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{{Short description|American make-up artist}}
Mel Berns, born in Illinois, on September 27, 1897 was an American makeup artist. A legend in his own time he created the makeup for Katherine Hepburn's screentest at RKO. He was the Head of Makeup at RKO for more than twenty years, creating the makeup for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.


'''Mel Berns''' (September 27, 1897 - May 7, 1977)<ref name="Make-Up Artist Magazine 2011">{{cite web | title=Mel Berns Jr., TV and Film Make-up Artist, Dies at 71 | website=Make-Up Artist Magazine | date=July 21, 2011 | url=https://makeupmag.com/mel-berns-jr-tv-and-film-make-up-artist-dies-at-71-2/ | access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> was an American [[make-up artist]]. He was the Head of Makeup at [[RKO Pictures]] for more than twenty years.
He was a lifelong friend of Ginger Rogers, who makes ample reference to their friendship in her autobiography: "Ginger: My Story"(Harper Collins 1991)


==Career==
He worked extensively in television after leaving RKO, notably the "Perry Mason" series
Berns began his career in the entertainment industry while working as an agent at the [[William Morris Agency]].<ref name="Lentz 2012 p. 29">{{cite book | last=Lentz | first=H.M. | title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011 | publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers | series=Lentz's Performing Arts Obituaries | year=2012 | isbn=978-0-7864-9134-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SAqdwE8hZKsC&pg=PA29 | access-date=September 17, 2017 | page=29}}</ref> Later he became the Head of Makeup at [[RKO Pictures]] for more than twenty years,<ref name="Variety">{{cite web | title=Makeup artist Mel Berns Jr. dies at 71 | website=Variety | date=2 July 2011 | url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/makeup-artist-mel-berns-jr-dies-at-71-1118039399/ | access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> creating the makeup for [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Ginger Rogers]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]]'s screentest. He was a lifelong friend of [[Ginger Rogers]], who makes ample reference to their friendship in her autobiography: ''Ginger: My Story''.<ref name="Rogers 1992">{{cite book | last=Rogers | first=G. | title=Ginger: My Story | publisher=G.K. Hall | series=G. K. Hall large print book series | year=1992 | isbn=978-0-8161-5436-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zt5DPgAACAAJ | language=da | access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref>


He worked extensively in television after leaving RKO, notably the ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' series. "The crew is giving it the best of Hollywood's techniques," Burr told columnist [[Erskine Johnson]].<ref>Johnson, Erskine (August 16, 1957). "Perry Mason Ready to Challenge Como". The Brownsville Herald (Newspaper Enterprise Association)</ref> The crew included veteran make-up artist Berns.
He died in California, on May 7,1977


The baseball player [[Babe Ruth]] had severe scarring from acne on his face. Mel Berns developed makeup for Ruth so that Ruth could feel more comfortable in public. A picture of Ruth and Berns shows Ruth in a smock and Berns applying makeup to his face. The picture is autographed to Berns by [[Babe Ruth]].
A partial list of his best known credits include:


==Film credits==
"A Bill of Divorcement" (1932)
* ''[[A Bill of Divorcement (1932 film)|A Bill of Divorcement]]'' (1932)
"King Kong" (1933)
* ''[[Morning Glory (1933 film)|Morning Glory]]'' (1933)
⚫
"Christopher Strong" (1933)
* ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' (1933)<ref name="Kinnard Crnkovich 2013 p. 87">{{cite book | last1=Kinnard | first1=R. | last2=Crnkovich | first2=T. | title=The Films of Fay Wray | publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4766-0415-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyOCpuGkuykC&pg=PA87 | access-date=September 17, 2017 | page=87}}</ref>
"Professional Sweetheart" (1933)
⚫
* ''[[Christopher Strong]]'' (1933)
"Rafter Romance" (1933)
* ''[[Professional Sweetheart]]'' (1933)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024476/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Professional Sweetheart|date=9 June 1933|publisher=|via=IMDb}}</ref>
"LIttle Women" (1933)
"Flying Down to Rio" (1933)
* ''[[Rafter Romance]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933)
"THe Son of Kong" (1933)
* ''[[Flying Down to Rio]]'' (1933)
"Spitfire" (1934)
* ''[[The Son of Kong]]'' (1933)<ref name="Kinnard Crnkovich 2013 p. 87"/>
"The Gay Divorcee" (1934)
* ''[[Spitfire (1934 film)|Spitfire]]'' (1934)
"Roberta" (1935)
"The Nitwits" (1935)
* ''[[The Gay Divorcee]]'' (1934)
* ''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'' (1935)
"Alice Adams" (1935)
"Top Hat" (1935)
* ''The Nitwits'' (1935)
"Sylvia Scarlett" (1935)
* ''Alice Adams'' (1935)
* ''Top Hat'' (1935)
"Follow The Fleet" (1936)
* ''Sylvia Scarlett'' (1935)
⚫
"Mary of Scotland" (1936)
"Swing Time" (1936)
* ''Follow The Fleet'' (1936)
⚫
* ''Mary of Scotland'' (1936)
⚫
"Shall We Dance" (1937)
* ''Swing Time'' (1936)
⚫
"Stage Door" (1937)
⚫
* ''Shall We Dance'' (1937)
⚫
"Bringing Up Baby" (1938)
⚫
* ''Stage Door'' (1937)
⚫
"Carefree" (1938)
⚫
* ''Bringing Up Baby'' (1938)
⚫
"Bachelor Mother" (1939)
⚫
* ''Carefree'' (1938)
⚫
"Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman" (1940)
⚫
* ''Bachelor Mother'' (1939)
⚫
"Citizen Kane" (1941)
* ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1939)
⚫
"The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942)
* ''The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle'' (1939)
⚫
"Mr. Lucky" (1943)
⚫
* ''Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman'' (1940)
⚫
"The Curse of the Cat People" (1944)
⚫
* ''Citizen Kane'' (1941)
⚫
* ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1942)
⚫
* ''Mr. Lucky'' (1943)
⚫
* ''The Curse of the Cat People'' (1944)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berns, Mel}}

[[Category:American make-up artists]]
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1977 deaths]]


{{US-film-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 08:08, 23 April 2024

Mel Berns (September 27, 1897 - May 7, 1977)[1] was an American make-up artist. He was the Head of Makeup at RKO Pictures for more than twenty years.

Career

[edit]

Berns began his career in the entertainment industry while working as an agent at the William Morris Agency.[2] Later he became the Head of Makeup at RKO Pictures for more than twenty years,[3] creating the makeup for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn's screentest. He was a lifelong friend of Ginger Rogers, who makes ample reference to their friendship in her autobiography: Ginger: My Story.[4]

He worked extensively in television after leaving RKO, notably the Perry Mason series. "The crew is giving it the best of Hollywood's techniques," Burr told columnist Erskine Johnson.[5] The crew included veteran make-up artist Berns.

The baseball player Babe Ruth had severe scarring from acne on his face. Mel Berns developed makeup for Ruth so that Ruth could feel more comfortable in public. A picture of Ruth and Berns shows Ruth in a smock and Berns applying makeup to his face. The picture is autographed to Berns by Babe Ruth.

Film credits

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mel Berns Jr., TV and Film Make-up Artist, Dies at 71". Make-Up Artist Magazine. July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Lentz, H.M. (2012). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. Lentz's Performing Arts Obituaries. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7864-9134-6. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  3. ^ "Makeup artist Mel Berns Jr. dies at 71". Variety. 2 July 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  4. ^ Rogers, G. (1992). Ginger: My Story. G. K. Hall large print book series (in Danish). G.K. Hall. ISBN 978-0-8161-5436-4. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  5. ^ Johnson, Erskine (August 16, 1957). "Perry Mason Ready to Challenge Como". The Brownsville Herald (Newspaper Enterprise Association)
  6. ^ a b Kinnard, R.; Crnkovich, T. (2013). The Films of Fay Wray. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-4766-0415-2. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "Professional Sweetheart". 9 June 1933 – via IMDb.


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