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Previously on Silent Cinema School, we introduced Max Factor - the makeup artist who took Hollywood by storm in the early days of filmmaking. Today, we want to delve into the very makeup of silent movies, so grab your greasepaint and glycerin tears and we'll get started!
Because silent film was largely shot in black and white, did color really matter? Didn't all colors show up in various shades of gray, anyway? Well....yes and no. Early silent film (before the mid-1920's, roughly) was orthochromatic. Meaning, it was not very sensitive to shades of orange and red - so these came out black (or almost black), and the film was most sensitive to shades of blue and violet (which came out very light). Below is a color wheel that shows how different colors came out on orthochromatic film:
The color problem didn't just apply to actors' makeup - blond hair frequently showed up as dark hair, light blue skies came out white, the yolks of fried eggs looked almost black, etc. But to keep things on topic, we'll talk about the makeup!
As you may remember, actors of the silent film days were expected to do their own makeup. And they were expected, of course, to know what colors went where - and it was much different than the sort of makeup that "flappers" wore in public, or even what stage actors wore on the stage! Because of the film's lack of sensitivity to reds, undone faces appeared much darker, and blotchy skin appeared dirty on camera. So it was very important to have one's makeup done - and done correctly for film!
Today's makeup artists are commonly taught to apply foundation, blend it well, then apply powder on top. Interestingly enough, the film actors of yesteryear followed a similar pattern: apply greasepaint, blend it well, then apply powder on top. The main difference? COLORS! Fast fact: glycerin was often used for tears AND for making the ladies' lips glossy.
No one could really seem to agree on anything regarding makeup, but a majority of early sources recommend yellow greasepaint (often called "Chinese" shade *grimace*) for pretty much everyone. Still, there are others who preferred dark blue greasepaint (YIKES), powdered with light brown. Still yet, others simply used "flesh tone" greasepaint, and some fair-skinned actors used no greasepaint at all, only brown powder. Lips could be faintly colored with mauve, red or brown - but some preferred yellow, or even GRAY. Apparently, everyone thought they were an "authority" on makeup - not unlike today!
Max Factor applying makeup to actress Dorothy Dwan (1928)
What if an actor was a "rookie" and didn't know about the differences in film versus stage makeup? The studios quickly began printing and distributing pamphlets, in order to avoid some of the glaring film makeup mistakes. Sometimes new actors were referred to Max Factor or one of his trainees. Studios also began hiring a makeup specialist (they weren't called artists yet!) to apply makeup to the extras, who couldn't be trusted to do their own makeup! The first "official" studio makeup department was formed in 1917 at Selig Polyscope Studios, headed by another makeup pioneer named George Westmore.
By 1926, film was switching from orthochromatic to the new panchromatic. Meaning? Makeup was about to change - just as everyone had finally gotten a grip on doing makeup for the old ortho film! Panchromatic film was more reasonable in terms of sensitivity, which meant that colors registered in a more natural-looking spectrum of grays, as shown below:
Color film was also on the way, and somewhere along the line, this chart emerged, detailing the differences for makeup in color versus black-and white:
As film changes and re-invents itself, the makeup also undergoes changes to adapt. When panchromatic film became the standard, the heavy, red-avoidant makeup of early silent film went out the window, and actors applied their makeup with a lighter hand (and much more natural colors). Some studios abandoned greasepaint altogether, deeming it unnecessary. Max Factor was on the cutting edge of these makeup changes during the 20th century, and met the new challenges set by panchromatic film by inventing (what else?) his new Panchromatic Makeup - in cream form, instead of the old greasepaint! Be sure to read more about him here!
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