The Cat and the Canary Makeup in Silent Horror Forum

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The Cat and the Canary Makeup

Author	Comment
Count Zachula	The Cat and the Canary Makeup	Lead	[-]
Aug 24 11 10:26 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Does anyone know who created the makeup? Any stories behind the design? Its so outlandish and crazy but I love it! And even though "the Cat" isn't really a monster, I could have seen him being accepted in the Universal Monsters franchise. I'd love at least an action figure of him.
PhantomXCI		#1	[-]
Aug 26 11 11:55 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Nobody really knows. It has been suggested that Jack Pierce might have had a hand in it; but I don't believe any paper documentation has ever turned up to prove that theory.
Scoundrel		#2	[-]
Aug 27 11 6:44 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I would also guess that it's Pierce but he was probably free lancing at the time. It's known that he did the makeup on Jacques Lerner for THE MONKEY TALKS at Fox.
TServo4		#3	[-]
Aug 27 11 7:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The make-up effect is simple: rubber or putty nose piece with hairs sticking out of it, a glass eye wedged in the actor's socket, and some fake teeth. I don't think this was a Pierce effort, to be honest. His makeup for THE CAT CREEPS a few years later is more elaborate, by comparison. J. Theakston Capitol Theatre, Rome, NY
Count Zachula		#4	[-]
Aug 29 11 7:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Do we have any images of the "Cat" from the Cat Creeps? Why was it more elaborate?
dhtreptow		#5	[-]
Aug 30 11 2:35 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hmm? Not very elaborate to me if I've pulled the right pic? Looks like crooked denture and a droopy eyelid appliance. I suppose you could say it's more thoughtfully designed than the sorta silly make-up for CAT AND THE CANARY. Last Edited By: dhtreptow Aug 30 11 2:39 AM. Edited 1 times.
HalLane		#6	[-]
Aug 30 11 6:32 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Looks more like The Cat Creeps -- After Midnight. Very warmed over Chaney. Love the whiskers on the Cat & Canary version. Woulda made a swell Batman villain. Great stills!
Count Zachula		#7	[-]
Aug 30 11 6:51 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	After snooping around the forum a bit more I stumbled onto these two photos. Looks nothing like the photo dhtreptow posted. There had to press shot photos or something.
HalLane		#8	[-]
Aug 30 11 7:11 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I think maybe they're from the Spanish version, Count? Shot concurrently with the English one (like DRACULA). Looks like Lupita Tovar there in the first one. << After snooping around the forum << I hope you creeped your way around the forum. Welcome!
PhantomXCI		#9	[-]
Aug 30 11 7:57 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	dhtreptow wrote: Hmm? Not very elaborate to me if I've pulled the right pic? Looks like crooked denture and a droopy eyelid appliance. I suppose you could say it's more thoughtfully designed than the sorta silly make-up for CAT AND THE CANARY. http://images4.fanpop.com...8_1291740631367_full.jpg src="http://images4.fanpop.com/image/forum/topics/26000/26208_1291740631367_full.jpg"> This is Fredric March in a test makeup (by Wally Westmore) for JEKYLL/HYDE.
dhtreptow		#10	[-]
Aug 30 11 10:33 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	PhantomXCI wrote: dhtreptow wrote: Hmm? Not very elaborate to me if I've pulled the right pic? Looks like crooked denture and a droopy eyelid appliance. I suppose you could say it's more thoughtfully designed than the sorta silly make-up for CAT AND THE CANARY. http://images4.fanpop.com...8_1291740631367_full.jpg src="http://images4.fanpop.com/image/forum/topics/26000/26208_1291740631367_full.jpg"> This is Fredric March in a test makeup (by Wally Westmore) for JEKYLL/HYDE. Oops! Well, that's the internets for ya.
Scoundrel		#11	[-]
Aug 30 11 11:30 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	" After snooping around the forum a bit more I stumbled onto these two photos..." I see you've found my previous post on this topic. Here is a better copy of that photo from FM #61: Last Edited By: Scoundrel Aug 30 11 11:42 AM. Edited 1 times.
dhtreptow		#12	[-]
Aug 30 11 11:46 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That image looks like a ventriloquists dummy, I suppose in his relationship to the guys lap and the monocle-like eye.
Scoundrel		#13	[-]
Aug 30 11 11:52 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	" That image looks like a ventriloquists dummy..." Edgar Bergen and Chucky...!!!! WHOA...!!!!
dhtreptow		#14	[-]
Aug 30 11 1:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I take it CAT CREEPS is a lost film?
Scoundrel		#15	[-]
Aug 30 11 4:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The sound disks survive but other than a few minutes that were on the Universal short " BOO!" ...THE CAT CREEPS is thought to be lost.
Count Zachula		#16	[-]
Sep 2 11 6:35 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	So is the Spanish version lost also? And we have absolutely no photos from the English version, whatsoever?
PhantomXCI		#17	[-]
Sep 2 11 7:43 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes, both versions are lost. I suspect (but can't prove) that Universal was contractually required to destroy both films when they sold the screen rights to Paramount. And there are numerous photos from the THE CAT CREEPS in existence, one of which is the second photo you posted (with Helen Twelvetrees and Neil "Commissioner Gordon" Hamilton as the Cat).
MonsterGuy95		#18	[-]
Sep 2 11 9:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That photo from the Spanish version, those gloves look like Chaney's in The Wolf Man. I hop these two films turn up, they have to!!!!!!!
Count Zachula		#19	[-]
Sep 2 11 11:26 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	They HAD to destroy both prints? Jeez, what a world. I'm extremely curious to see any other photos if you know a place where one can seek them out. There had to publicity shots right?
PhantomXCI		#20	[-]
Sep 2 11 11:52 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	When one company sold film rights to another company, they were often contractually obligated to destroy all copies of the original film. Lost titles like THE GORILLA ('27 & '30), THE TERROR ('28), THE CHINESE PARROT ('27) and THE CAT CREEPS ('30) were all remade by other studios- hence the absence of the originals. MGM, fortunately, didn't destroy their rival productions, but kept them out-of-circulation for decades (for example, Mamoulian's JEKYLL & HYDE, Walbrook's GASLIGHT, and Whale's WATERLOO BRIDGE and SHOW BOAT).

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