Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10

~ EFORE the cry Of Camera" stirs
to dramatic action the stars Of
the motion picture play, the
IL center OF the stage has been
held by Max Factor, modest,
gray-haired little man with q wisdom
as inscrutable as the smile that turks
behind his spectacles.
Max Is the master of makeup, q
factor In filmdom. He is practically one
Of the milestones on which motion pic
lures climbed to the worlds fourth
greatest industry. Every movie queen
bows to his art; to 1t she owes much
Of her alluring beauty and charm we
see on the screen.
For 90 years Max Factor has welded
the powder puff. the lipstick and mas
cara brush over Hollywood WELD
ed 1t with supreme authority ever since
the "101 Ranch" made slide movies,
ever since Mary Pickford played in one
reelerS and Gloria Swanson was a Sen
nett bathing beauty. He has painted,
perfumed and wigged every star of the
cinema; has initiated a small army of
extras and the movie-mad into the
mysteries of makeup and developed in
his laboratories beauty secrets now
sought by the worlds femininity as
well as that Of the kleigs and foot
lights.
Countless times Max Factors genius
has saved a picture or star. When
Rudolph Valentino needed special
makeup for 1.-THE Four Horsemen,"
Max made it. He perfected the first
BODY makeup, immune to perSpiration
for Douglas Fairbanks in THE Thief
Of Bagdad," and when Rex Ingram ca
bed him for underwater makeup for
Mare Nostrum," Factor furnished that.
For the flood scene in "Noah's Ark
ne perfected sunburn, waterproof
makeup that stood up under the worst
wear on record, furnished 20 of his CO.
horts to instruct the Warner Studio
artists. and in less than two hours made
up 1900 extras from head to foot,
When Richard Dix filmed "Redskin" on
the Arizona desert, Factor made a study
OF the Indians who were to lend real
ism to the technicolor production and
developed makeup so similar that
the white mans coloring matched the
red mans as well as toned in with the
desert background.
The Factor formulas are tested" at
the studios-that is, are given the usual
screen test-after which Max sees the
rushes. If he Is not satisfied with the
effect, back he goes to his laboratory.
This was not necessary, however, In
the case Of Louise Dresser, who went
to Factor to be made up for a colored
role she is playing in THE Crouch
Bag"
II don't want to look like Madge Bel
lamy in Mother Knows Best" she told
him.
She didn't. When Factor finished
with her, Miss Dresser dropped into the
Munchers Club Can exclusive luncheon
group on the Fox lot, composed of writ
ers and directors). AS she sat down
at the table and ordered her repast
several Of the highbrow Munchers got
up Indignantly and left.
Al Jolson probably wouldn't screen
so well in his blackface, broad-stretched
smile but for Factors makeup Neither
could Buster Keaton hold his frozen
face" The same could be said of
practically every other star of certain
character type except Lon CLANCY, who
Is an expert ON makeup.
Greta CARLOS kisses would be
smeared all over Jack GiIbert,s face II
1t weren't for Factors kiss-proof lip
stick, while every screen lovers Shout
.iers would be plastered with powder
but for his foundation creams and To-
tons that make 1t stick like the paper
on the wall.
FACTORS latest contribution TO SCI
= entific filming Is the Panchromatic
nlake-up--a revelation TO the makeup
a.sE4c