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, TaxiDriver, Amadeusand 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”