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{{Short description|American make-up artist}}
{{unsourced|date=September 2009}}
'''Mel Berns''' (born on September 27, 1897 in Illinois) was an [[United States|American]] [[make-up artist]]. He created the makeup for [[Katharine Hepburn]]'s screentest at [[RKO Pictures]]. 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''.


==Career==
He worked extensively in television after leaving RKO, notably the ''[[Perry Mason (TV series)|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)
* "Morning Glory" (1933)
* ''[[Morning Glory (1933 film)|Morning Glory]]'' (1933)
* "King Kong" (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>
* "Christopher Strong" (1933)
* "Professional Sweetheart" (1933)
* ''[[Christopher Strong]]'' (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>
* "Rafter Romance" (1933)
* "Little Women" (1933)
* ''[[Rafter Romance]]'' (1933)
* "Flying Down to Rio" (1933)
* ''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933)
* "The Son of Kong" (1933)
* ''[[Flying Down to Rio]]'' (1933)
* ''[[The Son of Kong]]'' (1933)<ref name="Kinnard Crnkovich 2013 p. 87"/>
* "Spitfire" (1934)
* "The Gay Divorcee" (1934)
* ''[[Spitfire (1934 film)|Spitfire]]'' (1934)
* ''[[The Gay Divorcee]]'' (1934)
* "Roberta" (1935)
* "The Nitwits" (1935)
* ''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'' (1935)
* "Alice Adams" (1935)
* ''The Nitwits'' (1935)
* "Top Hat" (1935)
* ''Alice Adams'' (1935)
* "Sylvia Scarlett" (1935)
* ''Top Hat'' (1935)
* "Follow The Fleet" (1936)
* ''Sylvia Scarlett'' (1935)
* "Mary of Scotland" (1936)
* ''Follow The Fleet'' (1936)
* "Swing Time" (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)
* ''Carefree'' (1938)
* "Bachelor Mother" (1939)
* "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939)
* ''Bachelor Mother'' (1939)
* "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939)
* ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1939)
* ''The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle'' (1939)
* "Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman" (1940)
* ''Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman'' (1940)
* "Citizen Kane" (1941)
* ''Citizen Kane'' (1941)
* "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942)
* ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1942)
* "Mr. Lucky" (1943)
* ''Mr. Lucky'' (1943)
* "The Curse of the Cat People" (1944)
* ''The Curse of the Cat People'' (1944)


==References==
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{{film-bio-stub}}
{{Reflist}}


{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Make-up artists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berns, Mel}}

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


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{{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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