I was looking for something at the imdb & I see ace special effects make-up man Dick Smith has died at 92 (good innings). He was the mentor of Rick Baker, & the Godfather of make-up men.
Dustin Hoffman was wearing a mask of his for the very old Little Big Man, as was F. Murray Abraham for the ancient Salieri in Amadeus, in fact he did a ton of stuff. I used to read about him way back in the early sixties in the mag. Famous Monsters Of Filmland.
Dick lived in my home town of Larchmont. He was the nicest person in the world. And trick or treating at his house was THE BEST!! He was a master technician and a true artist.
I used to know a man named Craig Reardon, who was a big fan of Smith's and worked with him on ALTERED STATES before advancing to his own career in special makeup effects. He was a huge film music fan and wrote some articles for me and others back in the 1970s. Does anybody ever hear from him?
I grew up with Dick Smith as my "mentor," when I was a teenager. His monster makeup book for kids launched me into the world of movie makeup. Smith is one of the GREATEST of all time, and his talent will be missed. With the exception of those, like Rick Baker, whom he personally mentored. They will carry his legacy into the future.
