Dick Smith 1922-2014

Dick Smith was born on June 26, 1922 in Larchmont, New York, USA as Richard Emerson Smith. He is known for his work on The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and Taxi Driver (1976).

Smith was an Academy Award-winning make-up artist who is best known for The Exorcist, but has contributed to films like The Godfather, Little Big Man, Taxi Driver, Amadeus and Ghost Story. For those who aspired to be a make-up artist at one time or another (and either followed through with it or didn’t – I fell into that latter category), Smith’s story is well-known.

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FILM CREDITS

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• 1962 – Requiem for a Heavyweight
• 1963 – All The Way Home
• 1963 – The Cardinal – Aging makeups
• 1963 – It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World – Created stunt men masks
• 1964 – The World of Harry Orient
• 1965 – Marco the Magnificent
• 1965 – Harvey Middleman, Fireman
• 1965 – Wrote THE MONSTER MAKEUP HANDBOOK
• 1968 – Midnight Cowboy – Designed “Ratso” makeup
• 1969 – Little Big Man
• 1969 – Me, Natalie – Homely to pretty makeup for Patty Duke
• 1970 – House of Dark Shadows
• 1970 – Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
• 1971 – The Godfather
• 1973 – The Exorcist
• 1973 – The Godfather, Part 2 – Aging makeup and blood effects
• 1974 – The Stepford Wives – Foam rubber breasts
• 1974 – Carnal Knowledge – Designed aging makeups (not used)
• 1975 – The Sunshine Boys
• 1975 – Taxi Driver
• 1975 – Marathon Man – Garroting effect
• 1975 – Burnt Offerings – Horror makeup
• 1976 – Exorcist II: The Heretic
• 1976 – The Sentinel – Horror makeup
• 1977 – The Fury – Designed effects
• 1977 – The Deer Hunter – Created DeNiro’s makeup and effects
• 1978-1979 – Altered States
• 1980 – The Dogs of War – Designed some bloody effects
• 1980 – Nighthawks – Created disguises and effects
• 1980 – The Formula – Created aging makeups
• 1981 – Ghost Story
• 1981 – Scanners – Designed and created makeup effects for finale
• 1981 – The Fan – Created bloody effects
• 1981 – Spasms – Created makeup effects
• 1982 – The Hunger
• 1983 – The Cotton Club – Designed character makeup
• 1983 – Amadeus
• 1984 – Starman – Created three-dimensional replacement animation sequence
• 1984 – Prizzi’s Honor – Designed old-age makeup
• 1985-87 – Wrote THE ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP COURSE
• 1988 – Poltergeist III: The Other Side – Created special makeup and effects
• 1988 – Sweet Home (Japanese film) – Consultant on special makeup effects
• 1988 – Everybody’s All American
• 1989 – Dad – Designed old age makeups
• 1989 – Reversal of Fortune – Designed makeup for Jeremy Irons
• 1990 – True Identity – Consultant
• 1991 – Death Becomes Her – Consultant
• 1992 – Forever Young – Consultant
• 1992-2000 – YOYOGI Makeup EFX School, Japan

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TELEVISION CREDITS
As head of the New York NBC-TV Makeup Department from 1945 to 1959, I was responsible for all the makeups and applied the most important ones.

• 1946 – Blythe Spirit
• 1946 – Abe Lincoln in Illinois
• 1946 – The Last War
• 1947 – Othello
• 1947 – Twelfth Night
• 1947 – Angel Street
• 1948 – Macbeth (1948)
• 1948 – Angel Street (repeat)
• 1948 – The Late George Appley
• 1948 – Great Catherine
• 1948 – A Christmas Carol
• 1948 – Democratic National Convention – First covered on TV
• 1949 – Napoleon
• 1949 – Man on Half Moon Street
• 1949 – The Milton Berle Show
• 1949 – Believe It or Not
• 1949 – Cyrano de Bergerac (1949)
• 1950 – Tales of Hoffman, opera
• 1950 – Van Gogh
• 1950 – A Christmas Carol
• 1951 – The Fast Dollar
• 1951 – Of Famous Memory
• 1952 – Brat Farrar
• 1952 – Pique Dame
• 1953 – Marty
• 1953 – The Ford 50th Anniversary Show
• 1953 – To Live in Peace
• 1954 – Macbeth (1954)
• 1955 – Grifflekin
• 1955 – The Four Poster
• 1955 – Darkness at Noon
• 1955 – The Magic Flute, opera
• 1955 – Alice in Wonderland
• 1955 – Cyrano de Bergerac (1955)
• 1956 – La Boheme, opera
• 1956 – Happy Birthday
• 1956 – Barretts of Wimpole Street
• 1956 – The Taming of the Shrew
• 1956 – Man and Superman
• 1956 – Born Yesterday
• 1956 – Peter Pan
• 1956 – Caesar and Cleopatra
• 1956 – The Little Foxes
• 1956 – Dodsworth
• 1956 – Jack and the Beanstalk
• 1957 – Mayerling
• 1957 – Victoria Regina
• 1957 – Rigoletto, opera
• 1957 – War and Peace
• 1957 – Pinocchio
• 1957 – Samuel Johnson
• 1958 – Hansel and Gretel
• 1958 – Hans Brinker
• 1958 – Little Moon of Alban
• 1958 – Dial M for Murder
• 1959 – The Moon and Sixpence
• 1959 – I, Don Quixote
• 1959 – Body and Soul
• 1959 – Medea
• 1959 – Miracle on 34th Street
• 1959 – The Bells of St. Mary
• 1960 – The Scarlet Pimpernel
• 1960 – The Devil and Daniel Webster
• 1960 – The Datchet Diamonds
• 1960 – The Prisoner of Zenda
• 1960 – Treasure Island
• 1960 – Arrowsmith
• 1960 – Valley of Decision
• 1960 – Mrs. Miniver
• 1960 – Ninotchka
• 1960 – Ethan Frome
• 1961 – The Picture of Dorian Gray
• 1961 – The Lincoln Murder Case
• 1961 – The Power and the Glory
• 1961 – ‘Way Out Television Series
• 1961 – The Heiress
• 1961 – Jane Eyre
• 1966 – Star Wagon – Aging makeups
• 1966 – The Diary of Anne Frank
• 1966 – The Good Lieutenant
• 1966 – The Lesson
• 1967 – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• 1967 – Soldier in Love
• 1967 – Mark Twain Tonight!
• 1967 – Dorothy Gray Cosmetics
• 1967 – Dark Shadows, Television Series
• 1968 – Arsenic and Old Lace
• 1971 – Harriet – Extensive aging
• 1972 – Particular Men – Stacey Keach as “Oppenheimer”
• 1976 – Harry Truman, Plain Speaking
• 1985 – North and South