1942)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat (1942)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Nazi Agent

Nazi Agent (1942)

Movie
Makeup Designer
The Vanishing Virginian

The Vanishing Virginian (1942)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Ziegfeld Girl

Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Comrade X

Comrade X (1940)

Movie
Makeup Artist
The Philadelphia Story

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Movie
2.67
Makeup Designer
Escape

Escape (1940)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Movie
Makeup Designer
20 Mule Team

20 Mule Team (1940)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Strange Cargo

Strange Cargo (1940)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Ninotchka

Ninotchka (1939)

Movie
5.08
Makeup Artist
The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Movie
5.77
Makeup Artist
Miracles for Sale

Miracles for Sale (1939)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Movie
Makeup Artist
On Borrowed Time

On Borrowed Time (1939)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Broadway Serenade

Broadway Serenade (1939)

Movie
Makeup Designer
Stand Up and Fight

Stand Up and Fight (1939)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Boys Town

Boys Town (1938)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette (1938)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Conquest

Conquest (1937)

Movie
4
Self - Makeup Designer
The Romance of Celluloid

The Romance of Celluloid (1937)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Way Out West

Way Out West (1937)

Movie
10
Makeup Artist
Trouble for Two

Trouble for Two (1936)

Movie
Makeup Artist
Mark of the Vampire

Mark of the Vampire (1935)

Movie
6
Makeup Artist
The Big Trail

The Big Trail (1930)

Movie

Ratings

Average 6.42
Based on 986 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1930
1942
1946
1943
1950
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Information

Known For
Costume & Make-Up

Gender
Male

Birthday
1892-02-10

Deathday
1961-06-20 (69 years old)

Birth Name
John Wesley Dawn

Birth Place
California, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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