Howard Smit: Legendary Make-up Artist Dies at 98

Howard Smit on set of Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds - Photo from hitchwiki

Legendary make-up artist and member of the Local 706 union passed away on August 1, in Los Angeles, at the age of 98. Services were held today at Mt. Sinai Mortuary in Los Angeles.

Smit began working in make-up as a way to help pay for law school. He would end up working freelance for such notable companies as MGM, Max Factor, and Republic Studios on such projects as The Wizard of Oz and The Birds. As a union member he helped make-up artists gain greater benefits for their trade. Make-up Artist magazine has more info on Smit with a link to a great video of Smit discussing the developments of make-up in the motion picture business. Check it out here.