I can't believe this isn't
mentioned here - Dick Smith is also the name of the man who
revolutionised the special
make-up effects world. He was born in
New York in 1922, and worked on
TV shows for years before finding his way into
movies. The guy
taught himself how to do everything, and basically made it up as he went along.
He developed special gunshot wound appliances for The Godfather, created old age make-up for Dustin Hoffman in "Little Big Man" by making a mold from his own forehead, and transformed cute, rosy-cheeked Linda Blair into a disgusting apparition from hell in "The Exorcist". He also trained Rick Baker, who assisted him on "The Exorcist" - the same Rick Baker who did the make-up and transformation effects in "An American Werewolf in London".
Some of the movies Dick Smith worked on:
Little Big Man
The Godfather
The Exorcist - I was convinced that Max Von Sydow was about 70 years old when he made this, and was shocked to see him still acting nearly 30 years later...
The Godfather Part 2
Taxi Driver - blood, gore, and DeNiro's mohawk - I had no idea that they hadn't just shaved his head for the finale, it's that good.
Altered States
Scanners - the spectacular finale
The Hunger
Amadeus
For complete filmography and further info go to: www.dicksmithmake-up.com/filmography.htm - it has links to some of the movies with fascinating photos and insights into how the make-up was done. The Exorcist link has some interesting make-up tests, and also illustrates how impossibly cute Linda Blair looked before Smith got his latex on her. Oh, it shows how the "vomit device" worked, too...
Editors Note:
Dick Smith died on July 30, 2014 in Los Angeles of complications from a broken hip. He was 92 years old.
Marathon Man