Cinco De Maaake-uuuup!

Pioneer.

PI-OH-NEEEEER.

You just don't get any more inventive, important and pioneering in film history than this guy.

Jack Pierce

May 5, 1889 -- July 20, 1968

Today he would have been, what... 121?

Yes, he was born on Cinco De Mayo, but in Greece so I don't know if the date ever held any margarita-ish significance for him.

I am not sure how to even begin or end this entry... so much of what comprises our Hallowe'en memories, such a massive part of our shared Hallowe'en culture has for generations now been influenced by the Classic Monsters of the late '20s through the '40s...

... and simply put, none of those iconic, inspiring creations would have existed but for Jack freaking Pierce.

"Oh well, he was a master Monster Maker, no doubt! But come on, a pioneer? I mean, those monster flicks are cool and all but what are there, like a dozen of them or something? This guy's that important? Really?"

Really...

1. "Mister Ed" (makeup artist) (104 episodes, 1961-1964)
2. The Creation of the Humanoids (1962) (makeup artist)
3. Beauty and the Beast (1962) (makeup artist)
4. The Devil's Hand (1962) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
5. Beyond the Time Barrier (1960) (special makeup artist)
6. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
7. "Men Into Space" (makeup artist) (1 episode, 1960)
   ... aka "Space Challenge" - USA (syndication title)
       - Flash in the Sky (1960) TV episode (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
8. "Bat Masterson" (makeup artist) (1 episode, 1959)
       - No Funeral for Thorn (1959) TV episode (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
9. I Bury the Living (1958) (makeup artist) (as Jack P. Pearce)
10. Giant from the Unknown (1958) (makeup artist)
11. Teenage Monster (1958) (makeup artist)
    ... aka "Meteor Man" - International (English title)
12. The Brain from Planet Arous (1957) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
13. "Telephone Time" (makeup artist) (1 episode, 1956)
        - Grandpa Changes the World (1956) TV episode (makeup artist)
14. "Screen Directors Playhouse" (makeup artist) (3 episodes, 1955-1956)
        - The Sword of Villon (1956) TV episode (makeup artist)
        - Prima Donna (1956) TV episode (makeup artist)
        - The Silent Partner (1955) TV episode (makeup artist)
15. "You Are There" (makeup artist) (5 episodes, 1953-1955)
        - Spindletop - The First Great Texas Oil Strike (January 10, 1901) (1955) TV episode (makeup artist)
        - The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (October 26, 1881) (1955) TV episode (makeup artist)
        - The Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) (1955) TV episode (makeup artist)
        - Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) (1953) TV episode (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
        - The Capture of John Wilkes Booth (April 26, 1865) (1953) TV episode (makeup artist)
16. No Escape (1953) (makeup artist)
    ... aka "City on a Hunt" - USA (reissue title)
17. Tales of Robin Hood (1951) (makeup artist)
18. The Valparaiso Story (1951) (makeup artist)
19. The Du Pont Story (1950) (makeup artist)
20. "The Magnavox Theatre" (make-up) (1 episode, 1950)
        - The Three Musketeers (1950) TV episode (make-up) (as Jack Pierce)
21. Master Minds (1949) (makeup designer)
22. Reign of Terror (1949) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
23. The Big Cat (1949) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
24. The Pilgrimage Play (1949) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
25. Joan of Arc (1948) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
26. Slave Girl (1947) (makeup artist)
27. The Vigilantes Return (1947) (director of makeup)
28. Time Out of Mind (1947) (makeup artist)
29. Buck Privates Come Home (1947) (makeup artist)
30. Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) (director of makeup)
31. The Egg and I (1947) (makeup artist)
32. Song of Scheherazade (1947) (director of makeup)
33. I'll Be Yours (1947) (makeup director)
34. Magnificent Doll (1946) (makeup artist)
35. The Brute Man (1946) (makeup director)
36. Rustler's Round-up (1946) (director of makeup)
    ... aka "Rustler's Hideout" - USA (TV title)
37. Gunman's Code (1946) (director of makeup)
38. White Tie and Tails (1946) (director of makeup)
    ... aka "The Swindlers" - USA (new title)
39. Little Miss Big (1946) (director of makeup)
40. The Killers (1946) (makeup department head)
    ... aka "Ernest Hemingway's The Killers" - USA (complete title)
41. Lawless Breed (1946) (director of makeup)
42. The Time of Their Lives (1946) (director of makeup)
43. Wild Beauty (1946) (director of makeup)
44. Black Angel (1946) (makeup director)
    ... aka "The Black Angel" - USA (copyright title)
45. Canyon Passage (1946) (makeup director)
46. Danger Woman (1946) (director of makeup)
47. Her Adventurous Night (1946) (director of makeup)
48. The Runaround (1946) (makeup artist)
    ... aka "Deadly Enemies" - USA (reissue title)
49. She Wrote the Book (1946) (makeup artist)
50. Dressed to Kill (1946) (director of makeup)
    ... aka "Prelude to Murder" - USA (working title), USA (DVD title)
    ... aka "Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill" - USA (DVD title)
51. She-Wolf of London (1946) (director of makeup)
52. The Cat Creeps (1946) (makeup artist)
53. Night in Paradise (1946) (makeup artist)
54. House of Horrors (1946) (makeup supervisor)
55. The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946) (makeup artist)
56. Little Giant (1946) (makeup director)
57. Terror by Night (1946) (director of makeup)
    ... aka "Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night" - USA (DVD title)
58. Scarlet Street (1945) (makeup director)
59. Frontier Gal (1945) (makeup artist)
60. House of Dracula (1945) (makeup artist)
61. Pursuit to Algiers (1945) (director of makeup)
    ... aka "Sherlock Holmes in Pursuit to Algiers" - USA (series title), USA (DVD title)
62. That Night with You (1945) (makeup artist)
63. The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945) (makeup artist)
    ... aka "Guilty of Murder?" - USA (reissue title)
64. The Jungle Captive (1945) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
    ... aka "Wild Jungle Captive" - USA (reissue title)
65. The Naughty Nineties (1945) (makeup director)
66. Sudan (1945) (makeup artist)
67. Can't Help Singing (1944) (makeup artist)
68. The Mummy's Curse (1944) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
69. House of Frankenstein (1944) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
70. The Climax (1944) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
71. Gypsy Wildcat (1944) (makeup artist)
72. The Mummy's Ghost (1944) (special makeup artist)
73. Jungle Woman (1944) (makeup artist)
74. The Scarlet Claw (1944) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
    ... aka "Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Claw" - USA (promotional title)
75. Cobra Woman (1944) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
76. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
77. The Mad Ghoul (1943) (special makeup artist) (uncredited)
78. Son of Dracula (1943) (special makeup effects artist) (uncredited)
79. Flesh and Fantasy (1943) (makeup artist)
80. Phantom of the Opera (1943) (makeup artist)
81. Captive Wild Woman (1943) (makeup artist)
82. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) (makeup artist)
    ... aka "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" - USA (video box title)
83. The Mummy's Tomb (1942) (special makeup)
84. The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) (makeup artist)
85. The Wolf Man (1941) (make-up artist)
86. Man Made Monster (1941) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
    ... aka "Atomic Monster" - USA (reissue title)
87. The Mummy's Hand (1940) (makeup creator) (uncredited)
88. Black Friday (1940) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
89. The House of the Seven Gables (1940) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
90. Tower of London (1939) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
91. Unexpected Father (1939) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
92. Son of Frankenstein (1939) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
93. His Exciting Night (1938) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
94. Personal Secretary (1938) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
95. Freshman Year (1938) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
96. Wives Under Suspicion (1938) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
97. The Road Back (1937) (makeup artist)
98. Let Them Live (1937) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
99. Night Key (1937) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
100. When Love Is Young (1937) (makeup supervisor) (as Jack Pierce)
101. Three Smart Girls (1936) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
102. Magnificent Brute (1936) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
103. Two in a Crowd (1936) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
104. Dracula's Daughter (1936) (special makeup effects artist) (uncredited)
105. Love Before Breakfast (1936) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
106. Next Time We Love (1936) (makeup artist)
107. The Invisible Ray (1936) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
108. Magnificent Obsession (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
109. The Great Impersonation (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
110. Remember Last Night? (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
111. Diamond Jim (1935) (makeup artist)
112. The Raven (1935) (makeup designer) (uncredited)
113. Werewolf of London (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
114. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
     ... aka "The Bride of Frankenstein" - USA (poster title)
115. Night Life of the Gods (1935) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
116. The Good Fairy (1935) (makeup artist)
117. Imitation of Life (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
118. Great Expectations (1934) (makeup artist)
119. Embarrassing Moments (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
120. The Love Captive (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
121. Half a Sinner (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
     ... aka "Alias the Deacon" - USA (alternative title)
122. Love Birds (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
123. The Black Cat (1934) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
     ... aka "The Vanishing Body" - USA (reissue title)
124. By Candlelight (1933) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
125. The Invisible Man (1933) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
126. The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
127. They Just Had to Get Married (1932) (makeup artist)
128. The Mummy (1932) (makeup designer) (uncredited)
129. The Old Dark House (1932) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
130. Back Street (1932) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
131. White Zombie (1932) (makeup artist) (as Jack Pierce)
132. The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood (1932) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
133. The Impatient Maiden (1932) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
134. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
135. Strictly Dishonorable (1931) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
136. Frankenstein (1931) (makeup artist) (uncredited) (makeup designer) (uncredited)
137. Dracula (1931) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
138. East Is West (1930) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
139. The Man Who Laughs (1928) (makeup artist) (uncredited)
140. The Monkey Talks (1927) (makeup artist) (uncredited)

Actor:

1. Masquerade (1929) (as Jack Pierce) .... Second Reporter
2. The Circus (1928) (uncredited) .... Man Operating Ropes
3. Isle of Sunken Gold (1927) (as John Pierce)
4. The Speed Demon (1925) (as Jack Pierce) .... Pickles Rankin
5. The Gambling Fool (1925) (as Jack Pearce) .... Bud Fitzroy
   ... aka "A Gamblin' Fool" - USA (alternative title)
6. Riders of the Law (1922) (as Jack Pierce) .... Pete Gushard
7. The Man Who Waited (1922) (as Jack Pierce) .... Black Pete
8. The Enchanted Kiss (1917) (as Jack Pierce)
9. One Dollar's Worth (1917) (as Jack Pierce)
10. Law and Order (1917) (as Jack Pierce)
11. The Dupe (1916/I) (as Jack Pierce)
12. Misjudged (1915) (as Jack Pierce)

That's being in films, in make-up and wardrobe, in greasepaint and collodion since 1915.

1915.

I hope he gets his Star on the Walk of Fame soon (I know, it should have been there 40 years ago). If you'd like to help get it there, sign the petition at the Official Jack Pierce Website.

Happy Twelvety-First, Mr. Pierce. 

Thanks for the Monsters. They love you too!

And Happy Cinco De Mayo, everyone. Margaritas on the house, but only on the rocks -- Frankie gets so tired crushing all that ice!

BE-SPIDERED!