Memoriam

Rembembering Monty Westmore Jr.

Montague “Monty” Westmore Jr. (June 12, 1923-November 13, 2007) A third-generation member of the legendary family of Hollywood makeup artists whose long career included: Touch of Evil died of prostate cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

In a nearly six-decade career that began at Warner Bros. in the 1940s, (launched his career in 1943 as an apprentice to his uncle, Perc Westmore, at Warner Bros. He then spent seven years at Universal.) Westmore amassed more than 100 film credits, including: 3 Women; Stand By Me; The Shawshank Redemption; Se7en; Star Trek: Insurrection; Chaplin; – as well as doing uncredited work on films such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  Additional movies in his career can be found at: www.MySpace.com/WestmoreMuseum

Monty Westmore Jr.

He also was Paul Newman’s favored makeup artist and worked on more than a dozen of the actor’s films over three decades, including: The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean; The Verdict; Fort Apache; the Bronx; The Color of Money; Message in a Bottle; Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson; The Hudsucker Proxy; Twilight; Towering Inferno; Fat Man and Little Boy; Mr. & Mrs. Bridge; and Sometimes a Great Notion.

Paul Newman – “I think once it was announced I was doing a film, it was just automatic that Monty would be doing the makeup,” and “When working on a film, there is a lot of pressure, and he was so low-key and kind of slipped underneath all that aggravation and everything.”  Newman also commented, “It was very comforting to have him around. He will be sorely missed. ” In 1992, Westmore shared an Academy Award nomination for best makeup for his work on the Steven Spielberg-directed film Hook.  Monty had also worked with Steven on: Night Gallery, and Jurassic Park.

He also shared Emmy Award nominations for outstanding achievement in makeup for the 1983 TV movie Who Will Love My Children? and for the 1996 TV movie The Late Shift with his last screen credit on Ron Howard’s 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Monty Westmore is survived by his wife, June; his children from a previous marriage, Wendy, Missy, Terri-Anne and Monty; his brothers, Marvin and Michael; and five grandchildren.

Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Montague “Monty” George Westmore Jr.’s memory to the George Westmore Research Library & Museum.  The Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit institution fully recognized by the IRS.  Donations can be sent through: www.PayPal.com using the e-mail address of info@WestmoreMuesum.com use our Paypal link below and make a donation.

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