Free Republic

*** Those growling jowls of Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” movies? Mr. Smith applied them. The brooding F. Murray Abraham in “Amadeus”? Mr. Smith helped turn Mr. Abraham’s Antonio Salieri, the composer and rival of the upstart young Mozart, into a hoary relic as an embittered, and somewhat mad, old man. David Bowie aging before your eyes in “The Hunger”? Mr. Smith’s were the hands of time. And little Linda Blair, who played the 12-year-old possessed by evil in “The Exorcist”? Mr. Smith made her head spin and spew green vomit and filled her mouth with decaying teeth.

Stuart Freeborn, the British make-up artist renowned for his contributions to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Star Wars films, has died at the age of 98. Largely self-taught, his six-decade career saw him create make-up and prosthetics for such cinematic legends as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers.

Meeting a famous makeup artist, what a daunting prospect! I am due to meet famed English makeup artist, Jennifer Lenard on the 19th April. She has worked on many fashion shows and TV projects. Her TV projects include: Dalziel and Pascoe, Crossroads, Last of the Summer Wine and many period dramas. Recently, Jennifer has opened her own shop and make up school where she teaches pupils from all over Great Britain. She is also an examiner, which signifies she has the power to pass or fail pupils as she sees fit. I meet Jennifer at the school located in Swadlincote,...